Where in Asia can you teach as a non-native speaker?
Many people believe that non-native English speakers aren’t sought after, or are unable to find English teaching job opportunities abroad. This is a myth. It’s absolutely possible to teach English overseas as a non-native speaker, so long as you prepare well and focus on the right areas.
There is a debated notion that native English speakers make better English teachers as they are almost guaranteed to have full fluency in the language. It’s certainly true that growing up speaking English as a first language will help to give a teacher a deep insight into how the language is used. Without knowing, they’ll have spent every day of their lives honing in their pronunciation to be understood by their friends and community. They’ll have built an extensive vocabulary based on their many years of education and the media they consume, and they’ll naturally know which phrases to use in different situations.
However, when it comes to teaching the language, native speakers can run into difficulties. By passively learning how to speak English, many native speakers find it difficult to explain the language’s extensive grammar rules to other people. They might also lack an understanding of the meta-language that surrounds ESL lessons. Furthermore, if they haven’t studied another language themselves, they’ll often lack a valuable insight into the journey that their students will go through.
This is where non-native English teachers can have an advantage.
You will have been through the same process that your students will be going through. You’ll understand the frustration of struggling with a particular grammar point, and will likely know of possible ways to help students that feel the same. You’ll be familiar with certain activities and games. You’ll also have learned the different terms and phrases surrounding the English language.
Schools will be aware of the potential advantages that you might bring as a non-native speaker. If you focus on areas where you could legally teach, and if you can show off your language fluency and potential teaching skills, it’s absolutely possible to have a career as an English language teacher.
Let’s explore some great destinations:
Now that we understand how non-native teachers can hold great value for schools around the world, it’s time to explore where you might be able to focus your attention towards. Below, we’re going to explore some of the most popular destinations for non-native English language teachers.
Note: Your country might not be included in this list. This doesn’t mean you can’t teach there. For this list, we’re looking at countries where you could travel to and teach as a non-citizen.
Great destinations for non-native teachers in Asia
Several of the world’s most popular teaching destinations are located in Asia. Whether it’s due to the exotic climate & scenery, delicious food, or generally safe societies, the fact is that these locations are some of the most popular for both native and non-native speakers. In recent years, some countries have started to set higher requirements for work visas (with some restricting access to only native speakers) but there is still a plethora of teaching opportunities around Asia.
Let’s have a look at where in Asia you can teach as a non-native English-speaking teacher.
Thailand
“The land of smiles” is one of the most popular teaching destinations in the world. Teaching in Thailand can be an amazing experience as you’ll have the opportunity to visit beautiful locations, eat delicious cuisine and interact with friendly and warmhearted people.
You could choose to teach in the mega city of Bankgok, or teach in the cooler mountain air in Chiangmai, or even head south to the islands if you prefer the feeling of sand under your feet after you finish work.
Degree: Bachelor’s degree
TESOL/TEFL: Highly recommended
Experience: Not required, but preferred
Vietnam
Vietnam is another hugely popular destination for both native and non-native English teachers. Whether you choose a larger city, life by the beach, or a laid-back town in the mountains, teaching in Vietnam can be an incredible experience.
Just make sure to get your TESOL/TEFL certificate authenticated before going.
Degree: Bachelor’s degree
TESOL/TEFL: Authenticated certificate required
Experience: Not required, but preferred
Cambodia
While the wages aren’t as high in Cambodia, the requirements for teaching English are more relaxed (it’s possible to teach here without having a degree).
This is an excellent opportunity to gain some teaching experience abroad, while also experiencing amazing rich culture and life in a not yet over exploited teaching destination.
Degree: Helpful but not essential
TESOL/TEFL: Highly recommended
Experience: Not required, but preferred
Laos
If you’re seeking a laid-back location mixed with vibrant culture, history and friendly people, then Laos might be just the place for you.
As Laos is still quite undeveloped, this is a great chance to be part of the early development in an up-and-coming popular teaching destination.
Degree: Not required, but helpful
TESOL/TEFL: Required
Experience: Not required, but preferred
Bhutan
Known for its dramatic cliff-hugging monasteries and palaces, Bhutan offers a chance to experience a simple life where happiness is the main drive.
As Bhutan is currently making a push to modernise their education system, ESL teachers will be in demand in the near future.
