WHERE ARE THE JOBS?

  North America

  Western Europe

  Central & Eastern Europe

  South & Central America

  Africa

  Middle East

  Asia 

ASIA

Teaching in Asia is the experience of a lifetime. Asia offers unlimited potential for income, professional and personal growth and travel.

ESL teachers have the opportunity to make a substantial living in these countries while enjoying fascinating people and culture. Teachers who are prepared to work hard can have their cake and eat it too here. Loans can be paid off, travel taken and lots of partying on the average teacher’s income. Teachers are generally amazed at how well they are treated by schools and their students. Accommodation and airfare is often paid or subsidized. 

TEFL jobs are located in almost every part of Asia and many of them can be arranged in advance. In Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong and Japan, Canadians and Americans generally require a BA/BS degree in order to obtain a work permit. The highest paying jobs are in Japan, Taiwan and Korea, where teachers with a TEFL certificate can easily find good jobs in schools or universities.

  THE GROWING GIANTS: China, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia  

Teachers who prefer a more relaxed lifestyle often choose these countries. Savings are more difficult though. Teachers with a TEFL certificate can usually find a job quite quickly.

OFF THE BEATEN PATH: Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Pakistan, Bangladesh

ESL teachers find some of the most fascinating culture in these countries. There are a few (but only a few) TEFL jobs in countries such as Nepal and Cambodia. Salaries are low, but so is the cost of living. Most jobs cannot be arranged in advance.

 MIDDLE EAST

LATIN AMERICA 

There are TEFL jobs throughout Latin America, even for teachers without training and certification. However, as is the case elsewhere, trained teachers will have access to better jobs. Minimum requirement is a TEFL certificate. 

MEXICO
Mexico is a large market, possibly 50% of all English teachers are in Mexico. Most jobs are in language schools (in just about every town in the country), but some teachers with TEFL certificates also obtain positions with independent universities. Many jobs can be arranged in advance and some employers provide housing. However, teachers normally pay their own airfare. Significant savings are not possible. Mexicans enjoy a long lunch hour or “siesta” making the working day longer than normal.

CENTRAL AMERICA
There are lots of jobs in Central America, but most offer very poor working conditions and do not pay airfare. Costa Rica is the biggest market; it is also perhaps the best country in terms of working and living conditions for EFL teachers.

TEFL Job Tip: Latin America A lot of TEFL jobs in Latin America offer poor working conditions. Unless you are very tough and adventurous, only go to a school which is part of a reputable organization or which you know other teachers have found to be acceptable.

SOUTH AMERICA
South America (except Uruguay/Paraguay) have significant TEFL job markets, although conditions vary enormously from country to country and school to school. Most jobs can be arranged in advance, but teachers usually pay their own airfare. Salaries allow a comfortable lifestyle but rarely allow significant savings. At present, most teachers go to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru. In 2002, the Canadian Embassy warned that Colombia is considered to be a dangerous country for Canadian nationals.

Remember that schools in South America will usually be closed (for their summer) in December and January. 

 AFRICA  

These countries are poor and offer very few paying jobs. ESL teachers will gain experience but no savings is possible.

 CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE

It is easy to find jobs in most countries in the region. Teachers with a TEFL certificate can arrange jobs in advance.

Evolving Eastern countries are aggressively moving from the traditional image of Eastern Europe towards the Industrialized West. This has placed an immense demand for citizens to speak English, particularly for business purposes.

The best working/living conditions are in Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Most jobs offer short working hours (25 per week) and several weeks of paid vacation. Employers normally provide housing but most teachers have to pay their own airfare. Salaries allow a comfortable lifestyle but rarely permit savings.
English teachers are often paid 4 to 5 times that of local teachers. 

Although the desire to evolve internationally is very strong, these countries are struggling to develop their economies and need English, but cannot always offer conditions attractive to most English teachers.

WESTERN EUROPE

There is a thriving TEFL job market in most of the bigger countries in Western Europe. Unfortunately, almost all countries are now part of the European Union (EU) and EU law “requires” that EU citizens be given first preference on teaching of English positions. Consequently, it is virtually impossible for Canadians/Americans to find legal jobs in most EU countries unless they hold or can obtain an EU passport. In spite of this, many Americans and Canadians still work, usually illegally, in EU countries such as Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece. Most teach in the less reputable schools with poor working conditions and no job security. They have to pay their own airfare and find their own housing. 

North Americans with an EU passport are in great demand for legal jobs. However, even they cannot usually arrange jobs in advance, and so have to travel to Europe for an interview to get a job. 

Another major consideration is that the cost of living in W. Europe is high and wages low.

When considering teaching in W. Europe:
· Most TEFL jobs start in either October (75%) or January (20%) 
· Certain “brands” of English are preferred – American for business reasons.
· English is the language of trade and communications across the continent.

CANADA 

The TEFL/TESL job market in Canada can be divided into two distinct and different camps—immigrants and international students. 

IMMIGRANTS  
Settlement centers, non-profit societies, churches, public schools, colleges and universities all have ESL classrooms. Within these institutions it is possible to find year-round work (except perhaps in the summer months). Most employers are government funded. Often ESL teachers whose first language is not English are preferred as they may be more emphatic to the plight of immigrants. ESL teachers within the public school system require an education degree in most cases.

Some possible employers:
¨ S.U.C.C.E.S.S., Mosaic, Immigration Settlement Services (ISS)
¨ Neighborhood Houses

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS 
International students are not Canadian citizens and intend to return to their home country; generally within the year. Many attend one of the many private language schools that have popped up since the mid ‘90’s or enter schools, colleges and universities. International students have chosen Canada in order to totally immerse themselves in an English-speaking society. The “typical” student is between 18-30 years old, a university student in his/her country and between semesters. Consequently, the international language schools have a busy season from May to mid-September. After September, enrolment drops by about 75%. For this reason, it is easy to find part-time or temporary positions, but harder to obtain full time, long-term employment. In the busy season, there is a chronic shortage of trained ESL teachers. 

Most employers will request an undergraduate degree plus a TEFL certificate. However, often employers will give consideration to past experience/employment, a desire to teach or time spent abroad and a TEFL certificate. TEFL certificates are necessary because they inform the employer that the individual has been trained to run a classroom and understands the mechanics involved in teaching a language. Even teachers who have taught in the public school system are often required to have a TEFL certificate as teaching a language requires certain skills not usually associated with other types of teaching. 

 2004 Canada English Center. All rights reserved.