Here’s why teaching English abroad is a great job.
Every job has its pros and cons. Of course, some jobs are much better than others.
But do you know all of the great benefits of teaching English Abroad?
Here are the top 10 benefits of teaching English Abroad.
Make money while teaching English
Teaching as a job is, well… a job. And that, of course, means that you make money while doing it!
The amount of money that you make teaching English abroad really depends on where you are teaching and what kinds of students you’re teaching.
Some countries, like China, are in desperate need of English teachers. That’s good for you! Not only do many of these countries have pretty good salaries for English teachers, but you can also save a lot of your earnings.
A lot of money.
It’s not uncommon for English teachers to go abroad to teach and use that money to pay off student loans back home. So, if you need to pay off your loans and want to travel, teaching English may be for you.
There are many countries to choose from when picking a place to teach English. That’s why we put together our list of the best countries to teach English in.
You can make a difference in students’ lives
Do you know why countries like China, Japan, France, and Spain have to bring over teachers from other countries?
Because they don’t have any English speakers!
When you go to another country to teach English, you are doing more than teaching communication. In a way, you are an ambassador from your home country, coming to bring a new culture to students’ lives.
Cool, huh?
If you’ve ever had a teacher that made a difference in your life, you can do that for one of your students — something much more rewarding than just a paycheck.
And make a difference in your life
If you haven’t lived abroad, you really don’t know what you’re missing.
It changes you.
I come from a small town where there wasn’t a whole lot there.
In fact, I didn’t even meet an Asian person until I went to grad school — it’s true!
After living abroad, you’ll begin to see things completely differently.
Food…
Language…
Politics…
Your job…
When you take a step back from your home country you get a great chance to see how the rest of the world lives.
For the first time in your life, your eyes will be completely open.
See the world while teaching English
This point is similar to the previous one, but it’s slightly different.
Sure, if you go to Vietnam to teach English, you will probably get a chance to visit all of the beautiful beaches and huge mountains.
But you will also get to visit other countries near where you’re teaching.
Do you want to teach in Germany?
How about also visiting…
Denmark…
Poland… 
Switzerland
France…
and more!
Even though you are only teaching in one country, you truly get a chance to see the whole world while teaching English abroad.
Make new friends in other countries
What’s life without friends?
When you’re abroad, you will have chances to meet new people every single day.
If you are teaching older students, you might make friends with them. And if you go to a country that doesn’t have a lot of foreigners, you may just become a local celebrity.
And that does count the friends you’ll make with your amazing coworkers who could also come from different countries.
See?
Just by being in ONE country, you see the WHOLE world every day you go to work.
Work flexible hours
One of the best things about teaching English abroad is the work hours that you’ll have.
But this can really depend on your school…
If you work at an English training center for adults, you’ll have to work nights and weekends. That’s great if you want to sleep in every day and then go out with friends after work.
Or, if you teach kids, you’ll work during normal school hours unless you teach a children’s English center.
But the great thing is…
These are almost never 40 hours/week jobs!
That’s right, you’re going to get paid like you’re working 40 hours a week, but you might only work 25 hours a week…
…or even fewer.
And those aren’t all teaching hours, either!
Depending on your school, you can spend those hours planning your classes. You could plan them at the school, your home, or the local coffee shop.
Did I mention the holidays?
If you teach kids at a regular school, you’ll have school vacations off — usually paid!
That’s right. During your vacations, you can get paid while traveling to other countries nearby.
Not a bad deal.
Have a break from your boring job
Many people go abroad to teach English to take a break from their boring job at home. Sometimes, you can get stuck in a rut.
You just need something new.
And teaching English abroad is a great way to do that.
I’ve met many teachers that were fresh out of college and had a hard time getting a job. Teaching English was a great way to fill the time until they got a more permanent job in their home countries.
I’ve also met teachers that thought they were just going to take a year off to go teach and travel…
… and then they stayed their whole lives!
You just may consider going abroad to teach English for one year… and then you may love it!
Just taking a break from your job back home could lead you into a whole new career path.
Try new food in your new country
When teaching abroad, you have the chance to travel and experience new cultures. And what’s one thing that you’ll get to experience every single day?
THE FOOD!
That’s right, every single meal is like eating at someplace special.
Do you like Chinese food?
There’s a whole country full of Chinese restaurants.
It’s the same thing with French food, Thai food, Mexican food… you name it!
I don’t know about you, but just knowing that I could go live in Mexico and eat Mexican food every day is a pretty good reason to go to Mexico to teach English.
Think about it — eating tacos and burritos for every meal…
Personally, I’d be excited to eat chilaquiles for breakfast a few times a week.
Learn a new language
One of the best ways to learn a new language is by being immersed in an environment that speaks that language.
Well, guess what?
If you are going abroad to teach English as a foreign language, then, chances are, there are going to be a whole lot of people that don’t speak English.
While that might sound scary, there’s a huge benefit to this….
… you get a chance to learn a new language while living aboard.
I remember when I was learning Chinese while living in America. I had very little opportunities to practice with a real person.
And when I did have a chance to practice Chinese, it was during my expensive Chinese lessons.
But…
While living in China, I was able to practice my Chinese all the time!
And I was learning how to say the most important things like ordering at a restaurant, buying tickets to a concert, and other practical things just like that.
If you are serious about learning a new language, then teaching abroad might supercharge your language learning.
Gain great skills that can land you even more jobs
Some former English teachers complain that it’s hard finding a job when they get back to their home countries, but that’s only because they aren’t thinking about all the valuable skills you learn besides teaching.
Besides learning things like lesson planning, classroom management, public speaking, and actual teaching, you’ll learn things like
- leadership skills
- conflict resolution
- writing and communication
- and more…
Maybe you want to return to your home country and become a writer.
Well, guess what?
Teaching English as a foreign language will 100% improve your writing skills.
Maybe you want to teach English in Mexico. When you get back, you could use your new Spanish skills and understanding of Mexican culture for business-type jobs with Mexican customers.
But these are ignoring the obvious job opportunities…
You can still return to your home country and teach English as a Second Language. Or you can become a teacher in another subject altogether!
Teaching English abroad gives you many valuable skills that transfer to many other types of careers.
What are you waiting for?
If these benefits sound exciting for you, then you should take my FREE TEFL Training Course (coming soon). This course teaches you how you can land a job in your target country and start teaching English abroad in as little as a few months.
This special training contains the exact steps I took to become a highly paid teacher abroad. Enroll in the TEFL Training Course for free.
