The teach abroad experience presents adventurous, passionate educators with the best of both worlds — the opportunity to explore a foreign country and the chance to positively shape the lives of local students.
If you're interested in teaching abroad but have no idea where to begin, then you've come to the right place. Here you'll learn exactly what steps to take to make your teach abroad dream come true.
Maybe you know exactly where you want to teach — or maybe you're willing to travel just about anywhere for the teach abroad experience. Either way, there are several things to seriously consider before making a final commitment, like:
Once you've narrowed it down to a few countries, ask yourself:
You’ll also want to consider the opportunities for teachers in your selected destination. GoAbroad.com sites countries like South Korea, Japan, Colombia, Morocco, Mexico, Germany, Czech Republic, and United Arab Emirates Turkey, Czech Republic, Chile, and Colombia as having vast opportunities for international teachers as well as a relatively easy process for newcomers.
If it's compensation that will make or break your ability to teach abroad, then you might want to consider teaching in an Asian country like China, Japan, South Korea, or Taiwan. These countries offer beautiful, modern cities, thriving economies, and a commitment to education that results in proper compensation for teachers.
Plus, English teachers are often provided free furnished housing and reimbursement on airfare.
Before you start researching potential opportunities, consider what you're looking for in terms of program type, program length, school culture, and student age.
Only after you've established your expectations is it time to start looking for your new job. While enrolling in a teach abroad program may be the most streamlined approach, it is not the only way to make your teach abroad dreams come true.
According to GoOverseas.com, means of teaching overseas include:
Here are a few sites to help you get started with your search:
Once you've reassessed your initial criteria and narrowed down your options, you'll need to ensure that you meet all the requirements of the country and the program or job in which you're interested.
Some things to consider:
TEFL = Teaching English as a Second Language
TESOL = Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
CELTA = Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults
Once you've determined that you meet the requirements of your favorite prospect, it's time to apply! For a short, summer teaching position, plan to apply about 2-3 months in advance. For a year-long teaching job, plan to apply a good 4-6 months in advance, as longer jobs tend to hire further out.
It's always good practice to observe application deadlines from the very start of your search, however, as some countries (like Japan) start the process a good 8-9 months prior to the job's start date. For a more extensive list of application deadlines by country, check out this guide from GoOverseas.com.
While the application process will look different depending on the country you're applying to work in and the job or program you're applying for, there are a few standard application requirements which may be mandatory in order to be accepted.
Possible requirements include:
So you've accepted a teach abroad position — congratulations! The next step is to get your travel documents in order.
As an international teacher, you will be required to have a passport in order to gain access to your destination country. Passports must typically be valid for 6 months following your arrival, though some countries require passports to be valid for an entire year. For teaching abroad, the International TEFL Academy recommends having a passport (with at least two years of validity remaining.)
If you are a U.S. citizen or resident, visit the U.S. Department of State website to learn how to apply for a passport. If you are a citizen of another country, contact foreign affairs for more information.
You'll likely (though not definitely) need a visa in order to teach abroad. Whether or not a visa is required depends on your destination and your country of citizenship or residency. The type of visa you'll need is dependent on the purpose of your travel.
To learn about your visa requirements, contact the embassy or consulate for your destination in your home country or visit its website.
In order to be approved for your visa, you’ll need to fulfill visa requirements, which may call for proof of certain immunizations or vaccinations or supporting documents that prove you’ll be able to pay for expenses incurred in your host country. These could include bank statements, credit cards, cash, traveler’s checks, or pay stubs.
Proof of travel medical insurance is another way to help prove you’d be able to pay for expenses that might arise in your host country, as travel medical insurance provides coverage for unexpected medical expenses resulting from illness or injury.
Even if you don’t need to prove your means of subsistence, you may want to consider purchasing travel medical insurance if your teach abroad job doesn’t provide any health coverage. (It’s likely that your regular health insurance will not provide any coverage once you leave your home country.)
If you’re a U.S. citizen or resident planning to teach abroad and you won’t have health coverage through your job, consider a plan like Atlas Travel to provide coverage for unexpected injury and illness, trip interruption, and more while you work and explore the world abroad.
Non-U.S. citizens and residents also have the choice of a nomad health plan like Atlas Nomads. This plan provides up to 365 days of coverage with the option to pay up front or choose a monthly payment option. Learn more about Atlas Nomads here.
You're almost there — just a few more things to take care of! Use the following as a checklist of sorts to ensure you take all the necessary steps to prepare for a successful teach abroad adventure:
IMPORTANT! Check with your destination’s embassy and embassies of countries that you have layovers in to make sure your medicines are permitted. Learn more about traveling with medications.
You're ready. You've applied to and been accepted for your dream teach abroad position. You've got your passport and visa in order and you're prepared to move overseas and meet your students.
Whether you're a little nervous or bursting with excitement, just remember: you're getting to do something others only dream of — a chance to live abroad, immerse yourself in a new culture, and positively influence the lives of others. Enjoy the ride!