What Are the Ways to Become a Teacher in a Foreign Country?

“Teaching is only demonstrating what is possible. Learning is making it possible for yourself.” - Paulo Coelho

Many British teachers entered the profession to embody the idea Paulo Coelho's quote represents. However, they soon realised that the reality of teaching hardly matches the profession's promise.

Today's teachers resent the rote nature of their work. Far from inspiring students, they're limited to striving for exam success. This 'teaching to the test' leaves students unprepared for workforce challenges; it leaves teachers frustrated and unfulfilled.

Thus, teaching abroad has become a career goal for many UK teachers. In many countries, education is the key to ranges of possibility, not a shackle to a confining social system. Teaching abroad allows teachers to demonstrate what's possible to students who want possibilities.

How can you become a teacher in a different country? Superprof covers all the aspects of teaching abroad. In this article, we explain:

• how to define what you want
• how to find teaching opportunities abroad that match your skills and career goals
• how to prepare yourself to teach overseas
• how to prepare for your departure
• what to expect when you teach abroad

Define Your Parameters

Some teachers prefer working with primary school students; others would rather engage with older learners. In this regard, your teaching experience will matter. If you've no experience teaching senior high school students, you'll find it harder to land such a position. The same is true the other way around: if you've never taught primary school pupils, you may have to serve a longer trial period.

Where you teach matters, too. Some UK teachers set their sights on India or other English-speaking nations. This helps them avoid language barrier complications. Others welcome immersion into a wholly unfamiliar environment so that they, too, can be students - of a new language and culture.

"What do I want to teach?" should be your next big question. You might have worked hard to earn your Chemistry or Maths teaching credentials. But teaching jobs overseas are generally limited to teaching English. You might be hard-pressed to find a position for your subjects. Your search for the right job might take longer if you're unwilling to compromise on this point.

You should also give thought to professional protections. UK teachers are protected under NASUWT - the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers. We have other teacher unions to safeguard our interests, too.

You won't enjoy these unions' protections when teaching abroad. So you should investigate the World Federation of Teachers' Unions. This group represents teachers in 40 countries. If union membership is important to you, you might reject work in a country that doesn't offer such protection.

Targeting Different Teaching Opportunities

Earlier, we touched on school levels - primary and secondary. Now, let's explore in depth where you might apply your teaching skills.

Besides nurseries and primary/secondary schools, you may find a position with a British school abroad that teaches the UK's national curriculum. For teachers cagey about a full immersion experience, this may be the best choice.

Otherwise, you might consider private schools and academies. In these institutions, teaching standards are more rigorous. You may need years of teaching experience or enhanced certifications to qualify for such a position.

Or you could investigate commercial language schools like Berlitz, JEI, ClubZ, and the like. Such schools teach Business English as well as Medical English, alongside standard English courses. Aiming to teach at such a facility calls for flexibility. You won't necessarily have lesson plans or a standard curriculum to follow, and you'll teach clients rather than students.

Volunteering as a Teacher Abroad

Volunteering could help you decide if you need a clean break from the UK educational system or just to step away for a bit. Volunteering as a teacher abroad will give you a taste of what teaching is like in a different setting. Best of all, volunteering for a semester won't cost you your job; it may even improve your standing.

You might ask for a sabbatical from your current position to spend a term overseas. Or you could go abroad during the summer holiday. Even that six-week 'taster' will give you an idea of what it's like living and working in another country. Once, you decide teaching abroad is your next career evolution, you can start planning your departure.

When you go over volunteer teaching opportunities abroad, be sure to select one in a region you wouldn't mind spending a few years in. That way, you'll know whether both the destination and the work are a good fit for you.

And if you worry about your bank balance, you can always check out online Superprof tutoring jobs London. Tutoring online will put money in your pocket so you don't have to worry about missing your salary while you explore other career options.

Finding the Right Opportunities

Did you know that the British Council funds English-teaching initiatives in more than 50 countries? It provides the perfect gateway for British teachers longing to work on distant shores. You may consult their website for information about teaching abroad or look find resources to enhance your teaching.

The British Council was founded in 1934. This quasi-governmental body specialises in providing international cultural and educational opportunities. With Council offices all over the world, you will never be far away from any help you might need.

Dave’s ESL Café is a resource tailored to teachers abroad. ESLcafe.com is chock-full of information, including forums where expat instructors discuss specific issues related to teaching abroad. You'll also find country-specific job boards.

For instance, if you want to teach English in China, there is a page of job listings for you to peruse. But you are not limited to China or Korea, which also has its own jobs page. The site’s international jobs board lists enticing destinations like Barcelona, Dubai, St Petersburg and more.

Though not quite as encompassing, the TEFL Academy is a valuable resource if you're looking into teaching abroad. This site’s orientation is more toward training potential teachers and the focus is strictly on teaching English. Still, you can take a peek at their page and bookmark it for possible future use.

Think about creating a profile on the Expat.com site. There, you'll find British expat communities around the world to connect with. You might learn from them what your host country's work requirements are and what it's like to live there. This site also has a Job Board, though it's not as organised as the other sites mentioned here.

How to Get Hired to Teach Abroad

If you teach in the UK, you already have most of the credentials to teach abroad. Schools that recruit foreign teachers require at least a Bachelor's degree and some teaching experience. Besides these, you must have a TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) or comparable certificate.

