Teaching English Abroad Post-Covid

You may be wondering if teaching English abroad post-Covid is a good idea. Will there be travel restrictions? Is my job guaranteed? Is it safe? All of these are great questions, and the answer depends not only on what country you choose, but also on the specific job. Teaching English abroad post-Covid is going to require a lot more research than prior years, but it can be done. 

First you should ask yourself why you are going. Is it to earn money? To travel? To escape an unpleasant home situation? 

Money Questions

If you are going for financial reasons, you need to consider what will happen if there is another outbreak. How did your country handle the first one? Here in Spain, a strict lock-down found some people teaching online for the first time, and others without a job. Before accepting a position teaching English abroad post-Covid, you should ask any potential employer how their school handled the restrictions.

Here, teaching assistants through the Auxiliares de Conversacion program were paid through the end of their contract, provided they stayed in-country. Some people didn’t know that until after they left, and they were dismissed. 

In academies, some people were dismissed immediately. If they were new to the country, they did not qualify for unemployment. Some people finished their contracts, but at reduced hours, which pulled down the average of their unemployment once the contract ended. 

How will safety measures affect your schedule? Some communities in Spain are moving high school students to a two shift day, with half of them going in the morning and half of them going in the evening. If you were counting on supplementing your income with academy work after school, is that still going to be possible?

If you were planning to teach private classes to boost your income, can you market yourself well online? You may want to start teaching online now, either on your own or through a company, so if your job starts out in person and ends up online, it won’t be the first time you’ve done it. Here is a good strategy for an easy online class.

Is housing tied to your contract? What will happen if the company shuts down? What will happen to your visa if your job is terminated? Spain extended all visas that expired during the lock-down for 6 months. What did your country do? 

Above all, make sure you know what your expenses are back home. Can you cover all of your payments in the worst case scenario? How much money do you even need to get through the year? Make sure you have a good plan.

Travel Questions

If your main reason for teaching english abroad is to travel, are you OK with regional travel? Maybe you chose a large city for international flights. If there are no flights out, would you still want to be there? If your family is unable to come visit, is that a deal-breaker? 

When the lock-down first lifted in Spain, we could only travel within our provinces. If you had family or friends just across the border into another province, even if it was within the same community, you were out of luck. At the end of June, we were allowed to travel within Spain. Now we can travel within Europe, but with some country specific restrictions. Going to the UK? If your trip is less than 2 weeks, you’ll spend the whole time in quarantine. 

Travel restrictions will hopefully improve as time goes on, but that’s not guaranteed. Take a good look at the province you’ll be going to and see if there are enough places you would like to visit. If not, you may want to wait a year before coming abroad. 

Starting Over

However, if your main reason for teaching English abroad post-covid is to escape something unpleasant back home, maybe it is still worth it to come for 2020. If you do not have health insurance in your home country, and your program or position offers it, you may be safer abroad. If you’ve hit a dead end in a relationship or a job and need a fresh start, maybe some of the other disadvantages can be overlooked. Maybe you can use your time abroad to build new skills to help you move forward when you eventually decide to come home. 

I am not trying to discourage anyone from teaching abroad post-covid. If you feel like it’s the right time and place for you, go for it. But don’t go blindly. Ask questions. Do research. Have a contingency plan in place in case it doesn’t work out. 

In September I’ll be starting my 5th year teaching in Spain. If you see teaching abroad as more of a long term plan for yourself, it might still be a good time for you to come. If you are hoping for a gap year, it’s still possible, but may not be the most fulfilling experience if restrictions keep you from your travel or financial goals. 

Are YOU Teaching English Abroad Post-Covid?

Are you trying to decide if you should teach abroad? Let us know where in the comments and what your specific hesitation is. Maybe someone with direct experience where you’re going can give you the answers you need!