So, you want to wander the earth as a traveling English teacher. Many people do it, and many people have great stories to tell. As they say, the world is your oyster. The question is, Where is the best place to live?

Well, I probably don’t need to tell you that the US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand are out of the question. You’ll have to find another way to get to those places. But the rest of the world offers plenty of English teaching options…
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Please Teach Me English! Making It On Your Own With Private Lessons

This may be hard to believe, but a friend of mine here in Japan (ex-Nova) makes a living by teaching private students alone. And he makes twice as much as he made at Nova, teaching fewer hours! He’s got almost more students than he can handle, all calling him and saying, “Please teach me English!”

How is this possible? That’s what I said. So, I decided to have a sit-down with him and ask him 4 simple questions about teaching on your own.

1. How do you find students?

A: Well, there are a variety of websites that hook you up with students, and I find that’s the best way to go. You make a profile, and you just wait for people to contact you. Do a web search and you’ll find tons of these sites. I recommend putting up profiles on as many as you can.

After you’re teaching for a while, you’ll start getting student referrals. This was something I didn’t really expect! In one month, I suddenly had twice as many students, just from referrals.

You can also do it the old fashioned way and put up fliers. It sounds like a lot of work, but I know some people that have gotten lots of students that way.

2. Where should you have lessons?

A: The big thing now is to have “cafe style” lessons at a coffee shop like Starbucks. This is not always ideal, because it can be noisy and crowded, and you might have people staring at you, thinking, “Oh! They’re having an English lesson!” But, students love it because it’s fun and relaxed.

If you’re set up to, the best way is to have students come to your house. The only downside is that you have to keep the place clean, and not every student can do that.

Other teachers I know make house calls. Going to your students’ houses is convenient for them, but it can mean a lot of traveling for you. Still, lots of teachers who aren’t set up for private lessons at their house like to do it this way.

3. How much should I charge? And how should I handle the money?

A: The going rate is usually 3,000 yen for an hour, although there are teachers who teach for less.

It’s not uncommon for teachers to have students pay every month for all the month’s lessons. Or, you might have students who want to pay each time. It’s up to you how to best handle that.

4. How do I keep students?

A: This is a tricky one. People get busy and quit, or they move or something happens. There are two things I know that help keep students; one, having them pay in advance for lessons, or even just schedule lessons in advance, makes them feel more obligated than if you just decide on the next lesson each time. A consistent schedule for your lessons keeps them on target.

Two, let your students know how they are doing. Make some kind of progress report to show them how their English has improved since they’ve been taking lessons with you. If they can’t see the improvement, they are more likely to give it up.

My friend teaches English in Japan, but I’m pretty sure his advice would apply to any country. Whether your making a living on private lessons, or just doing some extra teaching to supplement your regular income, these are things you have to think about. Good luck!

I just wanted to take a minute out of all our busy schedules and talk a little about lesson planning.

As you may know, teachers back home spend at least as much time as they do teaching planning what they are going to teach. Often, in our teaching situations abroad, we are encouraged to just chat, or improvise with our students.

Of course, if you take your students’ best interests to heart, you know that’s not enough. You also know that they are paying good money for their English lessons!
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While teaching overseas, they’ll be many things you’ll miss from back home.

English Movies, your mama’s cooking,etc…

One of the most biggest things I missed was English books.

Teaching now overseas for more than 12 years, I’ve been getting my English books from Amazon and at times, paying two times more for delivery than the cost of the book. This sucks.

Recently I found this wonderful online book store that not only has new books but used too. I’m cool with buying used books because the price is so cheap! but what I like most about “better World” is the shipping. 3 dollars anywhere in the world per book? Yup.

It’s nice to know too that their not a profit hungry company that needs houses that are too big to live in and give lots of money away for people wanting to get books but can’t.

If you want to get cheap books while your teaching ESL 1,000’s of miles away from home, check out Better World and use them because it’s a good company and the price is right.

