How to Teach English in Africa
Traveling to Africa can be rewarding. You can go on Safari, experience the rich culture, and view many scenic and historical locations. The cost can sometimes be too much for a young traveler or even an adult to afford. One way to be able to travel to Africa and experience all it has to offer is to teach English there. This article will explore how to teach English in Africa.
Things You'll Need
- optional teaching degree
- funds to pay for your flight to and from Africa
- work visa
- passport
Instructions
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Obtain your passport. If you are not a resident of Africa, you will need a passport to be able to go to Africa to teach English. You can obtain the passport in the United States by going to any of the passport acceptance locations and filling out the application, paying the fee, and having photo identification and a two 2 x 2 passport photos of yourself. For more information on obtaining a United States passport, you can visit the US Department of State website (listed in the resources.)
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Find a paid position to teach English in Africa. The paid positions for teaching English in Africa are very competitive. To be able to get a paid position, you will need a teaching degree, experience teaching, and the completion of a class that prepares you to teach English abroad. One program that offers paid positions is Teach English Worldwide (website listed in the resources).
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Find a volunteer position to teach English in Africa. If you don't have competitive credentials for obtaining a paid position, you can still volunteer. There are many more opportunities. If you volunteer, you have to take a TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) class to prepare you, but you don't necessarily need a teaching degree.
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Obtain the money needed to fund your trip. If you receive a paid position, you will have to pay for your own flight to Africa and for your housing and food. If you volunteer, the program pays part of your expenses. For instance, one volunteer opportunity is through Working Abroad (site listed in the resources). With this volunteer program, you live with a host family. Many of your meals are included. You only pay for your flight to Africa and your transportation to the job each day.
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Obtain a work visa that will allow you to work in South Africa. For paid teaching positions in Africa, you will need a general work permit. The only way to obtain this is to already have a job offer and contract from the employer in Africa. To obtain the work visa, you can go through a company that helps people obtain foreign work visas. One such company is SA Migration International (listed in the resources). For volunteer positions, the organization will help you get the work visa.
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Find out all of the details about your trip to Africa to teach English. You need to know first if you will have to book your own flight. You also should know what date you are expected to arrive, what you need to bring, how you will get to and from the teaching assignment, and where you will be staying. If you are obtaining a paid position, much of this will be your responsibility. If you are volunteering, the organization can provide you with all the details.
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Arrive in Africa, ready to teach English. Once you have made all of the arrangements and you have confirmed all of the details, you're ready to teach! Most likely you will have a week long orientation to the process before you begin your actual teaching. You will observe other teachers to see how to proceed. Then, you will start your teaching assignment to teach English in Africa!
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Tips & Warnings
The more teaching qualifications you have, the easier it will be for you to find a paid position in Africa teaching English.
Make sure you know everything expected of you before your trip. If you have all of the details, it will make the transition into a foreign country much easier for you.
Before you go to Africa, make sure you get the required vaccinations so that you will be safe from disease once you arrive.
