The Ical Tefl Guide

The ICAL how-to guide to teaching English overseas.
The ICAL TEFL Guide is a free, easy to use guide all about how to teach English
overseas.
Its about how to get qualified, what you need to know, where you can go and what you
need to do once you get there.
Are you interested in travelling the world teaching English? Then this is the guide for
you!
Note, The ICAL TEFL Guide is an ongoing project from ICAL. To make sure you have
the most up-to-date information, please visit this link to download the latest version for
free.
ICAL is a leading provider of online TEFL Certificates; for more information please visit
www.icalweb.com.
If you have any suggestions, amendments or comments on this e-book, please contact
us on gen@icalweb.com.
the ICAL TEFL guide, version 1.1 - Copyright 2010 2011 ICAL, www.icalweb.com
Contents
The ICAL how-to guide to teaching English overseas. ................................................. 2
Introduction ......................................................................................................... 5
What is it all About? ............................................................................................ 5
Who is this e-Book for? ....................................................................................... 5
Using this e-book ............................................................................................... 5
A Quick Word on Acronyms.................................................................................. 6
Qualifications ........................................................................................................ 7
Introduction ....................................................................................................... 7
Speaking the Local Language ............................................................................... 7
No Qualifications at All ........................................................................................ 8
An Undergraduate University Degree (BA, BSc) ...................................................... 9
A Note on TEFL Degrees ................................................................................... 9
A Degree and a TEFL Certificate ........................................................................... 9
No Degree but a TEFL Certificate ........................................................................ 10
TEFL Certificates ................................................................................................. 11
Who Awards the TEFL Certificate?....................................................................... 11
Types of Courses .............................................................................................. 12
An in-house course nearby ............................................................................. 12
An in-house course in another location ............................................................. 12
An online course ............................................................................................ 12
Choosing a Good Course ................................................................................... 12
Where to Teach ................................................................................................... 14
Europe ............................................................................................................ 14
The UK and Ireland ........................................................................................ 14
Austria, France and Germany .......................................................................... 14
Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus ......................................................... 14
Asia ................................................................................................................ 15
China & Hong Kong ........................................................................................ 15
South Korea .................................................................................................. 15
Japan ........................................................................................................... 15
The Middle East ................................................................................................ 15
Central America and South America .................................................................... 15
Deciding Where to Teach ................................................................................... 16

How to Find Work ................................................................................................ 17
Make Yourself Employable ................................................................................. 17
Advertisements ................................................................................................ 17
Agents ............................................................................................................ 18
Emailing On Spec ............................................................................................. 18
In Person ........................................................................................................ 18
Applying for a Job ............................................................................................... 20
Cover Letter .................................................................................................... 20
Rsum or CV .................................................................................................. 21
Basic Personal Details .................................................................................... 21
Qualifications ................................................................................................ 22
Languages You Speak .................................................................................... 22
Employment History ....................................................................................... 22
Check, check and Double Check! ........................................................................ 23
The Job Offer ...................................................................................................... 24
Contact Details................................................................................................. 24
Job Details....................................................................................................... 24
Visas............................................................................................................... 25
Nice to Know ................................................................................................... 25
Trust Your Instincts .......................................................................................... 25
Moving & Culture Shock ....................................................................................... 26
Phases of Culture Shock .................................................................................... 26
Coping with Culture Shock ................................................................................. 27
Before you go ............................................................................................... 27
When you arrive ............................................................................................ 27
Help during problem times .............................................................................. 28
Conclusion.......................................................................................................... 29
Introduction
What is it all About?
What is Teaching English as a Foreign Language or TEFL as its known in the trade?
Quite simply, it means teaching English to people who dont speak English as their native
language.
Maybe that means teaching English to a group of teenagers in Bangkok or a classroom
full of lively children in Shanghai or business people in Dubai or hotel managers in
Switzerland.
And why English?
Simply put, it is because English is probably the most important language in the world
today. Across the world it is the language of science, the internet, business and foreign
affairs. When a German engineer meets a Portuguese grocer in a bar in Japan, they will
likely speak English together. And when a Spanish scientist wants to announce to the
world a new scientific breakthrough, they will do it in English.
Across the world in almost every single city and town (and quite a few villages, too)
there are schools where English is being taught. There are, quite literally, hundreds of
thousands of them.
And many, many of them have an English teacher in the classroom who has travelled
across the world to be there. Its common to find American, British, Irish, Australian,
Canadian, South African and New Zealand teachers standing in front of a classroom full
of learners and teaching them English in pretty much every country of the world.
And thats not including the thousands of other nationalities teaching English as well!
Who is this e-Book for?

