Best ESL Websites for Teaching English Abroad

There are literally hundreds of great ESL websites and scores of tools available on the web covering everything from grammar to conversation to classroom lessons to job postings. We have chosen what we feel to be some of the best related to finding jobs teaching abroad and actually teaching ESL classes. There are many country- and region-specific sites easily found and often referenced in articles by teachers on our site.

Here are some suggestions we have when exploring the web for information that no one source can honestly claim to provide completely.

• Read Where the ESL Jobs Are for an overview of how to find and research the top websites for jobs teaching English.
• Go to our articles on teaching English abroad by experts and participants alike to read general recommendations as well as for country and regional experiences and resources.
• Browse our English teaching directory for jobs with programs and job placement organizations.
• Note: If you have a favorite website and wish to make a suggestion, please do so in our comments section below and we will review for inclusion.

There are a plethora of job boards on the web, and we have selected our favorites who have been providing services for some time.

TEFL.com is one of the biggest job boards for English teachers.

ESL Café offers a large international job board.

The International Educator provides registered users access to jobs in top international schools worldwide, with many of the jobs related to teaching English.

Forums are a great place to have your questions answered and to research countries, recruiting agencies, jobs, and sometimes even living conditions. They are the best place to get independent verification about a particular job, and there are always experts willing to share their knowledge and experience.

ESL Café Job Discussion Forum is a very busy international forum with experts and experienced members sharing valuable advice about jobs abroad, broken down by the most popular regions and countries.

ESLBase is a forum well worth checking out.

When you find a job it is always good to have lesson plans and other resources to help you teach your students, especially if the school you work for does not provide them, or if you work as a freelancer or just plain want to be creative. We have selected some websites offering such materials.

ESL Lounge.com

There are some primary resources all teachers should check out or follow at some point in order to find jobs and other useful information. We have listed some primary sites we prefer which should serve as great departures for research into your dream job.

Bogglesworld ESL Glossary is useful if you are confused by all the terms related to teaching English overseas. Here is a glossary that provides translations of the relevant acronyms into understandable language.

Cambridge Assessment, an authority on internationally respected ESL certifications, offers information on CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and DELTA (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).

ESL Café has information about teaching English as a second language, either internationally or in the U.S., as well as job databases. The forums offer in-depth discussions on a variety of issues and on a variety of countries worldwide. A recommended resource for anyone interested in teaching English abroad.

TEFL.net offers a teacher forum, ESL lesson planning, TEFL Resources, teacher training, ESL jobs and other valuable resources for teaching English as a foreign or second language.

TESOL International Association is the website of a global association that serves the needs of 13,000+ English language teaching professionals representing over 140 countries. An essential resource for both ESL and EFL educators.

Teaching Nomad offers jobs and programs for teaching English abroad, International school employment, as well as teaching job vacancies in Asia.

EnglishClub offers many free online resources for learning English or teaching it. From easy guides to grammar to fun games and quizzes, as well as a forum.

University of Michigan, International Center’s Overseas Opportunities Office hosts articles and provides resources on Teaching Work Abroad.

Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships are programs for recent university graduates. MA or doctoral candidates, or young professionals to serve as English Teaching Assistants in countries worldwide, with a large number of offerings in Brazil, Germany, Malaysia, Korea, Spain, Turkey, and more funded by the host country.

Peace Corps is sometimes overlooked because of its designation as a volunteer program, but is one of the largest work-abroad programs for U.S. citizens. It provides some of the best-paid teaching opportunities in less-wealthy regions such as Africa, Latin America, South and Southeast Asia, and even Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Block.