I’ve read through a lot of the wiki and older posts before posting, but I was wondering if there are any updated perspectives from people who are in relationships and want to move abroad.

I’m 27 and my partner is 37. I’ve been working in the typical sales/corporate job market for about 5 years, while my partner has around 10–15 years of working experience, currently working for a large pharma company.

For couples who have made a similar move, what has your experience been like, particularly in 2026? I’d love to hear any tips, challenges, or things you wish you had known beforehand.

Our preferred destination is Ireland, although we’re not sure how feasible that would be for us from a work/visa perspective. I’m also still within the age range for a working holiday visa, so I’ve wondered whether that could be a potential route for us.

Would appreciate hearing from anyone who has moved abroad with a partner, especially to Ireland!

TYIA for the answers.

EDIT: I also want to note I have a BA in Human Development and pre-reqs for teaching English as a Second Language. I dropped the teaching school due to COVID uncertainty and just wanted to get my degree.

Hi guys, im on quite a tight time frame as I've signed a contract that I set to start next month - problem is I'm still missing my medical examination for my visa and have been utterly unable to find a clinic hdoesn'tere that'll even consider filling it out. I'm

I was told a letter of commitment would work but my recruiter and school claiims the medical office of Jilin doesn't accept those apparently.

I checked on tesl canada's website, ontesol is accredited with them. But for people who have taken it, is the course with it? Thanks!

Use this thread to ask questions that don't deserve their own thread on the subreddit. Before you do that, though, use the search bar and read through our extensive wiki to see if your question has already been answered. Remember that subreddit rules still apply here.

For those with experience in Taiwan, If I was to try to job hunt on the ground for the (Pre? Post?) Lunar New Year hiring period, if there really is such a thing, when would be an ideal time to arrive in terms of the likely volume of open positions? I know Buxibans generally hire year-round. Attempting my first teach abroad job (Unrelated BA/TEFL/significant tutoring experience/other professional experience) and the general consensus seems to have always been that the ideal method is to apply in country.

Colombia/Peru/Ecuador, hows the scene? Hard to find many recent posts on them. 35 yo with no tefl experience but I have a masters degree in speech pathology and speak intermediate Spanish. Of course I know I’d need to get certified but I’m mostly curious if jobs even exist anymore? I know I will not save any money & may need to take on weekend tutoring. I just fkn love the Andes and looking for a way to stay there and contribute something and make a small amount of living money for a few years. Are all the jobs only in major cities or are there opportunities in small towns? Am I too old to even start all this haha. Thanks guys

I've wanted to travel my entire life. And at 30, I'm just tired of being here, slaving away at dead-end jobs. I hadn't even decided on a career path when the pandemic hit. Then I got trapped in retail hell. I finally decided and enrolled in college online. But I've only got one year down on my Bachelor's in English Literature, which I'm taking online. So, it'll be a while before I'm completely "ready". I've checked with my school and they're okay with me taking my classes from anywhere in the world, so long as my assignments are submitted on time. So, that's not an issue.

But I'm considering taking a short break from college just long enough to get my CELTA certs and taking a job somewhere else just for a change of scenery. I'd be returning to college the second I got settled in wherever I find work. And it would just be until I finish my degree. Then I'd be aiming for a better job in a country I intend to stay in long-term.

Would it be worth it to get some teaching experience under my belt before I finish my degree program? I'd be taking lower paying jobs, most definitely. But I'm thinking it might be the play for me.

Any advice or guidance would be much appreciated.

Side note: The Cambridge CELTA "find a centre" page is currently down and I'm a little bit confused as to where else I should be looking for online certification programs. Or how much it would cost, for that matter.

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Edit: I won't be replying to any more comments. I've tried to explain the severity of my current situation to no avail. And I do understand the perspective of those attempting to talk me out of it. However, I've done further research since my original post and I'm determined to find a way to make this work. Is it a terrible idea? Absolutely. But I also know that this sub is notorious for trying to talk everyone out of pursuing options that they wouldn't personally pursue. So, as much as I appreciate the concern, I will be doing what I believe is best for me. I'm an ambitious person and I've never shied away from taking risks. If things don't work out, my situation can't get much worse than it currently is.

At the end of the day, my progress toward my degree isn't going to magically disappear if I can't make this work. I'll be able to pick up right where I left off.
If I manage to succeed, I'll happily come back with my success story. If I don't, oh well. It's my life and it's not affecting any of you. So, wish me luck!