This e-book is for anyone who is interested in becoming a teacher of English. If you want
to travel overseas and teach English this guide is for you.
Assuming no previous knowledge, it starts from the very basics and tells you all you
need to know about getting qualified, finding work and handling a class.
Using this e-book

Before getting down to the basics, there are a couple of things to say about using this
guide.
As this is an e-book youll find there are quite a few hyperlinks included in the text. If
you click on these you will usually go to a page on the TEFL World Wiki website. This
page will explain in more detail about the subject youre looking at.
(Note that sometimes a link will jump to another section within the e-book.)
So, for example, weve already talked about the term TEFL and if you click on the link,
youll go to the TEFL World Wiki where this term is explained in much more detail.
So, any time you see a link and want to learn more, just click on it!
A Quick Word on Acronyms

The world of teaching English is littered with acronyms (a word made up from the first
letters of a phrase). As you read through this e-book youll find we use these ones quite
a lot:
TEFL
Teaching English as a Foreign Language
TESL
Teaching English as a Second Language
TESOL
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
For practical purposes, these three can be considered the same. There are slight
differences between them, but they arent important when you first start out teaching.
EFL
English as a Foreign Language
ESL
English as a Second Language
Again, these can be considered the same.

And finally for now, we have
ELT
English Language Teaching
There are other acronyms to consider but theyll be dealt with as you come across them
in this e-book.
Qualifications
In the old days if you were an English native speaker (you spoke English as your mother
tongue) that was often enough to get you the job.
It didnt matter if you had no training or had never stepped into a classroom before, if
you spoke English then you got the job.
But things have changed. Nowadays things are more professional and you need training
and qualifications to teach. This section of the e-book looks at what you need to teach
and what you can do with the qualifications you do (or dont) have.
Introduction
As with any job, the more you have to offer in terms of qualifications and experience,
the better your chances of landing a well paid job with opportunities for advancement.
However it is also true that requirements vary from country to country and even from
school to school.
For example, there are small ELT (English Language Teaching) schools with one
classroom and a few students and then there are huge universities with several
campuses and thousands of students.
Likewise there are entry level jobs and there are advanced DoS (Director of Studies;
basically the academic manager of a school) jobs.
Some countries need you to have certain qualifications to issue a visa for work. In other
countries this is not so important.
Speaking the Local Language

Before going further, its as well here to clear up the misconception that you need to
speak the local language to teach English. Some people think that you have to speak
Spanish, for example, to teach in Spain.
This is simply not true.
These days classes are taught almost entirely in the Target Language which means you
introduce, explain and practice in English.
This is called Full Immersion and essentially you are trying to put the student in the
same kind of environment where a native speaker learns their own language.
In fact, it does the students good because to communicate they MUST speak English and
thats what its all about.
Of course knowing a bit of the local language helps when youre outside school (e.g.
shopping, ordering in a bar, etc) but youll soon pick up the basics and its rare that
youll find yourself living in a town where no one speaks any English at all!
No Qualifications at All
Although there are jobs available to TEFL teachers with no qualifications whatsoever, we
would not recommend this approach.
Firstly it is unfair to your students who will be expecting a professional, well trained
teacher who will be able to help them learn English. They are most likely paying a lot of
money to learn and they should be respected for this.
Secondly it is unfair to yourself. You will almost certainly flounder and find problems if
you do not have even a basic grasp of teaching technique and subject matter. If you
have training, you will find the work much easier and much more enjoyable.
On another tack, many schools who employ teachers without qualifications are likely to
be breaking the law as most countries have minimum legal requirements for teachers.
This being the case you will not only be paid less but be also employed illegally and if
discovered there may be problems!
However, if you do not have any qualifications and still want work as a teacher, jobs like
this are found by being in the country itself and knocking on school doors, hoping there
is a vacancy and the school is in need.
Because theres a chance that you will be employed on the quiet as it were, you will not
necessarily have the same benefits and safeguards as other teachers.
Firstly the school may well pay you less than the legal minimum (they may not, of
course, but this is a possibility). There is not a lot you can do about this except to take
the job for now but keep looking round for work and seeing if you can get a better offer
elsewhere.
Then you may not have the legal safeguards if something goes wrong. If your school
owner decides not to pay you for some reason, there is little you can do about it except
leave. Again, once you have got the hang of the new country you will be in a better
position to know which is a good school and a bad school and make your employment
choices based on that.
Finally there is a slim possibility that you will have to pretend to be something other than
you are. Cases of teachers slipping out of the country to get their tourist visa stamped
are common. Likewise having to pretend you are not a teacher in case the inspectors call
also happens!
However, realistically speaking, there is very little chance that there will be any serious
consequences to working illegally. Only in the most extreme cases will you have to leave
the country for example.
An Undergraduate University Degree (BA, BSc)

