The requirements for teaching English vary greatly from region to region. Depending on where you go and what type of job you want, what you need is different.
Generally speaking, you’ll need to meet the following requirements in order to teach English overseas:
- Be from an English speaking country.
- Have a bachelor’s degree.
- Have a TEFL/Celta certificate.
- Have some experience (optional).
See? It’s not really that much! Unless you plan to teach at an international school or do corporate training, most schools will take you if you are a native English speaker and college graduate. Most of the time, experience level is irrelevant.
Many schools use pre-made programs and curriculums so you are essentially always teaching from the book and they don’t want you to do much more than that. You should be keeping it fun so the kids want to keep the lessons going. But beyond that and in most language schools, government schools, etc, you just need to look the part of an English teacher and be a native speaker.
Most countries require you be a native English speaker. This means you were born in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, South Africa or New Zealand. While some countries might hire Filipinos (as they speak fluent English), they typically prefer Western employees as it is viewed as a sign of authenticity. This is especially true in Asia, where being young, white, or female is often the most important thing. They simply have a prejudice for these three attributes.
Note: There is always exceptions so if you aren’t one of those three don’t think you can’t find a job. Lots of countries and companies hire non-native speakers, and even people without degrees and TEFL courses.
You will also sometimes need a bachelor’s degree from a 4 year accredited university. It doesn’t matter what your degree is in. Whether you have a degree in biochemistry, English or yoga, the schools and countries just want to see that you have a degree. While some places might overlook this requirement and will hire you under the table, more reputable schools and countries like Korea, U.A.E, or Japan, you will need to have a university degree in order to get a job as well as a working visa.
While experience is not required, it certainly helps when applying for higher paying jobs at international schools and corporate training programs. They prefer people who know what they are doing and can be effective teachers. It is also why these jobs pay the most money – they don’t take just anyone. Moreover, since there is a lack of qualified teachers in many parts of the world having a teaching license or experience will pretty much guarantee you a job somewhere.
If you don’t have any experience, don’t fear. Tons of places around the world hire first year teachers. In many rural parts of the world where it is much harder to find teachers, they are happy to take anyone. Asian countries always take first year teachers. If you don’t have experience, then having a TEFL certificate will dramatically increase your chances of getting hired. A TEFL course will negate any experience deficiencies you might have as employers view this as a training course.
Some countries will require you to have a 120 hour TEFL or CELTA course in order to get a working visa. If you are planning to work in a country that requires it, you will need to get it no matter what experience or other teaching license you might have. Be sure to check out the visa requirements for each country. Don’t just assume that a teaching license or years of experience matter regardless of what the school might say.
In summary, teaching English generally requires a BA and experience, while higher paying positions will also require a TEFL and a teaching certificate.
Out of the gate without any experience, don’t expect to land a job at an international school or doing corporate training. Those institutions will have more requirements. But just armed with a TEFL degree or even just a BA degree will still get you a job.
Visa rules determine what you will specifically need for each country, but overall, if you want to teach English in most places in the world, you simply need to have a college degree, be a native speaker, and be competent. You don’t need a lot of qualifications out of the gate.
If you enjoyed this article, you might like view these pages:
New to TEFL
TEFL FAQ
Best Online TEFL Courses
Teach Abroad Blog