Myths (and facts) about Teaching English Abroad

Teaching English abroad sounds like a pretty good deal. Get TEFL certified and you can earn a salary in foreign countries, meet interesting people, learn new languages and see the world. 

And yes, the hype is real. But it’s also important to separate fact from fiction. So with our huge Black Friday sale just around the corner, we’re here to address the common myths (and the facts) about teaching English abroad. 

Get TEFL certified this Black Friday

Before we unpack the common myths that sell teaching abroad short, there might not be a better time than now to get TEFL certified. 

If you think getting TEFL certified is too expensive, time-consuming, or only worthwhile if you have a degree, think again! This Black Friday, you can take the first step towards your teaching abroad career with our huge sale.

You can save up to 70% on our TEFL courses , and get an extra TWO free courses included with select packages! Save 60% on all of our courses, or 70% on our Ultimate TEFL Bundle ! 

So whether you feel held back by common TEFL myths or you’re ready to put a plan into action, now's a great time to get started.

❌ Myth 1: Teaching English abroad doesn’t develop your career

Some people see teaching abroad as a gap year styled adventure. It’s easy to see why – it’s fun, immersive, and full of personal development. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t lead to professional development. 

Plenty of people who teach English abroad as a career break or a post-university adventure, but it builds plenty of transferrable skills that employers look for in most industries.

• Independence : How many people can say that they’ve worked in a foreign country? It shows employers that you’re willing to jump into the unknown and put your skills and independence to use on the international stage.  
• Cultural sensitivity & adaptability : To live and work in a foreign country, you need to be respectful and sensitive to other people’s customs. It also shows that if you can thrive abroad, you can thrive at home. 
• Public speaking & communication : To be a teacher, you need to do more than just speak English. You need to explain complex grammar structures, lay out activities, and offer feedback to students whose first language isn’t English. These are communication skills that you need in any industry.
• Problem-solving & improvisation : Teaching is a game of constant adjustment and thinking on your feet – especially in a new culture. You’ll learn to adapt when a lesson isn’t going well, students aren’t focused, or your co-teacher drops the surprise that you’re performing in the Christmas assembly.
• Patience : Students often get frustrated when they don’t see results or improvements quickly, and you’ll develop empathy and patience as a teacher.

Read more about TEFL & transferrable skills .

❌ Myth 2: You can’t do anything after teaching English abroad 

Many graduates from non-education fields complete a TEFL course and teach English abroad. But others often worry that working in a field unrelated to their degree will harm their career. 

But again, teaching English builds valuable skills that employers value in most industries, whatever your next chapter looks like. And if you’re worried about what as little as 1–2 years of teaching English abroad might do to your career, listen to what former teacher and now IT expert Graeme had to say about his TEFL career and current job. 

“After I graduated with a business degree in 2006, I was desperate to travel and see as much of the world as possible. TEFL was a great way to do that while earning a living.

I worked as a teacher, manager and teacher trainer for 15+ years in Russia, Spain, Poland and Vietnam. When I was ready for a career change, I took a coding bootcamp and did lots of small code projects in my free time before finding a developer job.” – Graeme, website developer at The TEFL Org

❌ Myth 3: You need experience to teach English abroad

No teaching experience ? No problem, there are plenty of entry-level roles across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and beyond – just as long as you’ve got a TEFL certificate.

You don’t need experience because employers value training through TEFL courses as long as they meet the minimum hours, which is usually 100–120 hours. A good TEFL course gives you the foundations that you’ll need in the classroom, from receiving tutor feedback to learning about lesson planning, teaching grammar, and managing large groups of students. 

Tip : If you want practical teaching experience, we also offer classroom courses for more hands-on training! 

❌ Myth 4: Teaching English abroad doesn’t pay well 

Teaching salaries vary like they do in any industry. But there are plenty of high salary opportunities for English teachers abroad. 

While the immense travel opportunities might catch your eye at first, it doesn't come at the cost of a good salary. In countries like China or South Korea , for example, you can earn between $1,390–$5,300 / £1,045–£4,000 per month depending on your experience, location, and job type. On top of that, you often receive benefits like free accommodation, flight reimbursement, and an end-of-contract bonus, making saving up easy. 

If you’ve got advanced qualifications, you could even work in an international school. Or, heading to countries in the Middle East can grant you up to $2,100–$6,800 / £1,590–£5,100 per month. 

Even so, countries with lower costs of living – like Vietnam – can offer monthly salaries ranging from $1,140–$1,520 / £860–£1,150 , which is a high salary relative to the local economy, allowing you to live very comfortably and travel while putting money aside.

❌ Myth 5: If you speak English, you can teach English abroad

Speaking English and teaching English are two completely different skills. Just because you’re fluent in English doesn’t mean that you can teach it to English as a second language students. Being fluent is a great start but you’ll need to learn how to teach English as a foreign language by developing the essential skills through TEFL training.

❌ Myth 6: You need to speak the local language

You don’t need to speak Spanish to teach in Spain or Japanese to teach in Japan. In many schools, lessons are taught entirely in English to offer total language immersion for students. This also helps prevent “L1 interference” where directly translating the language isn’t applicable. 

But on the other hand, we encourage teachers to learn the local language, even if it’s a few basic phrases. This can help you feel more at home and form connections with locals (instead of relying on them to bridge the gap). 

Read more about teaching English abroad and speaking another language .

❌ Myth 7: Teaching English abroad “isn’t a real job”

You get qualified, find a job, plan lessons and teach real lessons. Sounds like a job to us. 

People underestimate teaching English abroad as a real job because how it’s marketed and how they don’t see it as a long-term option. Of course, there are plenty of practical things to consider if you’re planning to stay long term like your pension arrangements, visa options, and also you family and friends back home. But ultimately, teaching abroad is a challenging but highly rewarding job. 

Find out the different career paths in TEFL !

❌ Myth 8: You can’t teach English abroad without a degree

You might be at a disadvantage, but you can still teach abroad without a degree and an earn a salary. 

In some countries, having a university degree is a legal requirement to get a work permit for teaching. In others, it’s simply an employer requirement. 

For example, Cambodia is one of the best places for non-degree holders because you can still earn a relatively good salary and find employment. Taiwan accepts teachers with an associate’s degree, and you can even teach as an undergraduate or a non-degree holder in popular TEFL locations like Spain . 

If you want to boost your chances, consider volunteering or teaching English online to gain experience before teaching overseas.

The facts about teaching English abroad 

There are plenty of myths about teaching abroad, and we’d hate for any of them to put you off if there’s a life-changing adventure waiting for you. 

Ultimately, teaching English is a job that offers not just experiential travel but also a stable salary, career progression, and personal development. What’s not to like? So don't let common myths put you off exploring what's possible. If teaching abroad has been on your mind, this Black Friday is a great time to take the first step.

Save up to 70% on TEFL courses and get up to two free courses with selected packages. Find your course and start planning your next move.