There are almost no limits to where a person can teach English abroad. Almost all non-English speaking countries have schools that hire teachers from abroad to teach children and adults. There are exceptions---for example, it is difficult or near impossible to get a teaching job in a country that does not have diplomatic relations with the United States. One of the benefits of teaching abroad is the ability to connect with people that have historically bad relationships with the U.S. Since teachers are not U.S. government workers, they have the freedom to exchange ideas with the people in the country they choose to teach in. U.S. teachers are welcomed in countries that the U.S. has previously been at war or cold war with, including Vietnam, Japan and Russia. A teacher in these countries has the opportunity to become friends with people whose governments were U.S. enemies. This can be a humbling and rewarding experience.
People who are teaching abroad have a wide array of careers to choose from. There are several types of teaching jobs abroad---teaching English to children, teaching to students who need to learn English for college, teaching business English and teaching adults who want to come to the U.S. to study or work. People who pursue teaching careers abroad may find themselves specializing in certain types of English teaching, such as teaching early learners or teaching with computers.
Another benefit of teaching abroad is the ability to find jobs year-round---every country is on a different schedule for elementary schools, and teaching English to adults usually happens in private schools that hire continuously. One thing to take into consideration is that it might take several months for all paperwork to go through, including work visas and accommodations. For this reason, it's important to plan ahead when looking for teaching jobs overseas.
Each country and school has its own requirements for being a teacher. The bare minimum requirement is to be a native English speaker from a country that speaks English, such as the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. However, some countries have stricter requirements. For example, many Asian countries will not consider teachers who do not have at least a bachelor's degree. Other countries may require a teaching certificate to teach English abroad. Some examples of certificates to teach English overseas are the Cambridge, TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults). Check with the country and school to see what specific qualifications are needed. Dave's ESL Cafe, which can be found at eslcafe.com is a well-known place to look for international job openings.
The salary for an overseas teacher will vary greatly according to country, school and the amount of education a teacher has. For example, an overseas teacher with a master's degree in TESOL will be able to command a higher salary than someone who has a TESOL certificate. In general, Asian countries---including Japan and Vietnam---pay the most. Some schools offer perks in addition to salary, including free language classes, transportation, medical insurance and up-front payment for plane tickets and visas. Other schools offer the bare minimum---just enough money to live, in addition to an apartment. An example of these kinds of schools are the ones that exist in Russia, that generally only pay enough to live comfortably. In some cases, teachers will need to take a second job tutoring on the side in order to make ends meet. Shop around and see what the different schools offer in the country of your choice.
While there are countless benefits to teaching abroad, prospective teachers should be mindful of several things. Search the database at Dave's ESL Cafe before agreeing to a job to make sure the school is legitimate. There are some schools that run scams and either do not honor contracts or do not live up to the agreements they make with teachers. All people who take jobs overseas should register with their embassy in that country. Finally, teachers who work abroad should recognize that living standards can be far below what is considered normal in the U.S. Every prospective teacher should conduct extensive research on the country and school before making a commitment to teach there.
