Teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language (ESL) to Kids

If you are moving abroad following the dream of a change of lifestyle and you are without a "profession", you may wish to look into Teaching English to Kids. In many cases, being a native English speaker is the most important factor for your prospective students' parents and although being a qualified teacher (with Qualified Teacher Status) is a bonus, it is not essential by any means.  So don't let your initial lack of experience put you off. 

Here we are focusing on ESL for kids. There are in fact many options available to the native English speaker as regards teaching and some investigation of your chosen area will indicate which is likely to be the best path to follow.

Teaching English to kids in private classes is a great entry level way to get into teaching.  Children really respond well to the 1-1 attention in individual classes and in larger classes there are loads of activities which make learning English more fun than the textbook English they learn at school.

Private ESL classes are pretty well-paid.  You can arrange your own timetable so it is very flexible and you can do as few or as many classes as you want or can manage. Preparation time should be considered in the hourly rate you receive as it can take more time to prepare an hour-long class than to do one at first.  You will need to source all your own materials, usually via textbooks, games and the internet until you have created your own curriculum.

You have to decide whether you are going to travel to the students' houses or have a "base".  Many parents enjoy the convenience of the English teacher coming to their house, but for the teacher this can be quite travel-intensive.

Teaching ESL to kids as opposed to adults in private classes can be harder work depending on how you approach the classes.  If the classes are full of enthusiasm, combine a mixture of school review and new work and you have created a good relationship with the children, private classes are rewarding and fun.

Language schools can be divided into a couple of areas:

1) Those which the students attend every week as an extra-curricula activity.

2) Those which groups of students visit for a period of time for a more intensive course.

Both types of Language school will usually look for a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL, CELTA and many others) qualification so it is worth obtaining one before departing, or studying once you arrive. Teaching English in language schools means you'll have a fixed timetable, you won't have to travel between classes and you'll know your salary. Materials may be provided so preparations time for classes can be reduced.

Language schools are usually found in cities and tourist destinations so finding one close enough if you have moved to a rural area might be a problem.

Many European countries are so keen to have native English speakers in their classrooms that the European Union partly funds the role of Conversation Assistant in certain areas.  This is another excellent way to start Teaching English to Kids. It is a mutually beneficial agreement from which teachers, students and conversation assistants all get something positive. 

Conversation assistants in English classes have a small part of the responsibility and a large part of the recognition if results are good, which is always a bonus!  See the attached hub for more information about Conversation Assistants.

As you would expect when dealing with kids, if you keep ESL classes fun then you will hold their attention for longer. If you keep your instructions simple, there will be less room for blank faces and confusion. If you correctly target the ages, personalities and abilities with the right style of teaching then the kids will benefit enormously. If not, your job is made that much more difficult but as with everything, the ESL teacher gains a lot of what tends to work or not with practice, rather than theory.