Degree: Not required, but helpful
TESOL/TEFL: Highly recommended
Experience: Preferred
Japan
Japan often shows up on people’s travel wishlists. As an ESL teacher, it’s possible to live and work in Japan, either in a larger city, on a smaller island, or in the mountains of the north. While they do prefer native speakers in Japan, it’s possible to teach there even as a non-native speaker.
The Japanese government runs the famous JET Programme – a teacher exchange scheme that works with countries around the world to recruits English language teachers for schools in Japan. You can see a list of participating countries here: JET countries list.
Degree: Bachelor’s degree
TESOL/TEFL: Highly recommended
Experience: Not required, but preferred
Nepal
World renowned for its rich biodiversity, tall mountains, and ancient temples, Nepal is a unique destination that many people find difficult to leave.
The country is working hard to develop and modernise, and while it has a relatively good standard of English already, teachers are still in high demand.
Degree: Not required, but helpful
TESOL/TEFL: Highly recommended
Experience: Not required, but preferred
Uzbekistan
A fairly young teaching destination offering diverse seasons mixed in with ancient gorgeous cities and a friendly & curious local population.
If you are into stunning architecture, then this might be the place for you. This is a perfect destination for people that are looking for something truly unique.
Degree: Bachelor’s degree
TESOL/TEFL: Required
Experience: Preferred
Sri Lanka
“The Pearl of the Indian Ocean” is getting more popular by the day thanks to its beautiful mix of natural sceneries like beaches, jungles and wildlife. Although wages are still quite low, it instead offers an exotic experience that is hard to get elsewhere.
Degree: Not required, but helpful
TESOL/TEFL: Required
Experience: Not required, but preferred
Mongolia
“The Land of the Eternal Blue Sky” offers the unique opportunity to experience the nomadic lifestyle up close. Sunny clear blue skies mixed with challenging winters makes Mongolia a destination unlike any other.
Degree: Bachelor’s degree
TESOL/TEFL: Highly recommended
Experience: Preferred
Kazakhstan
An often overlooked country, despite its large size. Kazakhstan offers an interesting mix of natural wonders, and bustling developing cities, making it a great destination for teachers wishing to experience a country going through rapid development.
Degree: Not required, but helpful
TESOL/TEFL: Highly recommended
Experience: Not required, but preferred
Kyrgyzstan
If you’re into natural wonders and the outdoors, then Kyrgyzstan could be a great fit. Known for its beautiful mountainous scenery, Kyrgyzstan is a hidden gem that is often overlooked. English teachers are in demand all-year-round.
Degree: Not required, but helpful
TESOL/TEFL: Highly recommended
Experience: Not required, but preferred
China (see below)
China is one of the most popular teaching destinations in the world due to the sheer amount of opportunities available. It has for many years been considered a little bit like the “wild west” for English teachers, as the job opportunities are near endless. However, as China is rapidly developing and changing, so are the requirements and regulations for English teaching.
To be eligible to officially work in China you need to gain a Z visa (a work visa). If you plan to teach English in China, then you should make sure that your job description says “English language teacher”. The central government in China states that teachers applying for such a work permit should be a native English speaker, with a bachelor’s degree, as well as submit an authenticated hardcopy TESOL/TEFL certificate (or 2+ years of teaching experience).
However, work permits are issued at a provincial level in China, with each province having some level of discretion available. It can be possible for non-natives to secure legal work permits for teaching English in China if their school or agency is able to have the application approved by the regional government.
If you are a non-native speaker with a degree and authenticated hard copy TESOL/TEFL certificate, then it could be possible to teach in China. However, you should ensure that your employer provides a Z visa (not a business or tourist visa) before you fly to China, and that your job description would be as an English language teacher.
Degree: Bachelor’s degree
TESOL/TEFL: Authenticated certificate required
Experience: Not required, but preferred
Improving your chances of getting hired as a non-native English teacher
The truth is that you’re going to have to work extra hard as a non-native speaker to prove your fluency and proficiency as you are also competing with native speakers. This means that you will have to find ways to prove your qualifications and convince your potential employer that you’ve got what it takes.
Here are a few examples of how you can improve your hireability and make yourself stand out amongst all of the thousands of teachers out there.
Get your TESOL/TEFL certificate
First and foremost, we recommend that you start by obtaining your TESOL/TEFL certificate. Although not every country requires you to submit one when applying for visas, you can be sure that the majority of the employers out there will request one upon sending in your job application. This is a very easy and great way to convince future employers that you possess the necessary teaching skills.