Most job advertisements start by asking for a university degree. Often this is needed to
get a work visa for the country where the job is.
It is useful to have a degree in a language related subject:
English Literature
English Language
Spanish
Linguistics
Modern Languages
And so on.
But dont worry if your degree is in Engineering or Chemistry. Since the degree
requirement is often only for visa purposes, you will often find English teachers in South
Korea or Japan with Science or Divinity degrees!
A Note on TEFL Degrees

Sometimes prospective teachers consider taking a TEFL degree. This is by no means a
bad thing, but it can sometimes be slightly restrictive. Outside of the TEFL industry most
employers will not really understand what a TEFL degree is all about whereas they will
definitely know what an English degree entails.
If you are sure you want a long career in TEFL then by all means consider this option,
but if you are thinking of teaching for a while and then maybe changing careers after a
few years, a more generic degree might be more suitable in the long term.
A Degree and a TEFL Certificate

This is by far the most common combination of qualifications you see when looking for
work. It is generally accepted as the minimum for an entry level job in most countries
around the world.
What type of TEFL Certificate is useful is one of the most hotly debated topics in the
TEFL industry today. To read more about what kind of certificate is best for you, see the
TEFL Certificates section below.
No Degree but a TEFL Certificate

As mentioned above, most countries require English teachers to have a degree. Having
said that, there are still possibilities to teach if you do not have a one. You should bear in
mind, however, that without a degree you will likely work in a less prestigious school at
the lower end of the market.
If you do not have a degree you need to make yourself as employable as possible. This
means its imperative you get at least a TEFL Certificate so that you have something to
show a school owner and convince them that you are able to teach their students.
TEFL Certificates
A TEFL Certificate is regarded as the standard qualification in order to teach at an entry
level job (often alongside a degree).
TEFL Certificates are awarded after you have taken a short course where you will learn
the basics of teaching English. This will usually include (but it not restricted to):
The general principles of language teaching.
Needs Analysis why your students are learning English and what this means to
you.
Creating a Syllabus and a Lesson Plan.
Lesson activities and teaching methods.
Classroom management.
Language skills.
Teaching resources.
And so on. Some courses are highly detailed and go into each subject in depth, others
are cursory. Some include a final exam whilst most rely on continuous assessment
before the TEFL Certificate is awarded.
Who Awards the TEFL Certificate?

There is no single body which issues TEFL Certificates. They are generally issued by the
school where you take the course and each school is different so each course is different.
Also bear in mind that there is no independent, international accreditation for TEFL
Certificates. That means, in effect, that there is no independent, international body
checking schools and making sure that your TEFL certificate course is any good!
This means that there are good schools and bad schools, expensive courses and cheap
courses (and its worth noting here that price often has nothing to do with quality in this
field), worthwhile certificates and certificates which are, to be frank, not worth the paper
they are written on.
Below well talk about how to choose a good certificate course.
Types of Courses
There are 3 main ways to get a TEFL Certificate.
An in-house course nearby

In most towns there are one or two ELT schools which offer the TEFL Certificate as well.
Generally speaking they offer a 4 week course where you will spend some time in the
classroom learning, some time watching your classmates teaching guinea pig students
and some time teaching them yourself.
Occasionally these courses are part-time.
Arguably at the top end of the market here is the CELTA course. This is a course
overseen by Cambridge Assessment. It is an extremely intensive course run by schools
around the world which are moderated by Cambridge Assessment.
The course costs vary but are usually around 1,500 USD (1,000 GBP or 1,200 EUR).
There are other in-house courses apart from CELTA which vary in intensity and quality.
The Trinity course is also well regarded.
An in-house course in another location