Teach English As A Second Language - Am I Teaching EFL Or ESL?

If you are thinking of becoming a teacher, you have probably heard the term “teach English as a second language.” There’s also “teach English as a foreign language.” What’s the difference?

There is a difference between teaching “English as a second language” and “English as a foreign language.” These are called, respectively, ESL and EFL. The key difference is that, with EFL, you are teaching students in their home country. In other words, you are not teaching them in a country where English is spoken. This is why we call it a foreign language.

If, for example, you are teaching English in Japan, that would be English as a foreign language. On the other hand, if you are teaching refugees or recent immigrants to Canada or the United States, this would be regular ESL.

What’s The Difference?

Actually, the situation where the student is learning makes all the difference. With ESL, the student is already immersed in an English speaking culture. This means that when they turn on their TV, or even leave their house, they will hear and experience English everywhere.

When English is a foreign language, students may not have regular access to the language. You may be in a country where there are few native English speakers, and not much in the way of English reading material or media. This is the key difference.

Teaching Styles Are Different

If you teach ESL in an English speaking country, you may find that your lesson materials are tailored to everyday survival. Your students need to know how to function in everyday life. You may focus on filling out forms, shopping at the store, taking public transportation, and so on. These may be urgent things to your students.

You will probably find that your students come to class with lists of their own questions and eager to speak. They will probably ask you, “I heard this today, what does it mean?” Or “How do I say this in English?” Your students’ motivation level will be high, because they will be aware that mastering English is their key to living a satisfactory life here.

With EFL, English is a foreign thing. It is not something everyone needs everyday, and your students will have more distance from it. They may be in a situation where they do not feel that they need English as part of their everyday life. You may find that they are reluctant to speak, and that it takes much more time for them to learn.

For you, the EFL teacher, you will need to make English come alive for your students. For them, English is something on TV, or something spoken in a foreign land. As a native speaker of English, you can bring the language into their lives. As your students progress, you can select real English materials, like magazines, newspapers and movies.

The challenge here is to keep your students motivated and interested. In many parts of the world, mastery of English can lead to better jobs and more opportunities. But, since it is not a part of everyday life, it is easy for students to give up when it becomes difficult.

English as a second language and English as a foreign language are very different, and require different approaches to teaching. This distinction has an effect at every level of teaching and learning.

How On Earth Can Somebody Like Me Teach English Second Language?!?!

You may want to teach English second language, but it may seem a little intimidating. Those job ads tell you that you don’t need any experience, language skills or qualifications. But, how can that be? You may have some doubts about your ability to go to a strange land and teach English there if you have no prior experience. What are the main anxieties faced by new, potential teachers?

I’m not qualified to teach ESL.

Hardly anyone who goes overseas to teach English is actually a qualified English teacher. But, you’re qualified in another way: you’re a native speaker of English. You would be surprised when you get abroad, especially in Asia, Africa or the Middle East, at how few people there are who can competently speak English.

There’s a good chance that your students have already studied English in junior high, high school or college. They have probably been taught the basics by a native teacher of their own country. This will give them the basics of grammar. But, as a native speaker of English, you are a much better resource for their English learning than even the best textbooks or audio-visual materials.

In some countries, students will pay just for the chance to practice their English with a native speaker. You, in turn, will be useful to them by correcting their mistakes and introducing new things they may not know. Most of all, you are teaching them to have a conversation in English. With a native speaker they can practice listening, vocabulary and conversation skills all at once.

My students can’t understand me, and I don’t know their language.

This is not nearly as much of a problem as you think. As I mentioned, your students will have most likely studied English before. So, you’ll be teaching them to use what they’ve learned. In many schools, you will be an assistant teacher, so you will teach lessons with a native teacher who can offer explanations.

You would be amazed with what you can do using gestures, pictures and role playing! Once you have taught English for a while, you will be an expert communicator without speaking the native tongue!

