There are many ESL job sites online for teaching English abroad. Some offer a broad amount of information including forums where you can ask questions and connect with experienced teachers, advice on how to write an effective curriculum vitae (the longer more international version of the resume), teaching tips, etc. Others are more limited in content and include jobs in only a few regions of the world.
Some of the best ESL job sites are Dave’s ESL Café, ESL Teacher’s Board, ESL Employment, TEFL.net, and Total ESL. On some job sites such as Dave’s ESL Café and ESL Teacher’s Board, you can even post your curriculum vitae. Occasionally teaching English online jobs are posted.
Requirements for certification in the world of ESL teaching are still rather unregulated. Some basically only require that a person is a native English speaker. Others require at least a degree in education, even if it is not specifically teaching English as a second language. Certification requirements vary by country and even by schools, but being certified can be beneficial in getting a better salary. You won’t get rich teaching English, but some Arab Gulf states provide some of the best income, much more than the average teacher can make in the US.
There are many online certification courses, but some are scams. Also employers prefer a certification course where the learner has had a chance to do live practice teaching. Online courses generally do not offer the chance to do practice teaching.
International TEFL and TESOL Training is a start if you have little money, but the superior course is the CELTA. In many cases by having CELTA certification you can claim a higher salary. However, this intensive course that generally runs a month is expensive. Here in the US it’s priced at about $2400 and be currently taken in twelve cities. The US course is one of the most expensive. Some countries offer the course for about $1500. This is just the fee for the course; it does not include transportation, accommodation, and food. Some teachers wait a few years until they have accumulated some money before they take the CELTA. Occasionally an employer might be willing to pay a portion of the fees.
In my next and final article on seeking an ESL teaching job, I will discuss connecting with ESL teachers online through forums, writing a curriculum vitae, and the job interview.
Comments