GreenJoy Travel

For many, living in another country and making money from doing something as easy as speaking their native tongue is a dream come true. Perhaps they want to travel and experience new cultures for a year or two, perhaps they want to relocate permanently. Unfortunately, many seem to see this as a distant, unachievable dream. Well, it isn’t. I worked in Japan with nothing but a working knowledge of the English language and a degree, and you can too.

For constantly updated jobs, check out Dave’s ESL Cafe, Telf.com or Serious Teachers.

Many companies want nothing more than a friendly person to sing to children in English, although others might be far more demanding. Rate of pay, working conditions and expectations vary wildly from country to country, so make sure that you research thoroughly before you go. Dave’s ESL Cafe has forums for most countries, and I’d even recommend couchsurfing.com as a way of meeting locals who might be willing to show you around once you land. Moving out of your comfort zone can be daunting, perhaps terrifying, but it can also be the most exciting, amazing thing you’ll ever do.

For Europe, standards are a little higher, and most companies expect a CELTA or equivalent 4-week qualification. I completed a TEFL course with TEFL Worldwide Prague, an intense and rewarding course that opened a lot of doors to me and taught me more about teaching than I ever expected. There are a lot of TEFL schools in Prague, although I haven’t heard great things about them all – so, I can recommend this one, knowing that I got my money’s worth. I’d also recommend The Language House, because they sound really good, I’ve heard good things and the owner has a really useful and informative blog about teaching in Prague.

As for my own advice, you can read my Teaching in Japan FAQ (if that’s your thing) or my teaching-related posts on here, which cover advice, methodology and links to great resources.