Some schools offer TEFL courses in exotic locations. This is a possibility if youd like to
combine study and travel, but bear in mind the extra costs this may entail and the
possibility that you may not find work in that country when youve finished the course.
An online course
In recent years many online schools have sprung up. These offer the courses through
correspondence. Usually you will receive work via email, prepare an assignment and
then send it back to be assessed by your personal tutor.
The advantage of online courses is that you work at your own pace, you can take the
course from any location in the world and they are often much cheaper than in-house
courses, typically around 265 USD (155 GBP or 200 EUR).
Some online schools also offer TP (Teaching Practice) by way of video, i.e. you record
yourself teaching a lesson and send the video to your tutor for assessment.
Arguably the leader in this field is ICAL. We have been offering online courses since 1998
and have trained tens of thousands of students who have gone on to teach English
around the world.
Choosing a Good Course

Whichever course you choose, here are a few ways of making sure the school and
certificate you take are worthwhile:
Check out the tutors. Some schools have one or maybe two tutors so you should
make sure there is a selection of tutors to choose from and that they are all well
qualified.
Is the Certificate worth anything? Do a little research and see what standing the
course provider has in the ELT community; read what other students who have
taken the course say about it; ask your local school or employer if they are willing
to accept a certificate offered by a particular school.
Is the school website full of adverts for agents or other products? If it is, be
careful!
Is the school fly-by-night? Choose a school which has been around for some time.
Where to Teach
After qualifications, the next step is deciding where to teach.
Although there are jobs going pretty well everywhere, there tends to be certain countries
which attract certain types of teachers. Although you are by no means restricted to
these countries, for a first time job its often better to go where others have gone before
rather than try out for a place which could be so alien that it puts you off teaching for
life!
This section looks at common destinations and who is working there. The links refer to
pages on the ICAL TEFL wiki which examine the countries in detail.
Europe
Due to visa restrictions, to work in Europe you will need a passport from a European
member state. In effect this means that the majority of teachers in Europe are from
Britain or Ireland 1.
The UK and Ireland

Jobs in these countries tend to look to well qualified and experienced teachers. Most
teachers here have gone abroad for a few years and returned to teach at home.
Austria, France and Germany

These countries tend to look for well qualified, professional teachers with experience.
Often jobs can be full time careers and students will expect high standards from their
teachers. Although you may be able to find work here, these countries are usually
destinations for those who have experience.
Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus

There is a strong demand for English teachers in many of these countries and it has
been the traditional training ground for teachers from Britain and Ireland although in
recent years the demand has dropped off. Having said this, there are still many jobs
available here.
1
Whereas citizens of European member states can live and work freely in any EU state, in order to employ a
non-European the school will have to complete so much paperwork that it often makes the whole process too
time consuming.
Asia
As Europe is the home to many British and Irish teachers, so Asia is the home to many
American and Australian teachers (not to mention everyone else!).
Work here is still relatively easy to find and there is often a high demand for teachers.
China & Hong Kong

China is the big emerging market in TEFL right now. There are many jobs available here
and it is big business with thousands of schools popping up to feed the need to learn
English.
Jobs vary greatly and although there are many good jobs, being a relatively new market
there are a number of fly-by-night schools and slightly dubious school owners. As time
goes on more regulation and consistency will come into play and things should settle
down.
There are already thousands of English teachers working in China and there are
communities of expats in most major towns and cities.
South Korea
There is a solid need for teachers in South Korea and along with China its a popular
destination amongst American teachers.
Japan
Along with South Korea, Japan is another popular destination amongst American
teachers, especially in the larger cities.
The Middle East

Although there is a good TEFL market in the Middle East, jobs here tend to go to well
qualified and experienced teachers. Pay is generally good (higher than most places) and
because of this the jobs are harder to get.
Although its possible to get work here as a new teacher, it is unlikely.
Central America and South America

Vacancies here are traditionally filled by North Americans although increasing numbers
of European teachers are heading to South America.
Because of trade agreements with the US, Mexico is a common destination but
throughout the continent there is good demand for teachers.
Deciding Where to Teach

