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Teaching English is a foreign country. The need to know.

With approximately 1 billion people learning English worldwide, the demand for native English-speaking teachers is insatiable and virtually any native or fluent English speaker can gain employment teaching English abroad. If you plan to move halfway around the world to teach English, you owe it to yourself to research all aspects of your great international adventure to make it as rewarding and successful as possible.

Even though you don't need a degree or professional teaching experience, if you want to teach English abroad professionally, you need to take an accredited TEFL certification course -- especially if you have no background in teaching English as a foreign language (our guide to TEFL helps lay this all out for you).

An accredited TEFL certification course (we have a full list of TEFL courses on Go Overseas) will provide you with the skills you need to competently run 4-6 classes a day, and will outline the best ESL teaching tools. TEFL certification will also provide you with a recognized qualification that most schools and language schools around the world seek when hiring new teachers. Remember, most schools around the world will not hire you off the street to teach English professionally simply because you are a native or fluent English speaker!

One of the biggest difficulties that new teachers face is the challenge of creating fun, engaging, and plenty of activities for the ESL classroom. TEFL courses will give you insight on the types of games and lessons that are successful with different age groups. Get a head start by reading our tips for lesson planning or take notes of the 10 best games for ESL teachers.

HOWEVER, 

Consider whether to go with an organized program or independently

Many TEFL training schools do provide job placement assistance and it's definitely something to check for when researching your options, because quality assistance should insure that you don't have to pay for a job placement. Many top programs provide it for free with the course tuition. Others may charge additional fees for placement or assistance. Teaching abroad through an organized program is a great option for first-time travelers to a new region, especially if the local language is one you're less-than-absolutely-fluent-in.

For most people looking to go abroad, there are enough jobs and plenty of resources in the way of free job boards, recruiters, and other resources, that there really should not be a need to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for a placement. Also, programs that guarantee or receive payment for placements will limit you to job options offered by the program, which are a drop in the ocean of the thousands of job opportunities worldwide that you may be qualified for.

If you are looking to teach English in Asia, Russia or the Middle East, you may consider working with recruiters that interview and hire English teachers from the U.S., Canada and elsewhere on behalf of schools in these countries. Typically you should not pay such recruiters for placement. Working with recruiters can make the process of interviewing and lining up a position abroad as they can provide assistance and guidance with matters like setting up interviews and arranging documents for your visa. The key, as always, is to research and work with reputable, well-established recruiters.

If you want to make more money, head to Asia or the Middle East

Most people don't go into teaching for the money, but if you're looking to make enough to save for extra travel or to make student loan payments, concentrate on opportunities in these two regions. In major Asian nations, even first-time English teachers typically make enough to save 30%-50% of their income after expenses, and often receive benefits like free airfare and housing. Monthly savings typically range from about $400 a month in a nation like Thailand up to $1000 or more in South Korea.

For even more lucrative contracts, consider Persian Gulf countries in the Middle East like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. However, many, though not all, of these positions require professional teaching experience, an advanced degree in education, or a teaching license.

Be prepared for start-up costs

Teaching English abroad may be the most cost-effective way to live and travel overseas for an extended period, but like most major undertakings in life, it requires a degree of financial planning. Major start-up costs typically include:

TEFL Certification: $1,000 - $2,500 for a fully accredited online or in-person class - trust me, it's worth it.

Transportation to your destination country: typically $300-$1000 for North Americans traveling to other continents.

Support in your new country until you start getting paid: even if you have a job waiting for you when you arrive, you won't typically get paid on your first day of work. These expenses can range from $500, if your housing is provided and your job is pre-arranged, to $3000 if you need to support yourself in a major European city while you interview for a position and rent an apartment.

Remember that start-up costs for teaching English abroad in Asia are typically lower because in most cases you will line up your job in advance, so you don't have to support yourself while interviewing locally as you would in many European and Latin American countries, and many schools, particularly in South Korea and China, cover airfare and housing costs.

10 Ways To Teach English Abroad - Follow this link for helpful tips, tricks and information for teaching English abroad.

a quote to end it all off with...

Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students. Solomon Ortiz