There has been a threefold rise in British young people aiming to teach English abroad, with over 3,000 individuals aged 18-24 having purchased a Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course between March-June, compared to 798 over the same period in 2019.
Experts believe that one of the contributing factors is the possibility of living and studying with preventative measures against COVID-19 starting September, causing many recent school graduates to delay further academic enrolment until social distancing guidelines are relaxed next year.
Teaching Abroad: A Positive Backup Plan?
Co-founder of TEFL, Jennifer MacKenzie – who also trains around 12,000 aspiring teachers per year – believes it’s an ideal time to take the gap year abroad: “Many are looking to go away in a couple of months and take the whole year out to teach English in language schools. Spain and Italy are the most popular destinations, especially coastal and urban areas like Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia.“
Costing just under £400, this internationally recognised qualification is expected to boost confidence for students who have little formal experience, placing them in a massively social environment and driving them to integrate into the cultural life of their respective country.