For people who have a passion for travel, education, kids, and doing good for the community, there is now a way for you to explore all your interests and earn an income doing it. You can work as an English teacher, and you can do it in almost any country in the world! However, in some countries, there are more opportunities than in others. Of course, these would be countries where English isn’t widely spoken. Think of countries like China, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand. There are also jobs in Singapore for English teachers, but these kinds of jobs are not typical travel and teaching jobs. These require advanced qualifications and experience as you will be teaching grammar to native English speakers.
There are also teaching jobs in Europe, The Middle East, and South America, but Asia remains the most popular place. In Europe, countries don’t really offer visas to English teachers, so unless you have a European passport, getting a job there isn’t easy. It used to be easy for British teachers to work in places like Spain and France, but since Brexit, that has changed. South America is popular, especially for American teachers, but the complaint is that salaries are on the lower side. The Middle East generally has many job openings for English teachers and also high-paying jobs, but the requirements are quite high, so these jobs are for qualified and experienced teachers. Asia on the other hand has plenty of jobs. These jobs pay well and these countries offer a great standard of living. Let’s take a look at what it’s like to work as an English teacher in some of the most popular locations in Asia.
Teaching English in Taiwan
When it comes to looking for a TEFL job in Asia, Taiwan is one of the most underrated locations. Before the pandemic, China was the hotspot for teachers so all the online promotions were advertising jobs for teachers in China so many overlooked Taiwan. Taiwan is a developed country, with a Chinese population. But the best thing is that it is very open to westerners. Taiwanese people use the same apps and websites as people all around the world do. Teachers that live in Taiwan get to experience all there is to traditional Chinese culture in a very easy and comfortable way. Teaching jobs in Taiwan are also really easy to come by. The salaries are quite reasonable averaging around $2000 per month, but the cost of living in Taiwan is low so this goes a long way! Taiwanese people are also incredibly friendly and students are great to work with. Because of this teachers love Taiwan and many wish they had discovered it earlier.
Teach English In China
China is an interesting option, but also an option many teachers will be unsure about. Just a few years ago China was advertising teaching jobs all over the internet and social media. These jobs were high paying as well. Some jobs offered English teachers $3000 per month with free flights and accommodation. This was because of the Chinese economy growing at an exponential rate. Many people needed to learn English to be competitive so language academies opened up all around China. Teachers could choose to work in big cities like Shanghai or Beijing or even smaller, more peaceful towns like Chengdu. Then the Chinese government came out with a new legislation, essentially banning private education. This forced all these language schools to close and teachers were out of jobs. There are still plenty of jobs in China at public schools, but nowhere as many as there used to be. Many teachers would love to go back to China, but right now many are trying out other locations while they wait to see what happens when China opens up as it’s a bit complicated right now.
Teaching English in South Korea
South Korea is one of the trendiest places in the world right now thanks to Korean Netflix shows. Everyone wants to travel to Korea and living there would be a dream. Luckily, Korea is a great place to teach English. The salaries are high, usually around $2000 with great benefits such as free accommodation and flights. Getting a teaching job in Korea is getting more and more difficult though as the popularity of the country increases. Experienced teachers are moving to Korea with the hopes of starting a new life there or embarking on a travel journey and experiencing all there is to Korean culture. Seoul is probably the most popular location to find a teaching job, but some teachers prefer Busan and a little-known gem of a town called Daegu, which is also located near Busan. There are also some job openings in Jeju, which is a beautiful island that is often called “the Korean Hawaii”.
Teaching English in Thailand
Thailand is known for its exotic culture, beautiful beaches, and friendly people. It’s called “the land of smiles” after all! So it’s no surprise people from all around the world want to live and work over here! Thailand is the lifestyle destination for teachers because the salaries are not necessarily the highest, but the quality of life teachers can live in Thailand is amazing. The cost of living in Thailand, so teachers can live comfortably with their salaries, but converting it to savings to take home is not going to be of much benefit, unfortunately. Teaching jobs in Thailand typically pay around $1300 – 1500 per month and teachers are responsible for paying for their own accommodation. In Thailand, you can work in a big city like Bangkok or right at the beach in a place like Phuket or Chonburi.
