Continuing with my recent theme this summer of studying abroad, here’s a guest post from Sean Lords. After obtaining degrees in English Literature and English Secondary Education, Sean Lords packed up his bags and left to Seoul, South Korea where he lived for three years teaching English abroad. Sean has since returned to the States and is currently at work on his Master’s degree.
__________________
As more and more college graduates struggle to find relevant work here in the United States, the prospect of packing up and teaching overseas for a year sounds increasingly appealing. With the opportunity to both pay off student loan and add a sizable amount to any savings account, a teaching contract overseas can do wonders for your financial situation as well as expose you to a variety of different cultures and people. But not all ESL jobs are created equal. Some countries pay noticeably higher wages than others, while other countries offer significantly more time off.
Getting a firm understanding of how many people are actively teaching abroad is a little tricky. As it stands now, there are no official numbers that state X amount of people are currently employed in an ESL setting. However, there are some facts and figures out there that do shed some light on the most popular destinations (at least according to Google inquiries). The following is a list of the top 15 searched countries for those wishing to teach English.
It isn’t really much of a surprise that South Korea comes up taking the number one spot as most searched for country to teach English. South Korea offers some of the most competitive salaries currently available to degree holders, no matter what the area of study.
First year teachers can expect to make about 2.2 million won a month (a sum that equals to just a little more than two thousand dollars). Rate of pay also noticeably increases if the teacher has a degree in an associated area of study (such as English literature or Secondary Education) or with the completion of a TEFL certification course.
Education is an integral part of the South Korean society with some students attending classes from 8 in the morning to 10 o’ clock at night. Part of this education equation is the acquisition of English. Many South Koreans recognize that in order for their children to be successful in the international market, they must learn to both read and speak English.
Opportunities to teach in South Korea exist in the form of a privatized hogwan (afterschool learning center) or through a public school (although the latter is becoming increasingly phased out as more South Korean natives are becoming fluent in English). Those interested in teaching in South Korea should contact a recruiter through Dave’s ESL café or another ESL forum to get the ball rolling.
And Number Two is….the United States?
The United States surprisingly employs quite a few foreign teachers, particularly in areas of the country that are traditionally a bit trickier to staff. These areas include rural and far removed locations as well as inner city schools. In 2007, the American Federation of Teachers found that more than 19,000 Filipino nationals were at work in the American education system.
Other programs are responsible for bringing teachers to the United States as well. Teach for America was founded in 1989 and has since supplied countless schools and teaching institutions throughout the United States with teachers from all over the world. However, the application process is quite rigorous with only about a ten percent acceptance rate.
It’s important to note that simply because a country is low on the chart or, does not rank, does not make it an undesirable place to teach in. Opportunities to teach exist in countless forms throughout the world. As an increased number of countries realize the importance of educating their future workforce with the international language more and more doors are bound to open.