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.
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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.