5 TEFL locations you might not have thought about

When it comes to locations for teaching English, some places are incredibly popular. China, Japan, Spain - there is always interest, there’s demand for teachers, and there’s a constant stream of TEFL talent willing to live and work there.

Some TEFL locations are underrated. Think Latin America, for example; not as many TEFL teachers go there, but the ones that do tend to love it. Over time, the likes of Costa Rica and Brazil will become premier TEFL destinations, and it’ll feel weird that we once considered them underrated.

Then there are some locations that, for whatever reason, just don’t get much attention in the TEFL world. They might have amazing salaries, an incredible demand for English teachers, and a fantastic infrastructure for TEFL talent but… just not many takers. Why? Well, there are plenty of perceptions about countries, and misconceptions that, for whatever reason, seem to stick around.

Here we present the top TEFL locations that we reckon deserve much more attention. 

Teach English in Taiwan

With really good wages, fascinating history and an amazing cost of living, Taiwan is something of a sleeping giant of the TEFL scene. Despite its relatively small size, Taiwan has an extremely impressive economy, and its capital, Taipei , is an ultra-modern city with skyscrapers as far as the eye can see, and teaching jobs aplenty.

Where should I look for jobs?

The obvious shout here is Taipei. Taipei is buzzing with life and activity, with over 2.6 million inhabitants. A very multicultural city, Taipei is host to a range of nationalities, but with its burgeoning reputation as an economic centre within East Asia, the role of English in international business means that English lessons are in high demand.

Requirements

• You’ll need a bachelor's degree, in any subject.
• A native level of English is essential. Non-native English speakers can find work, especially if they have a TOEFL, IELTS or degree from an English-speaking institution. However, native English speakers, particularly from the US, are particularly in demand. 
• A TEFL qualification isn’t a visa requirement to teach English in Taiwan, but schools will look for a 120-hour TEFL certificate as a minimum.
• The age restriction for teachers is 65. Teachers between the ages of 20-35 are generally preferred. 

Salary and cost of living

Regarding a basic monthly salary for a full-time teaching job, expect to be paid about NT$50,000 – NT$65,000 (£1,335 – £1,735 / $1,700 – $2,220) per month. 

In terms of cost of living, Numbeo estimates that renting a typical one-bedroom apartment in central Taipei costs $660/£516 per month. Typically, utilities cost about $100/£79 per month all-in, and a meal for two at a mid-priced restaurant is around $38/£30.

Taiwan: A random fact

Two-thirds of Taiwan is covered in mountains . If you’re into climbing and stunning views, time to get yourself over there!

Teach English in Iceland

Whether it’s from your friends on Instagram or in popular media, stunning Icelandic views have become an increasingly popular sight over the last decade. Even with cheaper air travel, and the information age making our world a little smaller, Iceland has still maintained a lot of its mystique. Teaching English in Iceland , though, is very much an option, and it’s one we expect to see more teachers taking up.

Why Iceland?

With a high level of English proficiency, it might seem difficult to find English teaching jobs in Iceland. However, teachers with experience, high-level qualifications and - most importantly - a niche will find ways. Business English and Advanced English lessons are popular, as is English for Academic Purposes , what with more Icelandic students opting for higher education opportunities in English-speaking institutions. The jobs in Iceland typically pay well, and though cost of living can be high, you can still live a comfortable existence, enjoying all Iceland has to offer while working as an English teacher.

Where should I look for jobs?

The most obvious answer, and the correct one, is Reykjavik. About a third of Iceland’s population alone lives in the capital city, where the majority of educational institutions, language schools and businesses reside.

Requirements

• You’ll need at least a bachelor’s degree, preferably in education. 
• A TEFL certification. 120 hours of training is the industry standard
• Teaching experience is a must. At least one year of professional teaching experience is kindly looked upon.
• Business English and advanced English lessons are in high demand. 
• Work visa and a residence permit . Your employer should help - so having a concrete job offer before you head over is a must.
• Non-native speakers are welcome to teach English in Iceland. You’ll need a bachelor’s degree, a TEFL certificate and proof of English fluency, such as an IELTS or TOEFL certificate, to teach in Iceland as a non-native English speaker.

