As an English-speaking country, there is competition for work from local English teachers, who of course already have the right to work in Canada. As a foreigner, it can be tricky to get a work visa for Canada, even if you’re experienced and highly qualified as a TEFL teacher. One way to get into the country might be to enter on a Working Holiday Visa, available to those aged 18-35 from a number of different countries. Once you’re in the country, it will be easier to find out about jobs and travel for in-person interviews, putting you on par with local applicants.
When looking for opportunities to
teach English abroad
, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal are usually the best places to find a multitude of TEFL opportunities, but any big city should be able to offer positions at most times of the year. Most jobs will pay by the hour and might only offer short term contracts. As such, to make ends meet, a lot of TEFL teachers take on private students in their free time. With such a large immigrant population, you won’t struggle to find private students. For more experienced TEFL teachers, or those who are skilled in another language (particularly French) there will be opportunities to apply to some of the best bilingual and international schools in Canada
.
Access English
caters for kids, teens, and adults, promoting small classes and great teachers. General English, Test Preparations classes and more.
Brentwood College School
is one of Canada’s best boarding schools.
Birmingham International Collegiate of Canada
promotes interactive, creative teaching. They teach IELTS, run summer camps, and a number of other programs.
Camp Canada
looks for summer staff who are aged 19-30, who are current students or intend to study within one year of the Camp Canada experience. You don’t need any special qualifications or experience. Camp students are aged 6-16.
English Encounters
is in Burlington, Ontario. Courses include Business English, Exam Preparation and Intensive English Courses.
ILAC
operates in Vancouver and Toronto. They seek talented ESL teachers with experience in delivering in person and online classes. To qualify, you'll need a BA degree, a TEFL certificate (which can be obtained through programs like TEFL courses in Canada), and teaching experience.
The Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC)
provides free English classes to immigrants and refugees in Canada. They have both paid positions and voluntary roles for native English speakers.
Find a job in
Nova Scotia
by searching on the Nova Scotia School Boards page.
The
Odyssey Program
seeks language assistants for bilingual, paid work experience. You work 25 hours per week and receive a taxable salary of $25,000 CAD for a nine-month work term. Available for Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada with first language English or French.
Oxford House
is a top-rated language school with branches in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. They offer courses in IELTS Examination Preparation, CELTA Cambridge Examination, English for Business Success, and more.
TESOL Ontario
has a jobs board on their website (as well as listing voluntary positions) including both casual and full-time roles. There are often roles for IELTS examiners so if you have experience teaching IELTS, this would be a bonus.