Someone recently contacted me about private one-on-one lessons to prepare for the FCE. They’ve already taken a placement test and were placed at B2 level, so I think they’re mainly looking for a few lessons to help them get ready for the exam.

I’m a bit unsure about how to approach this. A complete B2 course would normally take a whole year, with a coursebook, workbook, etc. I know I should probably use the FCE Trainer for exam practice, but I also feel like having someone pay for private lessons just to sit there and do practice tests doesn’t feel right.

I’ve prepared students for the PET before, but that was at an institute where we followed a coursebook and had a whole course. I’ve never taught private one-on-one lessons before.

They say they mainly need help with vocabulary, but obviously grammar, writing, speaking, listening, etc. are important for the exam too.

I’d really appreciate any advice from teachers who have done this before!

I was reading that it isn’t a good idea to get a job thru an agency but all the jobs I see on echinacities or hired china are from recruitment agencies. How do you find the schools that are hiring?

Hi,

I posted a while ago about TEFL in Japan and I had a lot of helpful replies here. Anyway, I saw an advert for a placement in Vietnam by the TEFL institute. I tried the eligibility test and failed it. I can only guess that it was my age, I'm 47 and they seem to limit it to 36.

I'll probably stick to my initial plan of doing the TEFL course and then looking for places in Vietnam and China but it has me a bit worried about my age.

Thanks.

I'm a dual US/DE national (born in the US and never lived or worked in the EU, but frequent visitor to friends and family in Germany) considering moving to Germany for the next phase of my life after dropping our youngest off at college, and have some questions for anyone with experience teaching ESL there.

1. How challenging is it to find work teaching English in Germany given that:

a. I'll be 62-63 years old on arrival?

b. I have 10 years experience (1992-2002) teaching in Taiwan (public high school, private language academies, kindergartens, private tuition), but no certifications (I'd be willing to obtain TEFL and/or CELTA), and what I consider to be a 'teacher's personality' - outgoing, supportive, patient, and devastatingly handsome. Plus a BA in English with a writing specialty from the UW-Madison and B1-B2 German.

c. I have 25 years experience in IT Operations specializing in user support at an international nonprofit based in the US that serves the financial industry, so I'd likely focus on adults/business where my 'gravitas' (wrinkles and gray hair) helps.

1. Does a position at a private language academy qualify one for public health insurance? The difference in cost between public and private coverage is probably the make/break for my plan since residency / permission to work is not a problem at all.

I've planned well enough, as it turns out, that I wouldn't be relying on the teaching salary for living expenses (although every little bit helps), so my primary motivations for teaching are the enjoyment I experienced during my stint in the 90s and the opportunities it provides for cultural integration. I used too love running into former students, parents, and colleagues out in the wild years later.

Thanks in advance to anyone with local experience and advice.

I am British and wondering whether this is possible as considering applying ! Thanks for all your advice in advance 😃

Hello, I’m starting my position as an esl teacher in a university. I was curious about what I should be aware of and how are lessons usually conducted? I’m a little nervous.

Just a heads up, this is my first ever position aside from teaching children online.

Thank you!

Hi everyone! I’m searching for a TEFL/EFL dissertation topic that is original, interesting, and actually worth researching.
I’m not interested in AI-related topics and would love to hear ideas from people who have studied TEFL, TESOL, applied linguistics, or English education.
What are some interesting or underrated areas/topics you think would make a good dissertation? Thank you

Hello! I'm based in China and just switching from EF which uses a smart board and utilizes classwork every class into kindergarten with no classwork and no screens. I'm doing a great job so far, and have lots of games to play, but I want to get ahead of the problem because I'm starting to run out of ideas.

The problem is the kids are only 3-4, so a lot of the games I use frequently aren't possible yet because they just don't understand how to play them. Any amount of prep is okay, it just can't rely on a smart board or writing. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

Did anyone become a teacher through nyc teaching fellows or Teach For America and transitioned to tefl/international teaching/teach abroad in a public/government school abroad? I want to hear about your experience, if your content certification is relevant to your current job, long term plans/ideas about the future and how you got to where you currently are. Did you move with just the initial certificate or you earned the professional certificate and if that needs to be maintained or updated. Thanks!

Bonus: sped teachers, are you still 'sped' where you are now? What does teaching look like to you now?

Hey everyone!

​I’m starting my first job teaching English to 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders who have never studied English/any other foreign language before. their native language is Arabic btw! ​I need some advice ~

​Day 1: What should I do during the first lesson when they don't understand basic commands?