That being said, it’s never a bad idea to learn a little of the language where you’ll be teaching. This is useful more for your everyday life than for teaching, although it can also help you understand your students’ mistakes if you have a basic understanding of their language.

I’ve never taught before, how will I know what to do?

Well, at first you won’t. Nobody does. This is where your flexibility and creativity come into play. Actually, teaching English overseas is more of a learning experience for YOU than for any of your students.

Most companies provide some training and teaching materials for beginner teachers. The best thing you can do at first is find yourself a few mentors who can help answer your questions and give you advice. But, nobody can do it all for you. That’s something you’ll have to do yourself.

When you go overseas to teach, you undergo a transformation. You go from being an eager world traveler, ready to fill his or her mind with new experiences and a new culture; after a year or so teaching, you become a flexible, knowledgeable, intuitive teacher. Seeing how much you have progressed in the last year is almost as rewarding as watching your students improve.

Teaching English abroad is still one of the greatest ways to see another part of the world. It offers great opportunities for self-development, while at the same time making you money!

Teach Conversational English 101 - How To Get Started

If you are hired to teach conversational English abroad, it’s pretty likely that you have no prior teaching experience or training. In fact, your school may just plop you into a classroom on the first day and say, “OK, go ahead and teach…”

While it’s not very professional for a school to skimp on teacher training, it happens, and you have to just make the best of it. Here are some basics for teaching conversational English that will help you get started.

Get Them Talking

Keep in mind that, with conversational English, the most important thing is to get your students using English. Keep this in mind while you’re planning your lessons. The more interaction the better.

At the beginning of your class, you might want to do some kind of icebreaker activity. You can make a simple interview and have the students interview and introduce each other. Make some questions easier and some questions harder, and this will give you a good idea of your students’ overall level.

You can also do an activity like “Find Someone Who..” Make a list of different things like “find someone who has a pet,” and have the students circulate around the class asking each other these questions.

One purpose of an icebreaker is to get the students acquainted with each other, but it can also give you a good idea of how much English they know.

Don’t Get Too Grammar Heavy

With conversational English, the emphasis is more on fluency than grammar. In many situations, your students may have already studied English grammar. They may have been beaten over the head with grammar since junior high school, and their grammar may be better than yours! So, the focus should be getting them to use what they know.

In the English teaching industry, these students are called “false beginners” because they already know lots of English but can’t use it in conversation. In your conversation lessons, focus on tasks to get them talking and using what they know, and teach them what they don’t.

Planning Your Lessons

As a general rule, lower level students should focus on tasks; higher level students should use topics and discussion. A task could be any kind of daily activity, like ordering food in a restaurant, giving directions, describing people or talking about food likes and dislikes. With higher level students you can work on current events, life experiences and deeper stuff.

You should tailor your lessons to your students interests and learning objectives. A business English class should focus on business vocabulary and situations. If your students are learning English as a hobby, you can teach them travel English, or English that pertains to their particular interests.

Whenever possible, use “real” English in the classroom. This means articles, actual conversations, movies and other things that aren’t textbook materials. When your students see real English in use, it will help motivate them and bring the English alive.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but it is enough for you to get started as a teacher. Remember that nobody knows everything about teaching, and nobody expects you to know everything. There’s always some trial and error involved. Pay attention to your students and learn about what works and what doesn’t. Good luck!

So You Wanna Teach English Abroad - Here Are Some Things To Expect

What’s it like to teach English abroad? What can I expect? If you are thinking about teaching English abroad, you may be asking everybody you can these questions. You’ll get different answers from different people, but they’ll all agree that it’s a life-changing experience.

Every place is different, and no 2 people have the same experience, but there are some general things you can expect, no matter where you go.

Get Ready To Teach!

Depending on your situation, you may find that teaching is a lot more work than you expected. Some people will tell you that teaching English overseas is just a big vacation. In fact, some schools even advertise that way, “Spend a year teaching in Japan!”

