TEFL courses and jobs for teaching English abroad

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TEFL in Indonesia

Posted by Erin MacKenzie - 11:03 on 08 April 2010

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Working legally in Indonesia requires you to be TEFL qualified – without a certificate you cannot obtain a work permit from the government. There are some schools that require you to have a university degree but generally the most important thing is that you show enthusiasm for the job during the interview and come across as friendly.

Compared to other South East Asian countries, Indonesia generally pays less but taking into account the low living costs, your wage will go far. If you live conservatively you can put a good amount of money away in savings or you could use your wages to live rather luxuriously instead. Schools tend to provide accommodation but it’s a good idea to check it out yourself first or maybe even look for housing allowance instead to give you the freedom to choose where you want to live. You should always read a contract thoroughly before you sign it – this is the same anywhere else in the world! You don’t want to be in a situation where you find out that you have actually signed up to teach Saturday classes as well!

Indonesia is made up of 17,000 islands and is home to 300 different ethnic groups – it’s no wonder that the national motto is “Unity in Diversity”! You may find that English is poorly spoken where you live and that picking up some of the language is necessary but good manners should mean that you make the effort regardless of whether or not you need to!
 
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Your Comments

Comment by Simon Bigwood at 22:50 on 22 February 2011.
I do not have a degree or teaching experience, will this affect my chances of gaining a teaching job abroad?. I am very interested in gaining a tefl and teach abroad. I would be willing to train and study while teaching to gain the qualifications needed to do this.
Comment by Amy Hanson at 11:35 on 24 February 2011.
Hi Simon, You absolutely can get a job without a degree or teaching experience. All of the jobs we recruit for on our site are suitable for first time teachers. With regards to a degree, it depends where you want to teach. Some countries like Japan will ask for a degree for visa reasons. Other countries, like Spain, do not require TEFL teachers to have a degree. Some vacancies will ask for a degree, but are really looking for evidence of an educational background. If you want to discuss your options with regards to what a particular country requires, shoot us an e-mail at info@teflengland.co.uk and we can give you some personal advice.
Comment by sarah mcgranaghan at 20:22 on 18 May 2011.
i was just woundering if i was to do this course, would i be able to get a job aboard straight away? O will i have to work for the experience. i have recently just come back for a 3month teaching voluntary in kenya would this help xx
Comment by Amy at 17:21 on 30 May 2011.
Hi Sarah, Yes, you can get jobs abroad straight after your TEFL course. If you check out our Former Student Stories section, you'll see many people who took our TEFL courses got work very quickly - within weeks in many cases. Your teaching experience in Kenya would definitely make you stand out from the crowd on applications. Any teaching experience is valued and experience of living abroad shows TEFL employers that you are less likely to be affected by culture shock. Do drop us an e-mail at info@teflengland.co.uk if there is anything else we can help you with!
Comment by Geoff at 19:49 on 14 June 2011.
Hello, I am a 51 year old fit male with an excellent education including a Business Degree and a Post Grad diploma in Marketing. I have held a variety of senior jobs in Sales and Marketing but now sadly find (following the bankruptcy of my Company)my generation left out in the cold. I am a person who needs a challenge and I simply love imparting knowledge and skills to others. I can see from your website that opportunities abound all over the World. Can you make some suggestions about where I should go and what I should do? I particularly like the idea of adult Business English (I have written a book about the Financial crash of 2007). Thanking you in anticipation Geoff Verrill
Comment by Abbie at 21:53 on 22 June 2011.
I'm only 17 but very enthusiastic about your program, what is the youngest age you can teach abroad? Do you think it is possible/advisable to be in university studying English and during the summer working abroad for TEFL?
Comment by Amy at 09:51 on 27 June 2011.