Deciding where to teach can be a tricky business. Although some teachers have a
destination already in mind, for many teachers theres no one particular place which
stands out.
As far as getting work is concerned, for first time teachers a very general idea is that:
British and Irish teachers tend to go for Southern Europe
American teachers head over to South Korea and Vietnam
Australian teachers stick to South Korea and Thailand
Everyone goes to China!
Take a look around the world at different countries (click here to see different country
files) and eventually one place will seem more attractive than the others. Although its
not necessary to speak the local language, you may find it a help in your first job so if
you speak a little Spanish you might prefer to spend a year or so in a Spanish speaking
South America country where you know youll be able to get around a little from the
start.
How to Find Work

Once you have the qualifications and you know where you want to go, its time to find
the job.
As you might expect, most vacancies open up just before the start of the new academic
year. In most countries this is after Summer in September, but make sure to check
when your destination starts its new year.
There are also more vacancies after Christmas in the early new year. This happens
because some teachers decide that the school is not for them and go home for
Christmas, never to return!
But apart from this, you may well be able to find decent job openings throughout the
year if you keep a regular eye on things so regardless of when you are ready to go, start
looking for work now and youll begin to get a good idea of what is available.
Make Yourself Employable

The first step is to make yourself as employable as possible. This means:
1. Getting some sort of qualification to show the school. If you turn up without a
single piece of paper then it wont do you any good. At minimum you should have
a TEFL Certificate such as the ICAL TEFL Certificate to show that you have had
relevant instruction and will know what you are doing in the classroom.
2. If possible, get some kind of experience be it volunteering at a local immigrant
centre or teaching one-to-one lessons with the children of a local family who have
just moved to your country. Anything to put on your rsum is better than
nothing; and of course maximise it!
3. It may sound very obvious, but you also need to look the part. Teachers are often
highly regarded overseas and turning up at a school wearing grubby jeans and a
t-shirt will lose you points; think about what to wear when you turn up at a
school.
Once you are ready, there are four main ways to find work.
Advertisements
Check out online advertisements. The first thing to do is make a quick search for your
country of choice plus efl job and see what comes up.
There are also a number of good websites advertising jobs and you should take a look at
places like:
ESL Jobs
ESL Jobs Forum
ESL Teachers Board
Go to these sites regularly and begin to make notes about what pay and conditions are
like. Youll start to build up a picture of what to expect in the country and this also helps
to avoid scams.
If, for example, all the jobs you see offer around 2,000 per month and suddenly you see
a similar job offering 8,000 per month this should set alarm bells ringing!
Agents
Another tried and tested way to find work is through an agent. An agent acts as a gobetween finding teachers to work in schools. An agent may, for example, advertise
independently and find several hundred teachers to work in as many schools in China.
Agents can often be a good idea if you are a little unsure about moving overseas and
would like someone who can answer all your questions and help you out if things go
wrong. (Bear in mind, though, that they are employed by the schools so their first
loyalty is to the school and not the teacher.)
By all means write to all the agents working in the country of your choice and see what
their terms and conditions are.
However, there is one golden rule when it comes to agents: never pay a single penny
to them to find work for you.
Agents are paid by the school to find teachers, not by the teachers themselves.
Emailing On Spec
If you can find a list of schools in a particular area youd like to work in, simply compose
a decent cover letter and send it off on spec to them. It can work regardless of the time
of year as your email may well arrive at a school who has just lost a teacher and you will
be in prime position to replace them.
In Person
Many teachers have found work simply by turning up on a school doorstep when the
school is in need of a teacher. This is often the only way if you do not have the usual
qualifications to get a job.
Quite simply fly to the country of your choice and make a planned assault on every
single school you can find. It will often turn out that sooner or later a school will be in
need of a teacher either part or full time and will be happy to employ someone there and
then.
A few useful ideas here:
1. Make sure you have enough money to tide you over in your country of choice for
a few months in case work doesnt come through. And make sure you have a
return ticket or the airfare home if the worst comes to the worst.
2. Fly in to the country at the start of the school year; this is when demand for
teachers is at its greatest. For best hiring seasons around the world see here.
Plan it well:
1. Go to the largest city and get a cheap room in a hostel, for example.
2. Get the local equivalent of the Yellow Pages and get the address of every single
school. Mark them out on a map.
3. Start walking and take the first job that is offered you!
In other words, you go round to every single school in town and see if they need a
teacher. Make sure you have your rsum or CV to leave and contact details (your email
and a phone number if you have one there).
Applying for a Job

