| I have several friends who have taught English as a | | | | compare.) My friend took a job not too far away, |
| foreign language in various countries around the | | | | and I was able to see him from time to time. He |
| world. Some had no formal qualifications, while others | | | | taught for about a year before taking off to explore |
| did. My own experience has been as a volunteer. | | | | Costa Rica. While he was teaching, he had vacations |
| Here are some accounts of what we did, to help you | | | | which he often used to go visit some of his TEFL |
| consider whether this is something you would like to | | | | classmates all over Mexico. Some of his teenage |
| do. | | | | students were very diligent and some didn't really try. |
| A group of five friends, two married couples and a | | | | Their parents were paying for the classes. |
| single guy, went to Brazil. They rented an inexpensive | | | | I have one friend who teaches English to immigrants |
| apartment in Rio together, and they found work | | | | in the US, in a community college. At one point, she |
| teaching English at two different language schools. | | | | took a leave of absence for a year or two, and |
| They kept this lifestyle up for a couple of years. | | | | went to Japan to teach English in a university there. I |
| Gradually, over time, they all returned to the US and | | | | don't know how much money she made, but it was |
| did other things. One of them had experience as a | | | | probably quite good, as she was qualified and |
| teacher before going to Brazil, but the others did not. | | | | experienced. Her husband went along for the fun of |
| They had no training beforehand in how to teach | | | | it, not expecting to work. His only TEFL experience |
| English. This happened some time ago and it might be | | | | was informal - he was friends with some of her |
| more difficult to pull this off now without formal | | | | students back in the US and had helped them at |
| training. They were a great support group for each | | | | times with their English. He couldn't resist the good |
| other. | | | | pay he was offered for a part-time job in Japan, and |
| A more recent account comes from 2007. A good | | | | he enjoyed the work. |
| friend of mine came to Guadalajara and took a | | | | I have never tried to teach English for pay, but I |
| training course there. I was living nearby, and saw | | | | have done it as a volunteer, both in the US and |
| him quite often. The school he went to had | | | | during my travels in Europe, Asia, and Mexico. My |
| American, Canadian, and British students. Most were | | | | most memorable experience was teaching a group of |
| in their twenties, as he is, but there were some | | | | older Vietnamese ladies who had just arrived in the |
| gray-haired students as well. After the course he | | | | US to live with their children. They knew absolutely |
| was TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) | | | | no English, and it was not easy for them to learn. |
| certified, or as it is called, "TEFL initiated." | | | | Their favorite class was the day that we wandered |
| One appeal of this school, the International Teacher | | | | through the produce section of a supermarket. I |
| Training Organization, was that it would find its | | | | taught them names of things, and they tried to |
| graduates jobs in Mexico. (I am not recommending | | | | teach me the Vietnamese words. I hope they |
| this school over others. I don't know how it would | | | | remember more than I do! |