Teach English in
Morocco

Most accredited
UK TEFL course provider

Over 205,000
teachers trained

Learn to teach,
from teachers

Home ›

teach english abroad ›

Teach English in Morocco

Combining a warm Mediterranean climate with a rich history and fascinating culture, Morocco is an amazing choice for those who want to teach English abroad . Despite being just a small trip away from Europe on a ferry, the culture and cuisine of Morocco is totally different to what you might be used to. Eat scrumptious cous cous, rfissa, pastilla, snails, camel meat, or tagine dishes, and if you like getting inventive in the kitchen, you can buy produce and haggle in a souk (local market) and enjoy measuring out different spices to use cooking at home. Other fun ways to spend your time include going for a ride on a camel in the desert, or you can enjoy exploring Morocco’s centuries of history and its cosmopolitan culture – you’ll never be short of something to do in Morocco!

Being so close to Europe means that many in Morocco want to learn English to get jobs in businesses that trade with those on the continent. As Morocco’s economy grows, more and more people are looking to learn English. At its most northern point, Morocco is a mere eight miles off the coast of Spain, however, it feels a million miles away from the western life. With a blend of Mediterranean, African, and Islamic cultures, Morocco creates its own unique personality. Famous for its inspiring mountain backdrop, bustling markets, and romantic cities, TEFL teachers will never find themselves short of things to do and experience. From the many towns along the coast to the more mountainous terrains in the heart of Morocco and the Sahara desert, it offers a great variety of landscapes to stimulate the traveller .

Download our teaching English in Middle East & Africa guide

Key Facts

Popular locations for TEFL jobs : Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Agdal or Hassan
Average salary for EFL teachers : In Morocco, English teachers can expect a monthly average between 4,600 and 9,500 Moroccan Dirhams (MAD), roughly $500 to $1,000 USD / £410 to £820 GBP. Public schools offer stable contracts within this range, while private gigs and tutoring can bring in more. International schools might pay top dollar, but competition's tough. Remember, Morocco's cost of living is relatively low, so even starting salaries can go a long way.
TEFL qualification requirements: To teach English in Morocco, you'll generally need a TEFL certificate, a bachelor's degree in any field, and native or near-native fluency in English. While the specific requirements can vary depending on the employer and teaching level, these qualifications are widely accepted.
Prerequisite university degree: A BA degree is required for all positions (to get the visa)
Term times : The school year starts in September
Currency : Dirham
Language : Arabic and French
Teaching programmes : Private Language Schools, State Schools, Universities, Volunteering, Private Tutoring, Business English, International Schools
Age restrictions: Under 60
Previous teaching experience: Often required

While Arabic and French have traditionally been the dominant languages, English is increasingly becoming the language of international communication. With opportunities for Moroccans to work in tourism, higher education, and business, there is a growing demand for TEFL teachers. In fact, English is taught to children in schools form the age of ten. For TEFL teachers in Morocco, there are opportunities to help school children improve their spoken English as well as teaching English at an academic level to young adults in universities. English is actually a requirement for entry into university so it’s not uncommon to see pre-university students looking for private tutors or group lessons. As well as teaching children and young adults, you’ll also find yourself much in demand for teaching business English. Working in the public sector is often the better choice for TEFL teachers – government regulations give some consistency to the roles on offer, whereas if you work for a private company, it’s down to your employers as to how much respect you receive and what your working life is like. In public schools, the teaching style is still very much ‘chalk and talk’, so it can be difficult to get students to take an active role in lessons if they’re used to just sitting and taking notes.

If you teach English in Morocco as a volunteer, prepare to be met with scant facilities and a lack of organisation. Some volunteers report being thrown in the deep end where they aren’t given much in the way of materials for their lessons, and without a translator to help out, communication can be difficult if the students don’t speak any English at all. However, for a veteran teacher this sort of experience will be easy to handle, and for newer TEFL teachers the experience will be a challenge but well worth the effort. Volunteers in Morocco are usually treated extremely well by their host families, particularly in the generous servings of home cooked meals .

Requirements for teaching English in Morocco

Country	Avg. monthly salary	Degree required	Start of term	Teaching experience	Housing & flights included	Suitable for non-native English speakers	Age restrictions
Teach in Morocco	£400 - £800 GBP $500 - $1,000 USD		September				None

Download our guide to teaching English around the world

Living Costs

Like most countries in Africa, Morocco has a low cost of living which means that, with some careful budgeting, you can afford a nice quality of life while working here. If you’re planning to live frugally and save money to send home, do your research – Western Union stipulates that transactions are ‘inbound only’ and so sending money home isn’t easy to do. Morocco has a high level of unemployment, and you’ll certainly see signs of poverty wherever in the country you find work. Family values are highly important to locals, so don’t be flustered by personal questions such as if you’re married, how many children you have and where your parents live – this sort of questioning isn’t seen as rude in Morocco. When you make friends in Morocco, you’ll often find several generations living together under one roof. Moroccans are very friendly and so it’s easy to make friends – get chatting to someone in a restaurant and, in a few days’ time, you can easily find yourself invited to dine in their family home. For those who are doing well and who are part of the growing middle class, it’s an honour to have a guest visit and be treated well in their home. However, for those who are still living on the poverty line, daily life can be a struggle in Morocco.

Restaurants	MAD	USD	GBP
Inexpensive restaurant meal
Domestic beer (0.5 litre)
Regular cappuccino
Water (0.33 litre)
Markets	MAD	USD	GBP
Regular milk (1 litre)
Loaf of white bread
Regular eggs (1 dozen)
Apples (1 kg)
Transportation	MAD	USD	GBP
One-way ticket (local transport)
Monthly pass (regular price)
Taxi start (normal tariff)
Gasoline (1 litre)
Utilities	MAD	USD	GBP
Electricity, heating, cooling, water, and garbage (for a regular apartment)
Regular prepaid monthly mobile tariff with 10GB+ data
Internet (60 Mbps, unlimited data, cable/ADSL)
Clothing and shoes	MAD	USD	GBP
Pair of jeans (Levis 501 or something similar)
Summer dress in a chain store
Nike running shoes (mid-range)
Men's leather business shoes