There is nothing wrong in applying for every single job you see, even if you dont think
theyll give it to you. An email costs nothing so sending out hundreds is simple and
cheap.
However, before you do this, youll need to prepare your documents. This is what you
will need to prepare:
Cover Letter
Rsum or CV
Passport
Passport sized photographs
(The school may also ask for other documents depending on local requirements.)
Cover Letter
Your cover letter is designed not to give everything away. It should be simple and to the
point.
This is the first and best chance to make a good impression so it should be the best you
can create.
The letter should be short and to the point. School owners and DoSs do not have time to
waste so they want to see without delay who you are and whether it is worth spending
time on reading your rsum.
The cover letter should contain these points:
why you are writing
where you saw the advert
who you are and what you can offer
why you want this particular job
ask them to consider your application
Dont, however, be arrogant in your letter and tell them how good you are and why they
should employ you. Also, bear in mind that the person reading the letter may not have a
100% grasp of English so you should keep it simple.
The idea is that the letter should encourage them to open up your rsum and read
more about you.
Dear Mr Li,
I am writing to apply for the position of EFL teacher at "China School" which you
advertised on the EFL Job website on 3rd March, 2010.
Earlier this year I graduated from Smithtown University with a degree in English.
Following on from this I took and completed my TEFL Certificate with ICAL. Over
the last year I have also been volunteering at a local immigrant center teaching
English to new arrivals in my country - a job I enjoyed immensely!
I have long planned to come to China and teach English (Im starting to learn
Mandarin) and I would appreciate it very much if you would consider me for the
position of EFL teacher in your school.
I have attached my rsum and look forward to hearing from you.
With regards,
Joe Jones
Rsum or CV
Your TEFL rsum or CV (Curriculum Vitae) is critical in helping you find work. It is likely
to be the first contact between you and a potential employer and thus is it extremely
important that it looks good.
There are 2 main ways to write a rsum: chronologically or thematically. The more
traditional way is chronologically and since most of the world tends to prefer
chronological rsums, this is the way we recommend doing it.
Design your rsum in several distinct sections:
Basic Personal Details

Joe Jones
123 Acacia Avenue
Greendale
Utopia DB5
jjones@icalweb.com
tel: 123 456 789
sex: male
dob: 26th March 1980
nationality: British
Be careful about putting an email address which contains a domain which leads to a
website with content other than teaching English or which may contain content that will
put an employer off. It is sometimes better to have a gmail or yahoo account for this
purpose.
In some countries it is not done to include your sex or date of birth; if you are applying
for a job in another country however, it may be acceptable there to ask these kinds of
questions. If you have a problem with this, then dont apply for the position in the first
place.
The reason for the nationality is obvious - it lets the employer know at a glance whether
there will be visa issues if they decide to hire you. If you have American nationality, for
example, you will find it extremely hard to get employment in the EU.
Qualifications
BA English, Smithtown University, 2010
TEFL Certificate, ICAL, 2010
Put the highest first and lower qualifications after this. This is perhaps the most
important part of the rsum; dont put anything here which you cant back up and dont
put here irrelevant qualifications. Your high school diploma is not needed since you
mention a degree which overrides it, for example.
You can also include here any relevant short courses you may have taken in your
employment.
Languages You Speak

English (mother tongue)
German (intermediate)
Mandarin (basic)
The languages you speak with your MT first followed by the rest in order of skill level. If
you can teach another language then by all means mention this as it may well increase
the chances of employment (your new school could use you to teach English and another
language or if you speak the native language of a foreign country this may help you get
work there).
Employment History
HelpCare Center for Refugees, 2010
teaching survival English to newcomers; this involved all ages and levels
This is a basic rsum; you can expand on the work you did at each location to let your
potential employer know the kind of skills you possess and the kind of work you can do.
Put the most recent experience first and dont forget to put down relevant experience no
matter how old it is.
Dont, however, include work experience which is not related to the job unless you have
nothing else to include here. If there are any major breaks in work experience try to fill
them with volunteer work or an explanation (e.g. you were travelling in Asia for a year)
because if you leave a long empty space an employer may well think the worse - that
you were in jail for example.
Additional Skills
computer literate (Windows/Mac, Office applications)
sports: blue belt in aikido, enjoy playing football and snooker
clean car driving licence
This is more about you which doesnt really fit in anywhere else.
Ideally the rsum will come out at about a single page long. The idea is that this isnt a
complete history of your life but enough information so that the employer will want to
find out more about you.
Check, check and Double Check!