Teaching English to students of other languages demands extra skills that your ordinary teaching certificate didn't provide you. TESOL certificate courses train you how to explain language concepts to students who don't speak your language. You will also learn culturally-based classroom management strategies and what school administrators in other nations expect of their foreign teachers.

Note that such certificates are often country-specific. For instance, China welcomes foreign teachers with TESOL credentials but schools in South America require the Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate. By contrast, a CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) is welcome in Europe, West Asia and South America but not in South Korea.

Before you start looking for teaching jobs in another country, you should find out about everything you need to do. Look at the different opportunities open to you and the extra teaching certification you need. Ideally, you should start preparing at least a year before you plan to go. That means everything from making sure your teaching certifications are up to date to having a valid passport.

Typically, you'll hire in through a recruiting agency rather than applying to individual schools, even when responding to job board adverts. With this system, the headhunter agency does all of the legwork. They will forward your documents to schools looking for foreign teachers and hash out all of the details. Once a school makes an offer, your recruiter will present you with a job offer.

With this setup, you only need to send your Curriculum Vitae (CV) with a cover letter specifying your date of availability. You'll also send copies of your teaching credentials and other documents only once. This process makes it easier for your CV to gain the broadest consideration. But you'll find downsides to this system, too.

You get no input. The agency does all of the negotiation, usually in their or the school's favour. You have two options: accept or reject offers. A few rejections might cost you the recruiter's goodwill. The agency might be less keen to present you if you always say no.

Often, the headhunter system does not allow for interviews. You'll have no opportunity to size up your potential employers or ask them anything. You will be hired solely based on your credentials. This system requires leaps of faith from both parties.

It might be everything you were hoping for or a nightmare you are contractually obligated to see through. Even if you know exactly where you want to teach,  you need to prepare for every eventuality.

When to Tell Your Current School You're Leaving

You should talk with to your headteacher about exploring teaching opportunities abroad. If you feel comfortable doing so, having this talk while you're still in the planning stages is fine.

If you decide on a sabbatical, you should meet with your Head as soon as possible. They will be a part of the decision to let you go and besides, doing so is a professional courtesy. However, if you opt for a volunteering stint over the holidays, you needn't say anything before going.

The very latest time to inform your school that you're going abroad to teach is when you have a signed contract. Be sure to emphasise that you will not leave your students or the school in the lurch. As noted above, you should have given your recruiter an availability date and verified that they respected it before you signed your contract.

No matter your personal feelings towards your headteacher, thank them for the guidance and opportunities they gave you. Keep your interactions positive even if you suffered your entire time teaching under them. A gentle parting ensures you a path back if you need one. It may assure you of a fine letter of recommendation, too.

How to Prepare for Departure

In the previous segment, you read that you should start preparing at least one year before your desired departure date. That time won't be just for job hunting and getting your paperwork in order.

Keep in mind that some countries give British passport holders minimum scrutiny upon entry while others require a visa. Some will want to see a valid travellers' insurance policy and a financial statement proving you have enough money to return home. You'll have to have all that in order ahead of time.

Some destinations will ask you to prove your ability to cover your stay and where you will stay while you're in-country. That last should not be a problem if you have a valid job offer.

In the excitement of impending adventure, it’s easy to overlook the fact that we are suspending life as we know it. All of the infrastructure that makes our lives so convenient and rich, that we take for granted… You must deal with it all before you can leave the country.

You'll need someone to care for your house while you’re gone. If you live in a flat, you must make sure your departure squares with your rental obligations. If not, you'll have to see if you can sublet. Likewise, you have to do something with all your stuff and your car, if you have one.

Are you travelling alone or with your partner and children? If that's your status, your offer should include accommodations for them, as well. You'll have to make sure their travel documents are in order. You likely won't be able to take any pets so if you have them you'll have to rehome them.

Often, teachers enjoying adventure abroad draft a power of attorney.  This document designates a trusted individual to take care of important matters for you while you're out of the country. Such things might include overseeing your UK tax obligations and financial affairs.

You'll need about a year to get all of these affairs in order. You'll have to sell, give away or store your possessions and help your family come to terms with your decision. You must prepare yourself for your adventure by learning  a new language and studying your host country's culture. All of this while finishing out the school term.

Language Skills for Teaching Abroad

Your qualifications and legal status of both critical to landing an overseas teaching position but your language skills are essential. Certain teaching positions have stringent language requirements.

For instance, most European countries require their foreign teachers to have at least intermediate language skills. If you're headed to Spain to teach, you should have passed Level B1 on the Spanish CEFR (Common European Frame of Reference) language exam.

Other countries don't expect their guest teachers to speak their language. While teaching in China, I had a liaison to help me navigate everything from shopping to getting around the city. They also managed all official matters such as visa renewals and medical exams. That took a lot of pressure off of me having to learn Chinese; I could take my time and savour the learning experience.

Let's reflect on the quote that opened this article, particularly the last part: learning is making it possible for yourself.

As a teacher, your profession is imparting these possibilities to others. Nothing says you can't have possibilities, too. Whether or not you're compelled to learn your host country's language, you should.

Ask yourself if you're teaching abroad to enrich your bank account or your life. The former matters, of course, but hopefully, the latter is your motivation. That being the case, you would deprive yourself of the best this experience has to offer by not diving headfirst into your host nation's language and culture.

Some tutoring jobs involve only speaking English with students who already can. That will enrich your bank. Learning your host nation's language shows respect and enriches your life. That's the experience you're looking for, isn't it?