How to Turn Your Travel Dreams into a Reality in 3 Easy Steps

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We’re not even joking.

Many of us spend our lives daydreaming of sipping cocktails on Thai beaches, walking the El Camino through Spain, or hiking the glaciers in Argentina – but that’s all they remain, daydreams.

But it’s actually quite simple to turn these dreams into reality. And you don’t need bags of cash to do it, because you’ll be earning money at the same time as you are crisscrossing the globe.

The answer lies in a TEFL course: a 120-hour course which will teach you everything you need to know about teaching English as a Foreign Language. English grammar, language skills, learning styles, teaching methods, classroom management – you name it and it’s covered. Even if you have no previous teaching experience, a TEFL course is an intense course which will prepare you to teach a learner how to communicate in English.

Once you’ve got a TEFL certificate under your belt, you need to down the World TEFL Factbook 2021 from the friendly folks at The TEFL Academy. This is a great asset to have as you travel the world teaching, as it gives you the lowdown on all the important stuff, like teaching requirements, average teaching salaries, cost of living, the weather, accommodation and public transport options – and even local cuisine you should try. Perfect to discover which country you would like to live and work in.

Alternatively, you can work from the comfort of your own home by teaching English online. All you need is a good laptop and microphone or headset, a reliable internet connection, a quiet place to teach and a few props. You can even go the digital nomad route and teach online while you travel!

Signing up to one of the online teaching companies is super easy, and students book through them so you don’t even have to worry about finding students. There are also websites which act as databases for TEFL teachers, so you upload an introductory video of yourself and students will contact you to book lessons. You could also always go freelance and find students yourself and teach through Zoom or Skype, which is a totally feasible option except you won’t have the support of a company. Any of these are good options for teaching English online.

So we promised you 3 easy steps, and here they are:

  1. Do a TEFL course
  2. Download the World Factbook 2021
  3. Get a job and pack our bags

When you think about it, teaching English as a Foreign Language, abroad or online, is a great way to get yourself out of your comfort zone, while also helping other people make their own dreams come true. So what are you waiting for?

*Post contributed by Simon O'Toole, peer travel lover and wordsmith.*

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