Salary and cost of living

Here’s some good news: teaching English at a state school in Iceland will likely result in a pay packet of $4,500/£3,315 per month. That said, newer ESL teachers should reasonably expect wages closer to $3,200/£2,500 per month initially. Want to tutor? Cool: you can charge $40-100/£31-£78 for an hour of ESL teaching.

High salaries! Great! However, Iceland can be pricey to live in. Per Numbeo , Reykjavik is over 10% more expensive to live in than London. There is good news, though: rents are typically 35% lower. Everyday costs are where things can add up: utilities average at around $87/£68 per month, and a pint of beer is about $11/£8.60.

Iceland: A random fact

Dogs and beer were, at one time, both banned in Reykjavik. The ban on beer was lifted in 1989 , but as for dogs, you need “permission from the municipality and {to} pay a registration fee”.  Rough.

Teach English in Pakistan

It’s somewhat baffling that Pakistan isn’t a more popular TEFL destination. In a country with enormous demand for English teaching, all the varied culture and adventure any teacher could want, and surprisingly good wages, you would’ve thought more TEFL teachers would head out to Pakistan in their droves. And yet, here it is, in this blog post. 

Why Pakistan?

Pakistan, a relatively new country (gaining independence in 1947), melds together fascinating aspects of Aghan, Indian and Iranian culture, such is its geography. The mix of these disparate influences has left Pakistan as an incredibly diverse and culturally fascinating nation, one that primarily speaks Urdu, but schools will teach English in Pakistan from primary school age onwards. With a population exceeding 200 million, that means a lot of schools and a lot of jobs for teachers.

Where should I look for jobs?

Where should you look for TEFL jobs in Pakistan? Take your pick: Karachi has 14 million people, Lahore has 11 million, Faisalabad has 3 million, Islamabad has 1.2 million, we could go on. There are plenty of small cities and major cities alike, and countless schools, language schools, universities, colleges and more. 

Requirements 

• For state schools, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree and a TEFL certificate. 
• In private schools, including international schools, you’ll need a degree, a teaching license from another country, a TEFL certificate and prior teaching experience. 
• For language schools, the requirements are less strict - you don’t need a degree, but you’ll need a TEFL certificate. 
• To secure a visa, you’ll need a concrete job offer. 

Salary and cost of living

TEFL teachers tend to earn a typical salary of 50,000 - 100,000 Pakistani Rupees (PKR) per month, which works at around $180-$360/£142-£284. If that doesn’t sound like a lot, but the cost of living - compared to countries like the UK and USA - is extremely affordable.

Want to rent a one-bedroom apartment in the city centre of, for example, Islamabad? It’s a mere $165/£130. Outside of the city centre, rents decrease to about $100/£76 a month. Utilities and public transport are also extremely cheap, and there’s loads of amazing, cheap food on offer, too!

Random fact

Given the incredible atmosphere at Pakistan v India cricket matches (over 100,000 people turned up to a 2023 meeting between the countries), you’d expect cricket to be the national sport. Actually, field hockey is the national sport of Pakistan . 

Teach English in the Philippines

If you’re looking for a completely distinct cultural experience, but a high level of English proficiency and an education system that needs English teachers, teaching English in the Philippines is an outstanding option. An archipelago of 7,000 islands, the Philippines a range of linguistic influences. English, however, is very widely spoken, with the Philippines ranking 22nd out of all nations for proficiency in the English Proficiency Index.

Economically, English proficiency has seen a significant impact. Loads of western companies have begun to outsource work to the Philippines , which has created a huge amount of economic opportunity. With economic growth comes, in the right circumstances, improvement in education; literacy in the Philippines rose to 99.27% in 2021, and it’s been increasing since 2010.

Why the Philippines?

Jobs, jobs and more jobs. The Philippines has a unique distinction in this blog post, in the sense that it has all the traditional TEFL roles you might expect to see, with the addition of major online learning platforms like Engoo . Language learning is big business in the Philippines, but it’s also a really stunning country with so much to explore.

Where should I look for jobs?

Big cities, as ever, are your best bet for finding in-person TEFL work. Quezon City, Manilla and Caloocan City are the most densely populated cities, and you won’t struggle to find businesses needing tutors, schools needing foreign language teachers, universities or colleges needing translators and teachers, and freelance tutoring opportunities. 

