YES! You 100% can TEFL with your friends – yay! If you’re interested in embarking on a TEFL adventure with your friend or partner, here’s everything you need to know:
What you’ll need to TEFL together
First things first, what do you and your friend actually need to be able to TEFL together? Different jobs will have different requirements, but as a rule, you’ll generally need a minimum of:
A TEFL qualification
To teach English abroad or online, both of you will need to have a TEFL qualification. Getting TEFL qualified is super straight-forward and can be done completely online, plus you’ll be able to help each other through the course making it even more fun. All of our courses can be completed in your own time and at your own pace, so why not set up a study group and work through the course together!
When choosing your TEFL Course it’s important to get a minimum of at least 120 hour training from an accredited TEFL Course provider. Accreditation is key when you’re choosing your TEFL Course! Without proper accreditation, your course might not be recognised by employers when it comes to applying for jobs. All of our TEFL Courses are UK Government-accredited and recognised by TEFL employers worldwide – winner!
A native or near-native level of English
Obviously, to teach English you must be able to speak it to a very high standard. Being a native-English speaker will help you land some of the best TEFL jobs out there, but don’t worry if you’re not a native-English speaker. Non-native English speakers can still find TEFL jobs, it might just be a bit more of a challenge, but we’re sure you’re up for it! If you’re looking to teach English abroad, you’ll also need to be aware of visa restrictions, we’re coming onto that next…
Visa requirements
If you’re looking to teach English abroad, you’ll need to think about the visa requirements. Visa requirements vary from country to country so it’s important that you research them. You don’t want to get your heart set on a country only to get your heartbroken later down the line when you find out that you can’t get a work visa there. Depending on the country you choose, restrictions can be based on the following: passport held, age, degree status, criminal record, and more. We’ve got a full teaching English abroad section with heaps of country guides covering everything from requirements and job types to salary expectations and cost of living, check it out here.
Figuring out where you can both teach at the start of your TEFL journey avoids disappointment later down the line and it’ll help focus your job search.
Remember, because there are two of you, you both need to fit the criteria stipulated by employers and visa regulations to find TEFL work together.
Where can you TEFL together?
There are lots of TEFL jobs to be found all across the globe, from Italy to India and South Korea to Saudi Arabia. Finding a TEFL job in the same school might be difficult, but it definitely doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try! But, if you struggle to find out in the same school, don’t fear. Many large cities will have more than one school looking for TEFL teachers. Although you might not be able to work in the same school, you can still live in the same city, share accommodation and spend all of your free time together – sounds dreamy to us! Most major cities across Europe, Asia and Latin America have a high demand for teachers, making employment for you both much more likely.
Online
Struggling to find work in the same country together? We hear you! If your dreams are of travelling together, you can always teach English online whilst you’re travelling instead of finding a TEFL job abroad. Say goodbye to strict visa requirements, commutes to your school and long teaching contracts. Teaching English online gives you the flexibility to choose your own hours, set your own rates of pay and teach from absolutely anywhere in the world.
Tips for teaching English abroad together
Although finding a TEFL job together can be more challenging than if you were looking individually, it’s not impossible! Here are a few of our top tips for you and your friends…
Focus your job search
To be in with the best chance of landing a TEFL job together, it’s important to focus on your job search! Sign up to all of the top TEFL jobs boards, reach out to schools, send your CV/resume to everyone you can think of! If you’re dreaming of teaching somewhere rural or off the beaten track, it’ll be much more difficult to find work as a group or couple. Instead, we’d recommend focusing on bigger cities where there’s a huge demand for TEFL teachers.
Keep your options open
Although you might have your sights set on your perfect TEFL destination or favourite type of TEFL job, when you’re looking to TEFL as a group or a couple, it’s important to keep your options open. If you’re dead set on working at the same school on exactly the same contracts, you’ll be limiting your job search. Our best tip it to be open to the idea of working in different schools in the same location – in some cities there are hundreds of language schools so you should easily be able to find work in the same city.
Do your research
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – research is so important! You need to make sure both you and your friend/partner meet the job and visa requirements for any country you want to TEFL in and understand the demand for teachers in these locations.
Be aware of hiring seasons
Hiring seasons vary from country to country, with some countries even hiring all year round. Being aware of the best hiring seasons and applying at the right time might be the key to you both securing a job. Check out our blog on the biggest hiring seasons to give yourself a head start.
The benefits of TEFLing your friends
Jetting off an TEFL adventure abroad with your friends is super exciting and a once in a lifetime opportunity with heaps of benefits, here are just a few:
Shared costs
Teaching and travelling together means you’ll be able to share the costs of things like accommodation, bills, travel and food. It’s not just fun to do it together, it’s also great for your bank balance too – win, win.
Continued support
Quitting your job, starting a brand-new career and moving abroad is a huge step for most people. A new job, a new country and a brand-new culture can be a lot to take in, but having a friend there will make it all the more easy. Not only will you be going through the same thing together, you’ll also be a little piece of home for each other. It’s important to not fall into the trap of only spending time together though, to fully immerse yourself in the culture of your new home, get yourself out there and make new friends and experience new things.
Someone to explore with
We know solo travel is a dream for some people, but it’s not for everyone. Teaching English abroad together means you’ll always have a friend to travel with during your time off and someone to apply sun cream to your back – winner!