Check your spelling! Once you have checked the spelling and grammar, check it again
and then ask someone else to check it.
And please, please make sure youve spelt grammar with an a and not an e!
The Job Offer

Before long you will receive, either from an agent or directly from a school, a job offer.
Dont be tempted to take the first job that comes along, since you have hopefully applied
to many, many jobs be prepared to wait a few days to see what else turns up in the
post.
The first thing to do is check the school online. Do a quick search for it and see if there
are any comments made about it on the TEFL forums. In most cases this will turn up no
results, but occasionally you will find a slew of negative comments which may make you
change your mind about the job.
But play it by ear; perhaps those comments were written by a disgruntled former
employee and are totally bogus. Alternatively, maybe the owner of the school has posted
an anonymous review of his school giving it maximum points!
There are other things to look at as well.
Contact Details
A genuine school will have no problem in supplying full contact details. Avoid schools
which just give a PO Box, for example.
Job Details
A good job offer will include all these details. If they are not there then make sure you
ask the school and, if necessary, have them written into the contract and confirmed by
the school.
hours of work including a sample timetable (look for split shifts which could turn a
5 hour day into a 10 hour day)
days of work - are you expected on Saturdays or Sundays?
classroom contact hours
wages
holidays
where you will teach (you may have to teach in different locations which can be
difficult)
accommodation details - usually the school will help you find accommodation or
will have arranged accommodation for you; however you will pay for the rent
how far is the school from the accommodation
is airfare included and, if so, when will it be paid?
what about health cover?
Dont sign a contract which has a fine for leaving early. This is illegal in most countries
and suggests problems at the school.
Also, contracts are usually for one academic year. Be wary of signing a contract for a
longer term unless you are very sure of the job.
Visas
Make sure you are clear as to the correct visa you will need to have. Also contact the
local embassy to confirm with them.
Its not uncommon for teachers to be brought into a country on a tourist visa and have
this converted to a work visa later on, but avoid schools which say you can do this when
the local embassy strictly forbids this.
Nice to Know
If you can find out these things, its nice to know.
how many other English teachers work at the school and can you have their
emails to talk to them beforehand?
all about the students (age, ability, etc)
teaching facilities
books used
students per class
will you be expected to take part in any extracurricular activities?
Trust Your Instincts

If after all this you feel that something isnt quite right, walk away from the job. There
are plenty of good jobs out there so dont risk everything if you have a hunch its not the
one for you.
Moving & Culture Shock

Once you have accepted a job offer and it is all signed and sealed, it is time to prepare
your move overseas.
First make sure your official paperwork and documentation is ready.
Then start packing:
Find out about local weather conditions throughout the year so you take the right
clothes.
Get supplies of any special medicine you might need (but check that it is ok to
take it into the country; sometimes what is legal in your country is not allowed in
another).
And then when all this is done, there is also another aspect to consider: Culture Shock.
This is the term used to describe the anxiety and stress people feel when they relocate
to a new environment. Its most obvious when moving to a new country where habits,
customs and language may be very different from your own country.
Culture Shock comes about because of difficulties in assimilating the new culture,
uncertainty as to what behaviour is appropriate and what is not, and sometimes disgust
or revulsion about certain aspects of the new culture.
Phases of Culture Shock

There is often an initial honeymoon phase when moving to a new country. Everything is
strange and different and is seen in a romantic or exotic new light. The food is exotic,
the people look exciting and different, the atmosphere is charged and so on.
But this is often followed by the new culture losing its freshness and a desire for your
own culture: food, friends, language, television and so on. The contrast of the old and
the new can become more pronounced and frustrating and develop into annoyance or
anger that things arent how they should be. This is the hardest phase to cope with.
After time the new culture becomes assimilated and most people find their balance. They
accept what they like and try to ignore what they do not.
However, since teachers often work abroad for a set contract this means that after a
year or so they may well move back home where the process starts all over again!
Coping with Culture Shock

