Teaching English abroad is a great way to fund an extended overseas stay by providing the opportunity to earn an income at the same time as travelling and living outside of South Africa, notes Rhyan O’Sullivan, managing director at the TEFL Academy.
O’Sullivan noted that tapping into the international job market exposes South Africans to more expansive pools of available positions in countries with better economic stability. At the same time, South Africa’s unemployment rate reaches all-time highs.
A Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate offers a chance to explore the world and see places many people dream of visiting, said Wits Language School.
“Even if you are only interested in teaching English for a year or two, a TEFL certificate opens up many opportunities. Teaching abroad is also a great way to immerse yourself in a new language, which can have significant advantages in other fields if you decide you’ve had enough teaching,” it said.
According to the language school, most EFL positions are for teaching General English – especially to children. However, business English and exam classes are also quite popular but usually require more teaching experience and specialisation.
“A corporate background is a huge advantage when looking at specialised English lessons such as English for law, English for Medicine or English for Aviation.”
The Wits Language School, as well as the TEFL Academy, provide an overview of countries and their pay. It should be noted that some jobs may have exceptions and that the following list does not take into account the cost of living in these countries:
United Arab Emirates
4,820-12,050 AED Dirhams (R95,640 – R239,100 per month)
Average teaching hours per week (hrs): 35 – 40
According to the TEFL World Factbook 2022, there is a great demand for English teachers due to the ever-growing importance of the UAE in the global economy.
“Generally speaking, the highest-paid ESL – English secondary language – teaching salaries globally are found in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the two biggest cities in the UAE,” said Go Overseas.
The Wits Language School detailed that the majority of job opportunities are to teach children English and business people English. In most cases, a bachelor’s degree accompanied by a TEFL certificate is preferred. Jobs are available year-round.
Living costs are high.
Japan
R35,718 – R44,450 per month
Average teaching hours per week (hrs): 30
There are many opportunities for foreigners who have a degree to find work in various areas of Japan because English education is now compulsory in all state schools, from primary right through to the end of high school, says the TEFL Academy.
A bachelor’s is required, and jobs are offered year-round; however, most of them are open during the September/October period of employment.
Oman
R31,750 – R65,087 per month
Average teaching hours per week (hrs): 20 – 30
According to the TEFL Academy, there are very few English speakers living in Oman. Therefore English teachers are in high demand.
“Many young Omani students or young professionals are studying English because they wish to travel or move abroad to work and study. This means that there are job opportunities in private language schools, state schools, universities, and corporate settings due to the oil industry,” noted the Academy.
A work visa is required in advance and a bachelor’s degree to accompany the TEFL qualification.
South Korea
R23,800 – R25,790 per month
Average teaching hours per week (hrs): up to 35.
Despite there being 43,000 English teachers working in South Korea, there are still many jobs to fill, said the TEFL Academy.
The job market is growing steadily with options for work in public schools under the Korean Ministry of Education or in private schools called Hagwons.
An E2 visa and a bachelor’s degree are required to work in South Korea. The academy noted that common benefits from schools in South Korea are medical insurance and flight reimbursement.
The TEFK Academy noted that in South Korea, the peak hiring seasons are February and August.
Taiwan
R21,800 – R34,720 per month
Average teaching hours per week (hrs): 25 – 30
In the capital of Taipei, there are many teaching possibilities for new and experienced teachers. However, it is required that an applicant have a bachelor’s degree, noted the TEFL Academy.
It is not uncommon that before you can start working, you may need to visit Taiwan on a travelling visa to look for work, as many of the jobs are not advertised on the internet. According to the TEFL Academy, Taiwanese employers prefer to meet in person.
Job opportunities include teaching children, university students, business executives or adults in public and private institutions.
“The best time to apply for work is either in summer or in February after the Chinese New Year.”
China
R19,800 – R45,640 per month
Average teaching hours per week (hrs): 20 – 30
The TEFL Academy said that there had been a recent move by the Chinese government to reduce the significance of English in university entrance exams. Despite this, there is still a high demand for English within the country.
Many wealthy families who wish to send their children abroad to an English speaking university, need private English teachers.
Common jobs focus primarily on teaching English for business, academic and general English.
It is required that applicants have a bachelor’s degree. March and September are the peak hiring seasons for English teachers in China.
Kuwait
R19,149 – R42,860 per month
Average teaching hours per week (hrs): 20 – 25
Although Kuwait is one of the smallest countries in the region, it is one of the most affluent areas due to the vast oilfields, said the TEFL Academy.
“Due to Kuwait’s large oil and financial industries, the main EFL – English first language – sector in demand is business English,” said the TEFL Academy.
The July to August period mark the peak hiring season in Kuwait. A bachelors degree is required alongside the TEFL certificate, if applicants wish to work and live in the country.
Qatar
R9,920 – R29,765 per month
Average teaching hours per week (hrs): 35
Despite Qatar’s official language being Arabic, English is widely spoken by the migrant population.
“Due to a large number of ex-pats in Qatar, most teaching opportunities will be in international schools, where qualified teachers are sought after and the language of instruction is predominately English,” said the TEFL Academy.
Jobs are offered all year round and most would be opportunities to teach children English or English for people in businesses, said Wits.
Read: How South Africans can travel abroad visa-free by teaching English – and how much they get paid
