There are a number of reasons why adults leave their home countries and go abroad to teach English. In fact, the list is huge and you couldn't fit them all into one article! In this case, this article will seek to explain some of the more common reasons why people decide to teach English abroad.
One of the big reasons is a gap year before or during college or University. Students find that they can fund their travels by teaching and add some experience to their CV at the same time. Teaching abroad in a foreign country will give young people the experience they need to help them stand out from the crowd when trying to secure their first graduate job.
Some people choose teaching English abroad as a complete career change. Many English teachers abroad didn't set out to do this from the start. They changed from a different type of job and saw teaching English abroad as an attractive option, given the exotic locations and job opportunities available. One the other hand, some people do want to be English teachers working in foreign countries from a young age and therefore study relevant degrees at university.
However, a career change might not be a choice. People lose their jobs, find it difficult to get a new job and start looking at the various options available to them. Teaching English is often an attractive decision because it appeals to such a wide range of people.
People with varying degrees of higher education find it a good option because they can take a short 1-2 month course and be ready for the world of ESL teaching. With a bachelor's degree and a TEFL or CELTA, students qualify for most visa requirements for teaching English abroad in a lot of countries around the world.
Another reason is that people want to travel and fund their travels at the same time. A number of teacher stay in one position for just one year before they move on the to the next place. Others go to a country where they want to live and stay there for a number of days. Whatever the reasons, if you want to travel and experience other cultures, teaching English abroad can give you that ability.
With regard to travelling, often teaching jobs are available in exotic locations and pretty good lifestyles. Teaching jobs are available all over the world, Teachers of English as a Second Language live in virtually every country in the whole world! Teaching, however, won't often make you rich! Having said that, in most countries English teachers salaries can often provide the teacher with a comfortable lifestyle.
Whatever the reasons for teaching English, it's a career that can provide you with a number of benefits. It's a job in the world that always needs more people. More and more people choose to learn English and therefore more teachers are needed to teach them. There are so many reasons why people choose to teach English abroad and it's becoming an increasingly popular career choice for a large number of people all over the world.
William Lake is a Lecturer of English, living and working in S. E. Asia. William is an experienced English teacher and he currently blogs about the English language on his blog about English as a Second Language. He has posted more information about how to teach English Abroad on his blog.