If you are a native speaker of English and interested in traveling abroad, you may not realize that you possess a commodity that thousands of people around you value highly. You know English and they don't.
Even if you have no training in language teaching, you nevertheless have the ability to spot mistakes in the speech of someone trying to speak English. You therefore could give local people what they need most: feedback. You could offer to give private classes in conversational English and help support yourself while living overseas.
Tutoring English Offers Benefits
In the long run you’ll need a degree in TEFL or TESL or a certificate such as the CELTA if what you’re looking for is a job in a school plus legal residence abroad.
If, however, you are mainly interested in prolonging your stay on some island paradise or in some ancient world capital and would like to supplement your savings with a part-time job so you can put more pane or tortillas on the table, you might consider tutoring. Side benefits could include getting your first practical experience in teaching as well as meeting local people who might open doors to a whole new world of experience. For these reasons, you may wish to start out by offering conversation classes for free.
Imagine you have just arrived in Fez, Morocco, after a jolting twenty-four hour bus ride which has left you utterly exhausted. All you can think about is finding a place to sleep...
Would you believe – under such circumstances – that within an hour you could get reliable information in English from a fellow countryman, not only about a good place to sleep, but about restaurants, Moroccan customs, and even how to land a lob within a few days?
The Teachers’ Room is a Valuable Resource
A gold mine of information is waiting for you in the teachers’ room at the nearest English school. Here, during the breaks between classes, you will find people who know everything there is to know about the country you are in, people who can give you up-to-date information on what local laws permit or forbid.
The people you meet in the teachers’ room will probably be happy to see you because they are often plagued by students asking for private tutoring by a native speaker of English. Usually, they have such a full schedule they can’t possibly dedicate extra hours to tutoring. If you have the patience to chat with several of these teachers during their breaks, you may soon have a number of students for private conversational English classes.
Finding English Schools Abroad
Locating English schools is the easiest thing in the world. Large cities often have a binational center and you can get its location simply by phoning the US or British embassy or consulate. In smaller cities, go to the desk of a large hotel, and ask for the address of the biggest English schools in town. Your informant may even be a graduate of one of them!
Beside teachers’ rooms, some schools, especially in Europe, even have a bar where teachers and students fraternize. In the very worst case, you can catch the teachers on their way out.
Information Local Teachers Can Provide
- Whether work permits needed for tutoring
- Whether a student visa allow you to work
- The going rate for an hour of tutoring
- Great places to visit and things to do
When you are traveling abroad, you can use your ability to speak English to make contacts and even supplement your income. Find the nearest binational center or English school and pay a visit to the teachers' room. With a bit of luck, this visit may open new doors in your life.
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