Finding work as a non-native English teacher

Do you have to be a native speaker of English to teach English abroad?

Absolutely not! There are more non-native speakers of English teaching English today than there are native speakers! And many of the best English teachers aren't native speakers. Because they'll be able to remember learning the language themselves, non-native teachers will often be able to identify their students' problems more easily and be able to help them better. It's also often true that they'll often have a better understanding of grammar than a native speaker will.

So there's no logical reason why a non-native speaker can't teach English abroad. There are historical and colonial reasons why native speakers sometimes face fewer barriers when looking for teaching work abroad, but happily, this is changing.

Is there anywhere non-native teachers can't teach English?

Unfortunately, there is a small number of countries that make it almost impossible for non-native speakers to find work as an English teacher. South Korea, China, Indonesia and Taiwan (and sometimes Japan) are the only countries in this category. In order to get a working visa as an English teacher in one of these countries, you need to have a passport from one of the so-called "Big Seven" countries - the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. This is problematic for a number of reasons, not just because of the prejudice against non-native speakers, but also because it doesn't acknowledge that you can be a native speaker and be from another country like India, Nigeria, Jamaica, Ghana or Bangladesh.

So where can non-native speakers teach English?

All over the world! Happily, it is possible for non-native English teachers to teach in many countries! Of course, to set yourself up for success, you should have a quality English teaching qualification like CELTA. It can also help to have a certificate to prove your level of English like an IELTS certificate.

In terms of where you can teach:

1. East Asia: although South Korea and Taiwan will be tricky, countries like Vietnam and Cambodia do offer opportunities for non-native teachers.

2. Central Asia: growing economies like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are investing a lot in English and they are countries where it's relatively straightforward to find teaching work.

3. The Middle East: there is major investment into education and languages in all the booming economies like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman, and this is a part of the world where you'll meet English teachers of many nationalities!

4. Europe: in the EU, it is illegal to discriminate in hiring teachers on the basis of nationality, though lack of an EU passport may be a barrier! Turkey is a country where you don't need an EU passport or to be a native speaker to get a teaching job.

5. Latin America: like Vietnam or Cambodia, a lot will depend on the company you work for, but there are opportunties in language schools for all nationalities in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil and other countries across Latin America!

   
   
   
   

   If you have a passion for English and you'd like to live an exciting life teaching abroad, then don't let your "native speaker" status stop you. There is some prejudice and there are some barriers, but in general, the picture is getting better as time goes on and opportunities are opening for a life teaching English abroad for people from many different countries!

Learn more about CELTA

About the author:

Dr Connor O'Donoghue hails from Ireland and he started teaching English as a foreign language in Poland in 2003 and he became a CELTA trainer in 2008. He has taught and trained in Ireland, the UK, France, Italy, Slovenia, Macedonia, Poland, Russia, Kazakhstan and Vietnam. Connor also holds a Masters and a PhD in Education from Trinity College in Dublin. He has previously managed large teacher training centres in Vietnam and in London before founding DC Teacher Training.