Getting your TESOL/TEFL certificate: To teach English abroad you’ll need to have an accredited and recognized TESOL/TEFL certificate.
With our 120-hour TESOL/TEFL course you will develop the necessary skills needed to teach English abroad.
If you haven’t enrolled in the course you can do so here:
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Take an English proficiency test
In addition to having a TESOL/TEFL certificate, and even a TEYL certificate, it can also be good to make sure that you can present a IELTS/TOEFL certificate to prove your fluency.
This is an excellent way for you to showcase that you’ve mastered the English language and possess the necessary proficiency to teach it to others, especially if you are a non-native speaker.
Build up your teaching experience
If you wish to go for the higher paid teaching jobs, then you are most likely going to have to prove that you have prior teaching experience. This is no different from any other job or industry out there, where experience = better opportunities of higher salaries.
If you are a new teacher just starting out, then don’t let this get you down. There are several ways you can gather teaching experience before setting out on your next teaching adventure abroad.
One excellent way to do this is to start volunteer teaching. Not only are you doing a good deed, but you are also able to gather teaching experience. Whether it is at a local community center, at local charities, or even abroad, volunteering is a great way to show that you have prior classroom teaching experience, which in turn can help improve your chances of employment tremendously.
Another way is to start tutoring private students. It can be students looking to improve their English for upcoming test, your tutoring people in your local community
Whichever you decide on, just make sure that the volunteering you do goes in line with the kind of teaching job you wish to have later on.
Teach online to start with
If you feel that all of this preparation for going abroad seems too complicated, then you also have the option to teach English online. Teaching English online is a great way to earn money while working from the comfort of your own home. You are also able to teach and interact with people from all over the world, making it a very good option for curious people interested in other cultures.
Teaching English online can also be a great way to gain some teaching experience before going abroad and launching your overseas teaching career.
If you are interested in finding out more about how you can maximise your earnings as an online teaching teacher, then we have just the stuff for you!
Get TEYL certified
Young learners make up the majority of ESL classes around the world. This means that if you’ve put in the extra effort to get TEYL certified, in addition to having your TESOL/TEFL certificate, then you’ll be able to drastically increase chances of finding teaching jobs around the world. It is also an excellent way to show potential employers that you are serious about your teaching career, as you’ve been investing extra time and resources into getting additional certification.
Get your TEYL certification:
Developing your teaching skills with a TEYL certificate is a great way to show employers that you have the additional training needed to teach English to young learners.
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Work on building an upbeat and enthusiastic personality when teaching
One very important thing that is often listed in job postings is the requirement to have a positive and enthusiastic personality when teaching. This is especially important if you are teaching young learners. Although it might feel unnatural for some, we highly recommend that you start practicing as soon as possible. It is the same as with any other job where you might be required to act a certain way/live up to a certain professional standard. Being able to quickly change into your upbeat and charismatic “teaching mode” is a very useful skill to possess.
Consider if a degree could help
This can be a make it or break kind of moment for a lot of teachers out there when trying to get hired. Depending on which country you wish to teach in, you might face certain roadblocks. One of the major ones is the requirement of degrees. Some countries will require you to have a degree to be eligible to teach.
Although quite the undertaking, both time and cost wise, but if you are able to pursue a degree, then not only will you be eligible to teach in several more countries, but you might also end up venturing into a completely different field of work. Having a degree simply opens up more doors for you, whether it is English teaching or other professions.
Create a professional CV, Introduction video and Demo class video.
Having a neat and professional looking CV can make all the difference when applying for jobs abroad. It is also good to have a well structured and planned introduction video and demo class for when you apply for jobs. Not only will employers be able to observe how you teach and carry yourself, but it is also an excellent way to stand out amongst the thousands of teachers that are applying for the same position.
To help you get started, we suggest that you have a look at our Ultimate CV guide for English teachers.
Summary
As you can see by now, there are plenty of opportunities out there for you non-native speakers. As long as you prepare well enough ahead and always strive to improve yourself and develop your skills, then you have excellent chances of finding work as an English teacher abroad. Just keep in mind that the more qualified you are, the more likely you are to find a better teaching position with higher pay. Don’t let the lax requirements set by many of the governments trick you into thinking you don’t need certificates, degrees or teaching experience. While it is possible to teach without any one these, you’ll quickly discover that the pay will also be very low. If you really want to find great teaching opportunities with high pay, then you’ll also have to invest some time and money into your own education.
Which country would you like to teach in? Leave a comment below!
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