TEACHING ABROAD T


eaching abroad can be one of the most exciting and sometimes challenging ways of combining a love


of travel with an engaging and stimulating job. For many teachers in language schools across the world, the buzz of seeing a classroom full of students successfully communicate in the words they’ve just been taught is immeasurable. In the short-term foreign teaching work


can be a quick and effective way to beef up a CV and increase employability in any chosen future career back in the UK, or for others it can be a longer-term career option in itself. English has become one of the key global languages of business, commerce, science and engineering – as well as of entertainment – leading to widespread demand for English language tuition. There are an estimated two billion people learning English worldwide and this has spawned a huge global industry centred around teaching English as a foreign language, a term often abbreviated to Tefl. Tefl is a particularly tempting option


“Tefl can be a great career boost – time spent abroad teaching can make graduates much more attractive to potential employers back in the UK”


Mind your language


Want to travel the world, learn new languages and meet interesting people – and be paid for the pleasure of it? Paul Johnson explains how 18 | GradJobs.co.uk | Autumn 2011


for UK graduates as there is no need for teaching experience nor the ability to speak another language. Most English language teaching is done in private language schools, often to young people or college students. However, UK Tefl teachers can also find themselves teaching anyone and of any age or background – from corporate business people to school children. Teaching can be in virtually any country


across the world – even English speaking ones which run courses and schools for non-English speaking-students. Europe, South America, the Middle East, Asia and the Far East are all key Tefl markets. Time spent abroad teaching can make graduates much more attractive to potential employers back in the UK. Career coach Pete Bernard says: “You should be able to highlight in applications and interviews the skills, experiences, confidence and greater maturity you developed during your teaching abroad. Travelling to, and living independently in, a foreign country demonstrates a sense of adventure and an entrepreneurial nature.” What’s more, teaching English abroad


is the perfect opportunity to learn a new language. Tefl teachers often take part in ‘language swaps’, where they offer private English tuition in return for lessons in the language of the country they’re in. But teaching abroad isn’t for everyone.


Some people may find the ordeal of being thrust into an alien culture, sometimes with few other English speakers around, very


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