Resource: Teaching English Abroad, 7th Edition

Teaching English Abroad and its sidekick, Work Your Way Around the World, are full of practical information, stories, and tips for people interested in working abroad. I saw these books mentioned in a regional guide book I was paging through a few years before I did my TEFL course.

Teaching English Abroad has chapters devoted to particular countries; the most on Europe followed by Asia. There are sections on training and TEFL courses, “red tape” or work visa procedures and the likelihood and practicalities of working under the table, the general climate for TEFL in each place, and contact information – often including email addresses – for schools.

The most recent edition was published in 2005, so it’s relatively current. Any number of books can talk about teaching, but very few provide the massive amount of contact information this one does. If nothing else, you can find names of schools to google.

According to Amazon.com reviews, some readers feel the focus is too British-centered to be of interest to North American teachers. Granted, the portion of the Europe section devoted to EU countries (which are in many ways off limits to non-Brits because of EU working regulations) is substantial, but in my opinion this reflects a reality of the TEFL world and is not in itself a shortcoming of the book.

Aside from the practical information, lots of readers of previous editions submit tips and personal stories, providing interesting and motivating accounts.