If you’re in possession of a recognised TEFL certificate, you can pick and choose where to teach – provided there’s enough accommodation
As the world has opened up post-pandemic, it’s seeing a drought when it comes to certain professions. Certainly hospitality has taken a hit, as anyone in the restaurant or hotel business will tell you. It’s not just the UK, which is suffering from foreign workers leaving in droves after Brexit came into effect, and it’s not just servers and chefs who are needed. The English language market has seen a massive dip in those who are prepared to get back in the game and teach in person.
Countries as far apart as Australia, Malta and Canada are scrabbling around, trying to fill their vacancies. Some of the situations are pretty tempting too. New Zealand, for instance, generally offers reasonable rates of pay in some spectacular locations, which make for pretty compelling reasons to go there for a year or two. In fact, if the idea of visiting the Kiwis and taking in the outdoor pursuits the country’s famous for appeals, do turn to page 32 to find out what’s involved and how to make it happen.
“You could be forgiven for thinking there’s never been a better time to be an English teacher and you wouldn’t be far wrong”
You could be forgiven for thinking there’s never been a better time to be an English teacher and you wouldn’t be far wrong, but the shortage of teachers is matched only by the surge in student numbers, which is having a negative effect when it comes to housing, particularly in Ireland. Its pull – aside from being a beautiful country with welcoming denizens – is that it’s both English speaking and part of the EU, meaning Ireland is particularly popular with Europeans, and it’s now bursting at the seams when it comes to accommodation. Students – and teachers – are feeling the squeeze, from being offered sub-standard housing to being overcharged. Find out more about this on page 6.
It all leads on to the subject of native (NESTs) vs non-native English speakers (NNESTs) as teachers. While many non-English speaking countries still only issue work visas to NESTs, is it really that important to the students? A recent study has looked into this with some surprising results (see page 14).
This issue also contains the annual top UK language centre rankings. If you’re wondering where to teach, learn or choose an educational institution for a young person, it makes essential reading. You’ll also find information on which types of schools perform best and why, along with in-depth looks into how the English language teaching landscape has been affected by the years of lockdowns and country closings. Turn to page 17 to get started.