Hi Geoff, thanks for getting in touch. A lot of suggestions on where you should go would depend on what sort of place you fancy living in! Some prefer to be closer to home and work in countries such as Spain or France, where the climate is better and you're only a short hop from Britain. Others prefer to get a complete change of pace in a country like China, Vietnam or South America. For business English, many of the European countries are a good bet - we are continuously recruiting for the Czech Republic where teaching is mainly in corporate companies, and we've recently hired for business English in Paris. Business English is a popular option everywhere as so many people understand that English can improve their career prospects and international business relations. A background like yours would definitely hold you in good stead! If you'd like to chat about your options, give us a call on 0800 9 888 200 and our TEFL Advisors can talk over some options with you.
Comment by Amy at 09:55 on 27 June 2011.
Hi Abbie, thanks for your question! Our courses are open to anyone from 16 years and up. Individual jobs may have their own age requirements, but it is certainly possible. Teaching abroad is a popular gap year option, so the jobs are definitely out there! It's absolutely possible to work in TEFL in university holidays - we've got a large number of our former students doing exactly that!
Comment by Cary at 23:32 on 28 June 2011.
Hi there. I'm half way through a BA hons in England (native english speaker). Recently I've been playing with the idea of taking a year to do a TEFL and teach english abroad as I never took a gap year at uni. By the time I graduate I will have a UK Bachelors degree and will be 21. I have coached judo and gymnastics classes for years to both children and adults, I feel very comfortable in a teaching position. I also grew up in norway for 6 years as a child which has left me with a huge appreciation for other cultures and a thirst to experience more. I speak English and Norwegian fluently as well as conversational Sapnish. Do you think I would be successful if I were to do a TEFL and apply to teach abroad? As I have lived in a different country I also tend to pick up foreign languages pretty quickel. I'm really excited about this prospect!
Comment by Amy at 09:28 on 04 July 2011.
Hi Cary, thanks for getting in touch. Your background sounds perfect for TEFL! Graduates do have an advantage for jobs in several countries and employers really love anyone with teaching experience or experience living abroad! The worldwide demand for English teachers is huge, so I'm sure with your excellent background, you'd easily be successful at finding a great job abroad.
Comment by Claire at 20:12 on 05 July 2011.
Would it be ok to take the cheaper TEFL Course as I am already a qualified teacher. I have only be teaching for one year, although I have a BA degree in Primary school teaching.
Comment by Amy at 09:29 on 06 July 2011.
Hi Claire! Yes, I would recommend that you would only need one of our basic TEFL courses as you will already have plenty of experience of lesson planning, classroom management, etc. The only thing you might wish to add would be the grammar course if you feel you need some brushing up on the terminology.
Comment by Cassie at 20:02 on 26 July 2011.
Hi there, I am a lone parent with two children. I am very interested in studying with TEFL and working abroad with my children coming along too. I would send them to a local school or see if the school I am working at would allow them to come along. I am also going to be doing a degree before I would move abroad, as I am particularly interested in working in Indonesia, so therefore would also be learning the native tongue, if possible. So obviously I wouldn't be wanting to move abroad to teach for at least 3-4 years yet, but I just wanted to know if there are any other lone parents who have done this? And how did they get on? Over the next few years, I intend on doing quite a bit of travelling with my children, in preparation for when we do move abroad. Will this be relevant? Thanks in advance.
Comment by Mohsin at 09:35 on 09 August 2011.
I have MSc degree in Business and currently completed a 20 hour TEFL course. I am very interested in working in Indonesia, but I am unsure whether this would be enough to secure a job in Indonesia? Many Thanks...
Comment by Amy at 09:41 on 09 August 2011.
Hi Cassie, we have certainly had TEFLers before who have moved abroad with their children. Asian countries can be harder to get into than European countries due to the nature of visa restrictions. I would advise looking into the area that you would like to move to. You will need to contact the country embassy to find out about visa regulations. You can then contact local schools or councils to find out about enrolling your daughter. It may well be possible for her to attend the school in which you are teaching, though much of the work is available in private language schools rather than in traditional primary and secondary education.
Comment by Amy at 09:43 on 09 August 2011.
Hi Mohsin, the vacancies in Indonesia we have had require at least a 100-hour TEFL England certificate. You can upgrade your certificate with additional learning - check out the 100-hour online TEFL course.

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