But, the truth is, you will have to earn your keep. I don’t mean to make it sound like slavery; teaching abroad is a great way for people who are considering teaching as a career to get a taste of the classroom without making a major commitment.

Most people who teach English abroad have never taught before, and find teaching to be wonderful. It is also wonderful because while you teach your students, you also learn from them.

Culture Shock Ahead

Warning: You may experience culture shock. Most people do. Culture shock is a stressed out condition that stems from living in another culture. It tends to produce stress, anxiety, depression, negativity, homesickness and lots of other attitude problems.

Culture shock is a natural phase we all go through. Even English teachers who have “gone native” and chosen to stay in their new adopted homeland will tell you that it took a while to get adjusted. It’s all just part of the wild ride of teaching English overseas.

On the positive side, living in another culture gives you a unique perspective. It is a valuable learning experience. You will have new friends, new food, new places to go, new customs and new ideas that you couldn’t have even imagined before. It also allows you to look at your own culture from outside.

Coming Home

People who go overseas to teach end up in 1 of 2 situations: either they come home, or they stay indefinitely.

Yes, it’s entirely possible to love a country so much that you decide to stay permanently. Some people just find that the weather suits their clothes better, or that they love teaching and never want to go home and get on with their lives. You never know if you might be one of these people until you try!

But, most people who teach English abroad head home after a while. They come home not only with a whole world of cross-cultural experience, but also with a great resume item. Teaching English is a great career move, whether you plan to go to graduate school, or seek employment back home.

Everybody’s experience teaching abroad is different. Even if you try it for a while and find that it’s not for you, you’ve still gained a valuable experience most people never have. Teaching abroad is a great way for people to work their way around the world!

-An ESL Teacher’s Dream

Mexico has beautiful beaches, great food, great sightseeing and a nice, slow paced lifestyle. It’s a cheap and fun place to live, and that’s why so many ESL teachers choose to teach English in Mexico.

Mexico is a great destination for recent college grads who are looking for job experience. It’s also great for people who want to experience a unique indigenous culture and rich history. Many retirees choose to move to Mexico and become ex-pats because they enjoy the lifestyle and they can stretch out their pensions.

What You Need To Be A Teacher In Mexico

It all depends on the job. It is completely possible to wander down to Mexico and score a job just by being a fluent speaker of English. But, you can’t really count on that. If you just go down there without even a college degree, while you can find work, your options will be very limited.

Most people recommend having a 4-year bachelors’ degree and a TESOL certificate under your belt. This will make you competitive with other teachers and make lots more opportunities available for you. A one month TESOL certificate program, which you can take anywhere in the US, will be enough to get you a good job. Some positions, like universities, may require advanced teaching certifications or Masters degrees.

As far as documents go, ever place in Mexico is different. There isn’t any particular standard for what is required, so you should bring everything you might need with you. This would include your diploma and certificate, references, a good resume, birth certificate, passport and any other official documents you can think of. You will need to have these all translated to Spanish at some point. You can probably do this at home before you leave, but it has to be officially notarized. Your local Mexican Consulate would be a good place to go.

One more thing you don’t need, but it helps, is a little basic Spanish! If you took Spanish in high school, just brush up a little. Spanish is pretty easy to pick up once you’re there, but a little studying beforehand never hurts.

Where To Look For Jobs

There are ways to land a job teaching in Mexico before you leave, but your options will be pretty limited. Online, you can find companies that place you with jobs and accommodations, and will even help you with 24-hour assistance or loans once you get there. But, they charge a fee, sometimes take a cut of your pay, and may be a little dodgy. If you choose to go this route, thoroughly research the company you are thinking about and see what other people have to say about them.

By far, the best way to find a job in Mexico is to go down there yourself and beat the pavements. It’s best to meet your potential boss face to face, and also if you are in Mexico you will have a chance to meet and talk with other teachers living there. Most people who teach English in Mexico find jobs this way. You can make a little vacation out of it and get some sightseeing in around your interviews. Airfares and hotels are not too much in Mexico, and you can even get there by land if you live in the southwestern US.