Some people cope better than others with culture shock. Experienced travellers have
developed strategies for dealing with the changes in culture and this helps to make their
time in another country more enjoyable and profitable.
Before you go
Immerse yourself in your destination country; learn about the new country
beforehand - if you read about your destination before you go this will make it
seem less strange and intimidating when you first arrive; for example you might
read that the toilets are different which will mean when you first arrive seeing a
completely different set up in the toilet wont be so much of a shock!
Learn a few words - no matter how little you know, it will make a difference;
immediately you will have one or two words to act as footholds in the new
language. Especially important here is learning how to address people correctly:
the local equivalent of Mr, Mrs and Madam, for example, so that you can establish
some immediate rapport with people (even if you continue the rest of the
conversation in English).
Read about cultural differences (such as body language) to avoid the possibility of
offending local people
When you arrive
After youve got advice on personal safety, get out and explore the area where
you live. Spend time wandering the streets to see what is out there. Who knows,
you may even meet a few people on the way.
Use the same shops to buy your essentials so you can build a relationship with
the shop keepers - its someone else to greet when you go to work in the
morning.
Learn the basics and then introduce yourself to your neighbours. They might be
useful if you ever find yourself in difficulties.
Find the essentials in your neighbourhood: the police station, the post office, the
doctor, dentist and hospital.
Get into a routine. After breakfast, for example, have coffee at the same shop in
the same seat each morning. This will make you feel more like a resident and less
like a tourist.
Join a gym. Look out for any social activity and dont turn down an invitation so
you meet as many people as possible. If you have a free day, make sure you do
something with it rather than just sit at home. It doesnt matter what as long as
it gets you out of the house.
For more ideas on socialising, click here.
Help during problem times

If you do have problems:
Try talking to other people who have been in the same situation.
Make sure you have packed a few "luxuries" from home which can help: your
favourite books or music for example.
Take up a hobby: it doesnt matter what, but its something to take your mind off
the situation for a few hours be it fishing, knitting, building matchstick models of
the Titanic or whatever.
Keep a diary of your days. Write down all the new and strange details of your life
and then, when you like to, go through it and youll realise that those situations
which used to be so strange and frightening in the early days are commonplace
and quite fun now.
Conclusion
Teaching English overseas can be one of the most rewarding and satisfying jobs in the
world.
If you plan it well, you can live a lifetime of experiences in a few years, see places and
people most people only see on television, and make great friends.
Remember, thousands of people have done it before you and you can be sure thousands
will do it after you.
Here at ICAL we have amassed many, many years of teaching experience between us
and likewise many, many years of living in foreign countries.
There are so many tales to tell and so many experiences to share and all this happened
because each of us one day decided to go overseas and teach English.
Good luck!
Note, The ICAL TEFL Guide is an ongoing project from ICAL. To make sure you have
the most up-to-date information, please visit this link to download the latest version for
free.
ICAL is a leading provider of online TEFL Certificates; for more information please visit
www.icalweb.com.
If you have any suggestions, amendments or comments on this e-book, please contact
us on gen@icalweb.com.

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The ICAL how-to guide to teaching English overseas.

Deciding Where to Teach ................................................................................... 16

Who is this e-Book for?

Using this e-book

A Quick Word on Acronyms

Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Teaching English as a Second Language

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

English as a Foreign Language

English as a Second Language

Again, these can be considered the same.

English Language Teaching

Speaking the Local Language

An Undergraduate University Degree (BA, BSc)

A Note on TEFL Degrees

A Degree and a TEFL Certificate

No Degree but a TEFL Certificate

The general principles of language teaching.

Creating a Syllabus and a Lesson Plan.

Lesson activities and teaching methods.

Who Awards the TEFL Certificate?

An in-house course nearby

An in-house course in another location

Choosing a Good Course

The UK and Ireland

Austria, France and Germany

Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus

China & Hong Kong

The Middle East

Central America and South America

Deciding Where to Teach

British and Irish teachers tend to go for Southern Europe

American teachers head over to South Korea and Vietnam

Australian teachers stick to South Korea and Thailand

Everyone goes to China!

How to Find Work

Make Yourself Employable

ESL Jobs Forum

ESL Teachers Board

Applying for a Job

Passport sized photographs

why you are writing

where you saw the advert

who you are and what you can offer

why you want this particular job

ask them to consider your application

Basic Personal Details

Languages You Speak

Check, check and Double Check!

The Job Offer

days of work - are you expected on Saturdays or Sundays?

classroom contact hours

how far is the school from the accommodation

is airfare included and, if so, when will it be paid?

what about health cover?

all about the students (age, ability, etc)

students per class

will you be expected to take part in any extracurricular activities?

Trust Your Instincts

Moving & Culture Shock

Phases of Culture Shock

Coping with Culture Shock

When you arrive

For more ideas on socialising, click here.