Requirements 

• A TEFL certificate of at least 120 hours is a must. Make sure your qualifications come from a reputable, accredited course provider
• Degrees are highly valued by employers in the Philippines, and are essential fora work visa.
• Experience is desirable, but not mandatory for solid, entry-level jobs.
• You’ll need a working visa to work full-time as a TEFL teacher in the Philippines.

Salary and cost of living

There are a range of factors that can affect a wage, but the typical TEFL salary in the Philippines is between £800 and £1,000/$1,014 - $1,267 per month. It might not sound like a lot for full-time TEFL work, but the cost of living in the Philippines makes that money stretch very far indeed. 

Numbeo suggests that to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Manilla city centre, you'll be looking at £450/$570 a month. If you prefer to live outside the city centre, rent can be as low as £230. If that’s not enough to illustrate the cheap cost of living, how’s this? A pint of beer is about £1/$1.30.

Random fact

The Philippines is the world’s leading exporter of coconuts. There’s not much follow-up information there, so here’s another fact: Karaoke may have been formally invented in Japan, but the first Karaoke machine was patented by Filipino inventor Roberto del Rosario in 1975.

Teach English in Singapore

One more fantastic TEFL location that not enough of you have on your radar? Oh, go on then. Singapore may just be one-third of the size of London, but offers a truly unique experience for any inquisitive TEFL teacher.

With an incredibly international outlook, and architecture that lends a futuristic feel, Singapore might just be the 176th largest country in the world, but there is more than enough culture and job opportunities to satisfy any TEFL teacher.

Why Singapore?

Singapore is particularly interesting from a TEFL perspective. English is the lingua franca, but Singapore is a multi-lingual city-state, with other main languages including Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. Geologically diverse and economically enormous - especially for its size - the country holds status as one of the ‘Four Asian Tigers’, alongside South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

With a robust health system and really impressive public services lending themselves to an overall fantastic standard of living. As you’d expect, the schools perform very highly, and the standard of English proficiency is very high - meaning, of course, that the requirements for teaching jobs are rather lofty.

Where should I look for jobs?

Without putting too fine a point on it, we’re not talking about a massive country, here. Singapore is a city-state. It’s crucial to find a job before you head over, as part of the visa process.

Requirements

• You’ll need a bachelor’s degree to meet visa requirements
• A 120-hour TEFL certificate is an absolute must, while advanced TEFL certificates in Business English , English for Academic Purposes and Teaching Young Learners will undoubtedly open more doors.
• Most employers look for at least one year of experience
• Non-native English speakers are welcome to apply, but will need experience, at least a bachelor’s degree and robust TEFL certification.

Salary and cost of living

If you’re able to find a teaching job within the state school system, expect SGD$1,500-$3,000 (£930-£1,800/$1,177-$2,280). Public sector jobs can come with huge benefits, including an allowance for accommodation, medical insurance, as much as 12 weeks of holiday and flight reimbursement.

Wages are high, sure. Like Iceland, however, there’s a compromise, and that’s a higher cost of living. Rents for one-bedroom accommodations in the city centre can cost as much as £2,700/$3,420, or £1,900/$2,406 if you live a little further out. Utilities can cost over £100/$126, but there’s some consolation - getting around is cheap, and so is eating at your average restaurant.

Random fact

You likely know about the famous night-time Singapore Grand Prix, or that Singapore is constituted of 64 islands. What you might not know is that in Singapore’s Botanic Gardens , there are orchids named after both Nelson Mandela and Jackie Chan.

The world is bigger than we think

Though, yes, the world feels smaller than it used to, largely thanks to the internet, there is still so much untapped or under-explored potential for TEFL teachers around the world. So many countries feel as though they’re overlooked, and while there are a handful of really popular TEFL destinations that attract big crowds - for good reason, we must add - you ought to know just how much of the world needs your exact skill-set.

We’re not telling anyone where to go, specifically. People have unique dreams, desires and attachments to certain parts of the world. Go where you feel you’re needed, and where you need to be. That said, as we hope we’ve illustrated here, there’s a lot to explore on this planet of ours, and hopefully we’ll see more talented English teachers reaching locations like the ones we’ve mentioned here.

Are you interested in teaching English, but you’re not sure which TEFL qualification you need? Try our course quiz today!