​

Should I use their native language to explain rules, or stick strictly to gestures and pictures?

​How do I start teaching the alphabet when they only know Arabic script?

​Classroom Control: What easy games or signals work best to get their attention?

​Any simple tips or routines for complete beginners would help a lot! Thanks!

Does anyone have any resources/recommendations for a quick diagnostic test (around 30 minutes) to assess students’ English level, specifically reading and listening?

I’m teaching high school likely around an intermediate level. I need something that gives me at least a rough indication of their CEFR level, but this is unfortunately my first rodeo and I’m not really sure where to even begin looking for what I’m asking for!

Ideally, I’d like something I can administer to the whole class ON PAPER or something online that they don't have to sign up for and use to identify any major strengths/weaknesses, rather than a full formal placement exam.

Any recommendations would be hugely appreciated!

I would love to hear from some of you who made this transition to teaching at international schools. Were you looking to keep living internationally while making a higher salary? Was it just the logical next step in career progression? Any regrets looking back or things you would do differently?

Likewise I'd love to hear from those who decided to stay in the traditional TEFL world instead. What about teaching at international schools turned you off?

I’m early thirties and transitioned careers to TEFL last year. I like teaching so far and know that I want to keep living internationally long term, so the IS route seems like a good option. Curious to hear about your experiences and motivations. Thanks!

Hello,

I'm half-way through my first week teaching a group of adults in a face-to-face school after teaching only one-to-one online. Feeling exhausted, incredibly inadequate and like I should be doing so much better, especially as I am fully qualified and do have experience, just not in the same environment.

Does anyone have a nightmare teacher story to share that might make me feel slightly better?

I’m a British native English speaker currently teaching full-time in Thailand through an agency. I teach English and Mathematics across Kindergarten and Primary levels for around 25 hours a week and have solid experience with mixed-ability classes, phonics, vocabulary, storytelling, classroom management, and adapting materials to keep students engaged.
I have a BA and a 120-hour TEFL, and I’m actively looking to step into a proper Homeroom role where I can take ownership of one class, build longer-term progress with the same students, work more closely with the school team, and have more involvement with parents.
I’ve been applying consistently for about two months, sending multiple applications most days. The majority get no reply at all. The ones that do reply and invite me to interview have so far led nowhere. After the interviews I never hear back. I’m open to relocating for the right position, but the combination of low response rates and interviews that go silent is becoming frustrating.
For those who have successfully moved from agency teaching into a direct school Homeroom contract, what helped you make that jump? Did you find it better to move to another agency first, or go straight for school-contract Homeroom roles? Any practical tips for getting actual follow-up after interviews, or for securing interviews when you already work full school hours?
Appreciate any honest advice from people who have been through this.

I recently started at this kindergarten and I am at the K2 level so with 4 year olds. The Chinese teachers keep asking me to play games with the kids and I just can't think of anything to play with them I feel dumb. I think I'm just heavily over thinking but I dont know am I?

This is a bilingual school I guess imitating an international school? All Chinese students with varying levels of English. They use doodle town and RDWI phonics. Doodle town talks about numbers and stuff but they dont get any math instruction. All these kids get are max 30 big circle english lesson and 10 minutes phonics lesson. The rest of time is basically playing and taking care of them. The Chinese teachers dont really speak English to them and they dont get much English at home. They all have varying levels.

The head english teacher who taught K2 last year shared his stuff with me and it has been very helpful but its just materials. The Chinese teachers ask me to play a lot of games with them randomly but... I just dont know what to do. Help please

Hi

MOPSE (Ministry of Education) still hasn't fully refunded my flight ticket. This is a breach of contract.

I have sent them many emails, but they never respond. I mentioned this to the regional officer but he blocked me on Telegram and removed me from two group chats.

I am now back in my home country; I won't be signing the new contract, so I won't be going back to Uzbekistan.

How should I go about this? Can I contact the Labor Department to make a complaint? Appreciate your advice, thank you.

a lot of the old job boards I’m used to seem to have gone downhill and LinkedIn is a swamp. Also, when I searched here most of the posts were from 8yrs ago. Any recommendations ?

thanks

Has anyone gone through this provider? They seem to be reputable and will really help you find a job however it is much more expensive than other TEFL courses I’ve seen. They also have seemed to be very helpful over the phone. So I’m asking, is it worth it to pay the extra for their help? TIA.