Key Points to Consider Before You Teach English Abroad

Before teaching English in a country other than your home country, it would be helpful to think carefully about the following points.

1. Are you qualified to teach?

Being a native English language speaker is not sufficient in itself. Being able to speak English does not mean that you can teach the language effectively. Teaching a language, any language, is a skill that takes time to acquire and starting off with a well prepared training course is important. With regard to training courses for English language teachers there are two important acronyms that are commonly used: TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages) and TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). You can take a TESOL course or a TEFL course; it does not matter which one. Both courses cover the same areas and both are accepted by employers all over the world. TESOL is becoming a more popular title these days as the word 'foreign' does not always seem very appropriate.

2. Face-to-face course or online/distance course?

There are well designed, professionally delivered face-to-face courses and there are well designed, professionally delivered online/distance courses. Similarly there are poorly taught face-to-face courses and poorly designed and delivered online/distance courses. The defining feature of a training programme is not whether it's a face-to-face course or an online/distance course but how well it is designed and delivered. A full-time taught course should be about one month, or about 150 hours if by distance learning. Short face-to-face courses are often a waste of money (weekend; one week etc); an online/distance course of less than 100 hours is also unlikely to be adequate or to be accepted by employers.

3. Choose your course with care. Look carefully at each provider's website

Choosing a course provider is not easy for someone new to the field of TESOL / TEFL as there is plenty of information on the Internet. It can be confusing. When you look at the website of any course provider ask yourself a few questions.

- Do I like the look of this site? Does it look like a flash commercial company or a genuine training company? Is the site awash with offers and discounts?

- What courses are they offering? How long are they?

- Are there a few courses clearly laid out or are there a confusing jumble of courses on the site (100 hours; 110 hours; 120 hours; 140 hours etc)?

- Does the site offer weekend courses? Are these really going to prepare me for teaching? Would I employ an electrician with a weekend of training?

- What claims are made on the site? Do they all sound genuine? Are the courses really going to be recognised worldwide? Can they really guarantee me a good job?

- Am I likely to get a good training course if it is discounted to 25% of the normal price?

- Are the courses accredited by an independent professional body?

4. Accreditation

How can someone new to the field of TESOL / TEFL be reassured about the quality of a training programme? This is where independent, professional accreditation is important. When considering which course to do, look carefully to see whether the training course you are interested in is accredited by an independent, professional body. As with course providers, there are excellent accreditation bodies and rather dubious accreditation bodies so look carefully at the accreditation websites before you make a decision. Ask a few questions as you look at the website:

- Does this accreditation body specialise in TESOL / TEFL?

- Does it appear to be a respected body?

- What links does it have with other organisations?

- What other things does it accredit? If a body accredits centres for pet care companies as well as TESOL courses then it is appropriate to have some concerns.

- Do you think this body is merely confirming the existence of the company providing the TESOL or TEFL course or do you think the accreditation body goes through the course materials in detail?

Questions like this might help you to make a decision.

4. Get some teaching experience, if possible, before you go

In many cases your TESOL / TEFL course will have included a short element of teaching practice; however, this is often artificial and stressful and not everyone finds it helpful. You may be able to get some experience elsewhere in a school linked to the course provider or perhaps a few hours in a local language school, or in a local private primary or secondary school, or even by teaching local groups seeking language improvement. Try to get some experience and put into practice what you have learnt on your course. Ideally you will have a qualified person to observe and comment on your class.

5. Choose your country carefully

Always carry out as much research as you can before choosing where to go. Different countries can have different approaches to education so research your countries of interest carefully. Some countries follow a fairly authoritarian approach to education so find out what your teaching duties will be and how much freedom you are likely to have in the classroom. Make sure that you are clear about the local culture and customs, for example, with regard to dress.

6. Check on local regulations for the employment of teachers

Do some research with regard to the regulations that apply to teachers in your country of interest. The regulations may vary between government schools and private schools. Visa regulations can be confusing in some countries so research carefully what type of visa you require. A good employer will organise your visa for you or give you plenty of guidance on what you need to do. In some countries (e.g. Thailand) English teachers are required to have a degree. This is not the case in all countries but it is becoming more common.

7. Demonstrate a high standard of written and spoken English

At every stage, from your first green shoots of interest to teaching in a school in another country, make sure that you demonstrate a high level of English language skills, especially spoken and written English. Applications or job enquires that have no capital letters and poor spelling are unlikely to be welcomed. Avoid common mistakes (We were sat in the classroom when... instead of We were sitting in the classroom when... ) and colloquial language (down to the wire; get the ball rolling; move the goalposts) as these will probably not be understood in other countries.

8. Check your contract carefully before you sign it

Before you sign, check your contract very carefully. Make sure that the contract is crystal clear about, for example, your rate of pay, your normal teaching hours, overtime, housing, flights, holiday entitlement and so on.

9. Learn the local language

Everyone who can speak even the basics of the local language finds that living and working abroad is far more interesting and enjoyable. Try to learn a little before you travel. Don't spend your time in China or Peru just huddled together with other people from your home country as that will undermine one of the great pleasures of working abroad.