Teaching English abroad could be the answer to your wanderlust and empty bank balance conundrum. Being paid to live abroad? Yes, please!  But how do you get started? Can you teach English abroad without teaching experience?

In a word, yes.

How to teach English abroad without experience

So let’s get to the nitty-gritty. How can you teach English abroad without experience?

Some teaching jobs ask that you have a certain number of years’ experience in the EFL classroom. But, there are just as many teaching jobs which don’t require teaching experience. The fact is that there is such a high demand for TEFL teachers all over the world that even teachers fresh out of a TEFL course are welcome.

Read more: The Secret Ingredients: What Qualities Make A Good TEFL Teacher?

What qualification do I need to teach English abroad?

To teach English abroad you need a TEFL qualification. 

Certain countries require you to have a Bachelor’s degree as well, but that degree can be in any field. It doesn’t need to be related to TEFL or teaching. This is a requirement for visa purposes so it’s not related to your job.

A high-quality TEFL qualification from a reputable TEFL provider is the one piece of paper which is needed to secure a TEFL job.

You might wonder how a qualification which is nowhere near as long as a degree can prepare you to be a teacher. This is the beauty of a TEFL qualification. It might only be 120 hours but a good TEFL course is comprehensive enough to take you from zero to teacher. 

On a TEFL course you’ll be given an overview of the theory of teaching English as a Foreign Language, including:

• teaching methodology,
• classroom management,
• lesson planning,
• teaching skills, and
• assessing students.

Once you’ve successfully completed the course, you’ll be able to effectively put the theory into practice in the classroom.

Where can I teach English abroad with no experience?

Any country where you can teach English, you can find jobs which accept teachers without teaching experience. Usually, teaching experience is not a requirement for a job but it can open up the possibility of a better teaching position and higher salary.

Is being a teacher with no experience a bad idea?

No matter what we’re talking about, we all have to start somewhere. We can’t get experience without starting from Ground Zero at some point.

The same is true of teaching, so it’s definitely not a bad idea to teach with no experience. After all, the only way to get teaching experience is to teach!

But, if you’re hesitant to get stuck into the classroom witout experience, there are some other options available to you: volunteer placements and internships.

A volunteer placement gives you the opportunity to gain valuable teaching hours in the classroom. Many volunteer programs place you as a teaching assistant, which means you’ll have the guidance of another teacher to help you.

An internship is a similar set-up. The difference is that with an internship, the program would be much more supported. You are given more support in the classroom. This is because internships are the first step in a teaching career, while volunteer placements are often once-off adventures.

Some volunteer placements and some internships ask for a fee, others don’t. Some offer food and board rather than a salary, others offer a stipend to cover living costs. In a volunteer post or an internship, you won’t earn as much as you would in a regular teaching position, but these are usually done for the experience rather than the money.

How to find a teaching job without experience

As a soon-to-be TEFL teacher, the first step is to get TEFL-qualified. Sign up for a reputable TEFL course. This is not only to make sure that you are capable of teaching an EFL class, but it also shows your employer that you are serious about teaching. 

The next step is to decide where you would like to teach. As we said before, it’s possible to get a teaching job in any country without any teaching experience. But there are countries where you’re more likely to secure a position without experience. 

Countries in Asia and South and Latin America welcome inexperienced teachers with open arms. In other places it is possible to find internship, volunteer or summer camp opportunities without experience. 

The final step is to apply for the job of your choice. Once you’re accepted, all that’s left  is to pack your bags and adios!