English as the World’s Lingua Franca

“Trying to figure out the best way to prepare for teaching English across the world? You’ve got two choices: The Cambridge CELTA and the Wild Wild West.”

Just a little web surfing on a site like Dave’s ESLCafe will reveal that there are so many English teaching jobs out there—but how do you know if the job is good? You often won’t, and that’s a big risk to take!

Simply having a certificate is no guarantee that any job you find will be good (although a Master’s degree significantly improves your chances). That’s why we use our out-of-country experience to make excellent relationships with excellent schools. You may have fewer options, but you can trust that they are good ones.

Programs outside the country gain from partnering with us, too. There are so many shady schools out there that the good ones have to do a lot of explaining to nervous first-timers why they’re great. We can tell a good school from a shady one, and we can provide them with serious teachers who care and have actual classroom experience instead of flaky tourists who show up unprepared and disappear without warning.

Degrees, Certificates, and Jumping In

TEFL jobs are plentiful throughout the world, but the higher paying, more stable jobs—like those at universities and private schools—require a Master’s Degree. A Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA TESOL) is particularly desirable and is often required for high-paying jobs in Japan and the Middle East. In Portland, you can get an MA TESOL at Portland State University and Multnomah University.

There are plenty of well-paying jobs around the world that require no more than a Bachelor’s degree and/or a TESOL certificate of some sort. China, South Korea, and Taiwan are prime examples of countries that have less stringent credentialing requirements in order to meet the high demand for English teachers. Portland State offers a Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) certificate program, and Multnomah University offers both a Bachelor of Arts in TESOL and a TESOL certificate. You can also earn TEFL and TESOL certificates through international training programs like CELTA.

Here’s the big secret…

If you’re willing to chance it and go to a city (even in Europe) and spend a week or two, you’ll likely be able to find well-paying work in a school or as a private tutor. Native English speakers are in demand all over the world, and many schools will hire you if you show up on their doorstep, seem nice, and have light skin. (There are racist and imperialist undertones to English teaching throughout the world, which is something P-P-T is consciously working to address).

Regardless of the level of credentialing you pursue, you will need hands-on practice working with English Language Learners (ELLs). P-P-T is the only practical English teacher training program with both accredited and non-accredited options to help prepare you for teaching positions around the world.

Of course, P-P-T offers no guarantees, but we can definitely improve the likelihood of a good outcome.