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New year, new career

TEFL

Now we have entered the New Year, we’re all looking ahead to see what 2023 will bring.

Some people may be making small changes, such as vowing to use their gym membership again or binning those takeaway menus.

Others, however, will be contemplating larger changes, such as a new career.

TEFL jobs offer English teachers the chance to work in hundreds of exotic locations across the globe, with nothing more than a TEFL qualification, boundless enthusiasm, and your carry-on luggage!

So, why switch to a career in teaching English as a foreign language? Read on to find out.

Capacity for international travel

The most obvious benefit to teaching English as a foreign language is the increased amount of international travel.

The world of work generally seems to encourage people to settle down and remain in one place. However, teaching English abroad as a TEFL teacher opens the world back up to you again.

You can spend a year in nearly any continent that takes your fancy, teach while living well and learning about a new culture, and then choose a new country for your next year abroad- working through your travel bucket list as you go.

You want to make a difference

Working with young people is a very rewarding experience because you can see the direct impact you have on the lives of others.

Teaching English as a foreign language opens up a plethora of opportunities for non-English speakers, helping them to achieve their hopes and dreams for the future. You can easily see how your passion and hard work changes their lives for the better.

What could be a better purpose than that?

Life should be an adventure

Immersing yourself in other cultures provides you with an enormous capacity for adventure and can make travelling somewhere new exciting every time.

You will experience many different aspects of a country’s culture when living and working there, much more genuine than if you were visiting as a tourist.

Experiencing everything from a specific culture’s food, religion, and social practices to their art and music not only keeps things exciting but also helps you to embrace cultural diversity- all of which will make you a better teacher.

Job security

Potential TEFL teachers often, incorrectly, assume that working abroad leaves you at risk of job insecurity.

This is because they assume that as they are not based in the UK, they will not receive a legally binding contract and that their job may be withdrawn at any time.

You will be glad to hear that TEFL jobs come with both formal contracts and contractual obligations for both TEFL teachers and their employers, removing any potential issues of job instability.

Similarly, the popularity of English as a language means that no matter where you go on the planet, there will be students looking to learn it. Data from Ethnologue reinforces this, detailing that there are now 75 countries across the world where English is the official language (by law and by de facto), which is equivalent to 39%.

As such, TEFL teachers will always be in demand, creating extra job security for English language teachers across the world.

Start your TEFL journey today!

Feeling persuaded?

Here at TEFL, we are here to help you on your teaching journey, from initial qualification to finding your very first job and beyond.

The first stage of this is taking one of our TEFL courses, which are designed to teach you how to engage, challenge, inspire, and support your students as they start to learn English.

After your TEFL course, you are free to head to the TEFL job portal to choose a country to start your teaching career.

So, get your thinking cap on and start writing that bucket list- where will you teach first?