What to take into account when choosing your TEFL destination?

While people are always on the prowl to get their questions about TEFL answered, which range from the curriculum, schedule to accreditation and style of teaching, most of the time their questions boil down to one thing – what kind of job they’ll get after finishing their course. The problem though is that there’s a lot of noise surrounding TEFL courses, with your friends, acquaintances, alumni and innumerable forums propagating their opinions.

This can make the whole thing quite muddled and leave you confused. So at TEFL Madrid, we are working on a series of articles that will help you clear your way through the field and find concrete answers to your burning questions. First up is choosing the destination for your dream TEFL job. Sure, if you’ve always dreamed of frolicking on the beaches of Spain, or traveling to the isolated island of Japan, your mind’s settled and there’s no need to shop around. However, if you’ve got no specific preference and just want to land a secure and lucrative job, there are a few things you need to consider. Salary This should be quite apparent but TEFL is one of the few professions where your salary is pretty decent all over the globe and you could comfortably lead your life. However, if you’re looking to make an extra bit of cash, Asia’s your place seeing they pay quite a bit higher than other regions.

Countries like south Korea, Taiwan, China and Vietnam offer you benefits such as housing and travel expenses in addition to a salary. Students Another thing to consider is your specialization, whether you want to focus on business English or teaching to young learners. Countries like South America require teachers who can deal with adults and help them in their business English while Asian countries require those who can teach children. So your preference and skills make a difference. Restrictions/culture There could be cultural issues which you’ve got to be aware of in places centered around the Middle East and then there’s a requirement of 3-5 years of experience to get a work visa as well. Likewise, visa could be a big issue in EU countries if you’re not a European citizen.

However it wouldn’t matter much for eastern European countries like Czech republic or Hungary. So check up on the restrictions and see if you fit the bill. Credentials Apart from the TEFL degree, all Asian countries stress on a college degree, bachelor’s at the very least. However, Latin American countries have no such requirements and would be happy to offer you a job even with just a high school degree.

The key though is getting a TEFL certificate that is recognized globally and accredited by an independent agency.