Working in education and teaching abroad: what is it, why would you do it and where is the best place to go?

What is teaching abroad?

• If you are going to teach abroad, this can range from a paid job as an English teacher at a local school in Asia to volunteering at a nursery school somewhere in Africa.

Where and what can you teach abroad?

• As a non native English speaker abroad, you have the best chance of a job as an English teacher at a school or as a private teacher.
• For all other subjects, from music to mathematics, the possibilities are more limited.
• In addition to teaching English, there are also many Dutch people who work as a Dutch teacher or German people who work as a German teacher or French people who work as a French teacher. Not only at Dutch, German or French schools but also at foreign educational institutions where the language is offered as a study or subject.

Why would you teach or help at a school abroad?

• Helpfulness: for rewarding work you often get as much, or more, back than you put in.
• Involvement: it strengthens your sense of involvement with a group of children or adults who want to develop or need help.
• Experience: you are pulled out of your comfort zone and experience all kinds of things every day.
• Creativity: you can use your creativity well when creating or using teaching materials or lesson content.
• Empathy: you train yourself to immerse yourself not only in another culture but also in the thought processes of your students.
• Flexibility: you strengthen your ability to flexibly search for solutions for situations that suddenly arise.
• Self-insight: there is no better mirror for your own development than a classroom full of children or involved students.

What do you need or can you learn if you teach or work in education abroad?

• Being aware of your surroundings: wherever you teach, you will always have to take your surroundings into account. Every country has its own rules and customs that you will have to adhere to to a certain extent.
• Being aware of the organization: every school or educational institution also has its own way of looking at education or teaching. Here too, you will have to take more account. Just like with the limitations/challenges that some schools have due to a lack of money or facilities.
• Communication skills: knowledge of the local language is not a must but is a great advantage.
• Being able to be convincing
• Being able to shape planning
• Being able to radiate self-confidence

What is the best place to go if you want to teach abroad a volunteer or intern?

• Argentina: for example teaching street children in Buenos Aires
• Bolivia: from teaching English to helping at a local village school
• Cambodia: from teaching monks to helping in special education for blind or disabled children
• Ghana: for example teaching English or mathematics in the countryside of Ghana.
• Guatemala: helping with teaching around Antigua
• India: for example teach children from slums or women and offer them more future prospects in this way.
• Kenya
• Middle East: in many countries in the Middle East there are opportunities to teach English, paid or unpaid
• Nepal: including opportunities for internships and research internships in the field of teaching.
• Thailand
• South Africa: for example teaching sports in the townships

What is the best place to go if you want to teach abroad a paid employee?

• Aruba: working in lower vocational education, secondary education or secondary special education.
• Bonaire: teaching at a primary or secondary school in various subjects
• China: At the moment, more than 300 million Chinese are learning English. No wonder that most (well-paid) jobs in education can be found in China.
• Brazil: Many opportunities to teach within large companies and the thousands of language schools spread across the country; from small villages to the big cities.
• Chile: often has a relatively higher demand for English teachers.
• Suriname: for example as a teacher in the interior of Suriname.
• Italy: there has been a high demand for English teachers in Italy for a long time, for example in Rome.
• Spain: working as an English teacher teaching Spaniards who want to improve their chances on the job market.
• South Korea: for the more experienced teacher.

Are you properly insured if you are going to teach abroad?

• There may be several reasons why you need separate insurance for paid or unpaid work abroad, or at least check your insured situation carefully.
• Local organisations generally offer no, or very limited, insurance.
• There is a chance of accidents because, for example, you are doing work with which you have little experience.
• During your work abroad, the coverage of your local health insurance normally expires. You then need special insurance to remain insured against illness and accidents.
• Read more: Travel insurances and insurances for long term abroad - Theme
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