It’s Not About The Money

One warning, though: Mexico is not where the big money for English teaching is. If you live in Mexico City or another major city, you will make a decent wage, but don’t expect to take a lot back with you. The Mexican peso just can’t compete with dollars, Euros and other major world currencies. But, you will definitely make enough to live well in Mexico.

Most people go to Mexico for the experience or the lifestyle instead of the money. Beware! If you got to Mexico to teach, you may find it hard to bring yourself back!

The 5 Most Popular Countries For English Teachers

There are so many opportunities to teach English in Asia, it is impossible to list them all here. The most popular destinations are Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan and Thailand. Here’s a brief description of each, to give the would-be Asia traveler some ideas.

Japan - Japan is still the number one destination for English teachers headed for Asia. Japan is safe, clean and friendly. You’ll be amazed by the food, service, comfort and convenience. Japan also has a rich history and lots of great sightseeing opportunities.

In Japan, it’s really easy to find western movies, music and culture. If you live in a major city, it’s pretty easy to sometimes forget that you’re living abroad! It’s also easy to make friends with people who have similar interests. Japan has a bit of everything.

Unfortunately, Japan is also expensive. In recent years, more and more English teachers have been heading to Korea and Taiwan as alternatives to Japan. In Japan, you can make a high salary, but living expenses are so high that most find it impossible to save money. The bubble years, where you could make $150 an hour teaching business classes, is long over.

Korea - Most English teachers will tell you that Korea is the best place in Asia to make good money. Korea has a growing economy, and the demand for English teachers is growing accordingly. There is so much demand for teachers in Korea that many people head there on tourist visas and get a job within days.

Koreans are friendly to foreigners, and you may find yourself getting “rock star treatment” from people who have never had a chance to meet a westerner before. In Seoul, there is lots of nightlife, and there are lots of out of the way places for cheap sightseeing.

One thing that mars the reputation of Korea for English teachers, however, are all the scams. It is estimated that 1 in 10 job offers (at the very least) are operating illegally. Horror stories abound about English teachers getting ripped off or unknowingly teaching under fake visas. Korea is a great place to teach, but check out the company you are considering carefully.

China - China has the fastest growing economy in the world, and they need English teachers like nobody else. China has the most opportunity for teachers in Asia. With only a bachelor’s degree, you can find yourself a job at a university teaching English.

China also has the richest history of Asia. It is a major tourist spot, and you can easily find jobs with enough vacation time to experience it. As everybody knows, the food is amazing. And, Chinese people are very friendly and welcoming to westerners.

But, China is not as developed as Korea or Japan. Many teachers find themselves overwhelmed by culture shock in China. The cities are polluted, some of the local customs are strange to foreigners, and you don’t have the same freedoms that you have back home. Still, China is an amazing place to experience one of the oldest countries in the world, and it’s a goldmine for English teachers.

Taiwan - Taiwan offers a good medium between Japan and China. Taiwanese society is very open to the west and friendly, and the pay you’ll get as a teacher is almost as good as in Korea. Unlike the other countries mentioned, Taiwan is a diverse society. It is easy to get western goods.

Taiwan probably has the highest expectations for its teachers. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it. In Taiwan, you will really be expected to teach, and Taiwanese people can tell if you’re doing a good job or not. For those who want to be “real” teachers, Taiwan is probably the overall best place.

Thailand - Thailand is a paradise with beautiful beaches, great sightseeing and delicious food. What more can you say? Everybody wants to go to Thailand. Unfortunately, there’s not much money to be made. You can teach English and live like a king in Thailand, but don’t expect to bring any savings home with you. Thailand’s currency is too devalued.

If you want to teach in Asia, there are many opportunities available. You can also teach in Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia and many other places. Just pick your favorite spot, and start looking!