One way to earn some money while you travel is to teach English. In many areas of the world the ability to speak
English is a highly prized skill. It can enable people to travel, find
more lucrative employment in their own country or perhaps move to the US or the UK. This opens up many opportunities for
YOU to go abroad and work as a teacher - enabling your students to pick up the lingo whilst you absorb some of their culture.
However, just because you speak English doesn't mean you are qualified to teach it. In most cases you will be required to show
some documentation, such as a TEFL Certificate or an RSA Cambridge Certificate.
So what is TEFL then?
Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) is a qualification you can earn to show that you have the skills needed to teach english (Yes, there is more to teaching than wearing cardigan and standing in front of a class!). It also goes by the names of English Language Teaching (ELT) and Teaching English as a Second or Other Language (TESOL). The tags are used more-or-less interchangeably as they all boil down to the same thing: they all involve teaching people to communicate in English when it is not their mother tongue.
Where can I get this TEFL?
There are a few options for gaining one of these TEFL certificates, you can study at a college or even online - with some of the courses only lasting 15 hours!
Quick Tips
It's not as easy as it used to be to get a teaching job in Europe. The proliferation of TEFL courses has resulted
in stiff competition for teaching jobs. Don't bother looking for a job in the summer when all the schools are shut - August/ September
is the best time.
Resources: i to i TEFL - travel jobs and online courses
