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Over 30 per cent of British graduates are considering working abroad in a bid to escape fierce competition for graduate jobs, according to research by studentgems.com.
Faced with a lack of opportunities in the UK, a massive 34 per cent of graduates and final-year students surveyed said they were looking at options abroad, including TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language).
Kelly English, 20, who is in her final year of an English Studies degree at the University of Nottingham originally wanted to go into publishing, but is now planning to teach English in Japan after she graduates. In contrast to the situation in the UK, she believes that there are a lot of TEFL opportunities out there for British graduates: “Asia in particular provides so many opportunities to teach abroad and certain countries such as China and South Korea are really developing now. I think they'll be crucial in terms of the world economy later on, so it's exciting to think that we can get involved in that.
“I'd really recommend this career path to graduates, as it's so easy for us now to get up and go!
“What really appeals to me with TEFL is that you're able to live somewhere and actually meet local people and experience something a lot deeper than a tourist's perception of a place.”
That’s not the only benefit either. i-to-i spokesperson Honor Baldry said: “TEFL is not only a fantastic way to see the world, but teaching abroad also gives you a chance to build on the skills employers want to see.
“Standing up in front of a class can really boost leadership skills, while bridging language barriers and cultural differences to successfully communicate with people proves you have great interpersonal skills.”
The opportunities offered by teaching English abroad aren’t reserved for those with teaching experience or the ability to speak another language either. Any graduate who speaks English fluently can take a TEFL course and find paid TEFL jobs abroad. TEFL courses with accredited course-providers, such as i-to-i, start from just £153 and can be studied part-time online – so are perfect for final-year students busy with exams.
For more information about teaching English abroad contact one of i-to-i’s TEFL experts on 0800 093 2552 or visit http://www.onlinetefl.com.
Notes to Editors
i-to-i have been a provider of TEFL courses for over 15 years, with over 100,000 certified customers. The company was founded in 1994 and offers online and classroom learning opportunities, as well as a TEFL job placement service. For more information see http://www.onlinetefl.com.
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
