4 Reasons Why Teaching English Abroad Is An A+ Idea

By Author: Ti Ron Gibbs
Total Articles: 7
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There aren’t too many jobs where you get to wake up in the morning and know that you’re genuinely passionate about what you’re doing – but teaching English abroad is one of them. From start to finish, going all over the world to teach people English is an A+ idea.

Here’s why:

1. You don’t need a college degree

Have you ever wished that you could make a difference in other people’s lives – without spending years in school to do it? If you want to head around the world and teach people how to speak English, you don’t need a formal teaching certificate. You don’t even need a college degree!

So, what DO you need?

You simply need a high school diploma (or a GED) and your TEFL certification. To get it, you have to take 150 hours of instruction from an accredited TEFL school. You’ll spend 130 hours as a student in a traditional classroom setting. Then, you’ll spend your final 20 hours in a hands-on student teaching environment.

You won’t have to spend four years in college – or spend the rest of your life paying off student loans – to get ...
... the education you need to teach English abroad. In a matter of months, you can learn everything you need to know!

Yes, a college degree can certainly be helpful when it comes to applying for a teaching position and the school is comparing applicants, but it’s not required to get a TEFL certification. Many schools around the world don’t require a college degree in order to teach English there.

2. You can see things you never knew existed

OK, so you can get a tour of some of the world’s biggest cities during a documentary on cable TV, but what about the hidden gems of the world? What about the tiny café in the tiny suburb, or the small farm in the rural area that the cable show never mentioned?

Teaching English abroad can give you a chance to see it all!

That’s because there are plenty of teaching jobs in smaller suburban and rural areas. While you might miss the glitzy and glamorous major metropolitan areas at first, you’ll quickly realize that the less populated areas tend to be a lot friendlier. As a result, you’ll get to know people better, and you’ll get to learn all about customs and traditions that you never would have known about otherwise. In the end, you’ll wind up with a much more “real” experience than even the most authentic of tour guides could have given you!

3. You’ll get to wow future employers

There aren’t too many people who can say that they packed a few bags and headed halfway across the world to a foreign country, where they didn’t know a single soul, and lived there for months on end. Imagine what that will look like on a resume! Even if you apply for jobs that have nothing to do with teaching, potential employers will definitely be impressed.

After all, teaching English abroad shows that you’re not afraid to head into new situations all by yourself and take command of them. You don’t need anyone looking over your shoulder. Instead, you have the confidence and the self-discipline to walk into anything and succeed at it. That’s a surefire way to make an amazing first impression during a job interview!

4. You’ll get to truly make a difference

No matter what you get out of it immediately or in the future, it will pale in comparison to what your students get out of it. For your students, teaching English abroad is a gift. You’re helping them broaden their career opportunities, giving them a chance to converse with long-lost loved ones who only speak English, or figure out what all the fuss is over English pop culture. No matter why your students take your course, they’ll be grateful for the work you do!

About the Author: Ti Ron Gibbs is CEO and President of TEFL Institute. Teaching English abroad is what he did in China, Argentina, and Mexico. In addition, he has taught both online and onsite TEFL Programs in Chicago, Shanghai, New Delhi, and more. To become certified to teach English overseas, contact TEFL certification Institute.