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Applying for jobs teaching English as a second language overseas can be slightly overwhelming, especially if you have never taught English before. For seasoned teachers, it may it a little less challenging because of additional resources and experience. Nonetheless, making the decision to move to another country and work there doesn’t just happen overnight.

If you do a quick Google search on teaching English as a second language, you’ll go down a rabbit hole of companies that offer 4 week TEFL programs with promises of a job, and wonder what is a CELTA.

You might see a website called Dave’s ESL Cafe. It may look like the perfect resource to start your adventure and find a job. Heck, I even got hired in Vietnam on my first try using this website. But after many emails later, I soon realized that this was not the best place to find what I was looking for.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase using a link, I may get a small kickback at no extra cost to you.

Things to Consider When Looking for Jobs Teaching English as a Second Language

First things first, when you decide to go into ESL teaching, you need to figure out how you want to earn your TEFL certificate. The options are an in-class TEFL or an online TEFL. I strongly advise getting the in-class TEFL. This is because you can talk to a real person and they will observe you while teaching. Getting feedback and practice in the classroom really makes all the difference.

Check out my tips for classroom management.

The online TEFL may be less expensive and more convenient. But it doesn’t really prepare you for how to teach. You can read all about the different teaching methodologies, but actually implementing them is another story.

CELTA vs TEFL | Which one is better?

During your job search on teaching English as a second language, you’ll come across CELTA and TEFL training. They both offer most of the same things, but many argue that the CELTA is the ‘gold standard’ because it is aligned with Cambridge.

CELTA

CELTA stands for Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. It is formerly known as a Certificate in English Langauge Teaching Adults.

• It is offered by Cambridge which is British English.
• This certificate is completed as a course that can take a little as one month or as long as six months.
• All CELTA courses require at least part of the course to be hands-on and you will be asked to complete written assignments. The scores from hands-on and written work will determine your passing level for the course.
• The focus of this course is to be able to teach adults.

TEFL

TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. There are many different companies that offer TEFL training all over the world.

Undecided on which course to take? I recommend Premiertefl courses. You can read about my experience with the course here.

• It is best to find a company that is accredited worldwide not just in the country you are taking the course.
• Courses can be completed online, online and in person, or fully in person.
• You’ll want to make sure the course is at least 120 hours.
• Training will include how to teach all levels including kindergarten to adults.

So, to answer which one is better, it really depends on what you want to do and how long you want to teach abroad. If this is something you want to do short term, then a TEFL is fine. Long term, perhaps a CELTA; however I’ve been teaching in bi-lingual schools and accredited international schools with only a TEFL, and a Bachelors plus my experience.

If you already have a Bachelor of Education and a teaching license in your home country, you won’t need to complete any additional training.

Note: If you are a licensed teacher, you will have the opportunity to negotiate a high salary.

Worldwide School Calendars

Much to my surprise, not every country starts school at the same time. So if you’re looking to get hired right away at a school, it’s best to align your certification course with the school calendar. A few months before the start of the term is a good time to start applying to jobs teaching English as a second language.

• Schools in Europe, Vietnam, China, and Taiwan usually start school in September with the second term starting in January/February.
• Schools in Thailand start school in May with the second term starting in October/November.
• In Japan school starts in April with the second term starting in September.
• Korean schools start in March with the second term starting in September.
• South American schools start in January/February and the second term July/August.

Where to Find Jobs Teaching English as a Second Language

A few countries have their own ESL job sites that are specific to that country. They are hard to find unless you know someone in the industry. If you’re undecided about a country, you can always do a broad search on a general job site.

Using a recruiter is an option if you’re unfamiliar with the visa process and want help arriving in a country. However, these recruiters will typically take a percentage of your monthly salary which they probably won’t tell you about.

For me, I went with a recruiter for my first job teaching English as a second language in Thailand, where I was placed in an internship program. This program then placed me in a school for 6 months and did all the paperwork for me. Within those 6 months, I learned the visa process and learned how to find jobs on my own. So upon finishing my internship, I found a job in Bangkok by myself. I wouldn’t have been comfortable doing this as a brand new teacher. Recruiters can take quite a burden off your shoulders.

8 Useful Job Websites

• If you’re looking for jobs in Thailand, check out Ajarn. Ajarn means ‘teacher’ in Thai.
• For jobs in Japan, O-Hayo Sensei. Japan also has a cultural exchange program with America that you can apply to at Borderlink called ALT (Assistant Language Teachers).
• Spain also has a cultural exchange program with North America called North American Language and Culture Assistants in Spain.
• France and America run a cultural exchange as well called the Teaching Assistant Program in France.
• I recommend these two websites for international schools, ISS Schrole Advantage, and Tes.
• Teachaway has a variety of global jobs for beginners and experienced.

How Do I Find Teaching Jobs?

My secret to finding a teaching job is to do a Wikipedia search for a specific city. I find the education section for that city and look through all the schools listed. I’ll browse around and see if that school has openings and send my resume directly to the school.

Use this handy salary calculator to estimate your earning potential!

This can take quite a bit of time, but I usually find working directly with the school as the best option. Usually, you will be offered a higher salary and they are more open to negotiating. Plus, if the school is recognized and rated well, they will have someone who is part of the staff that helps foreign teachers with documents and settling in.

You can also just open up Google maps and look around a city for any schools that show up. I know it might sound really odd, but trust me it works.

Good Luck in your job search!

Interested in teaching online? Read about my top online companies to work for.