Where you can make all the difference with TEFL

There are countless motivations for getting into teaching English as a foreign language, and all of them are worthy. It could be that, simply put, you’re bored with where you live and where you work, and you want to radically change your life. Perhaps, you’ve always wanted to teach, but due to any number of factors, it just hasn’t happened for you yet. Another reason could be that you want to teach English part-time to supplement your existing income. Nobody is standing at a barrier between you and your TEFL certificate asking you for a “perfect” reason to teach English (though self-appointed gatekeepers like to imagine this scenario!).

The truth is, there’s loads you can do as a TEFL teacher. One of the things you can do is make a real social impact. Some folks will get into teaching English abroad so they can help people in need. We know teachers who work locally with community groups. And there are online teachers giving free or discounted lessons through local authorities, or voluntarily. 

As we know, education opens doors. We also know there are lots of TEFL teachers raring to go out and help where they can make the biggest difference. Where, though, are TEFL teachers required to improve the standards of English? 

We looked at rates of English proficiency, and general literacy rates, to give you an idea of where TEFL teachers could be most useful. If you’re laser-focused on making a social impact, these are some places that are well worth considering. 

India

With an enormous number of citizens - about 18% of the entire world’s population , or 1.4bn - India is colossal. It’s also an English-speaking country, but it’s also a country that’s still entrenched in societal and educational divides. While some parts of the country have high literacy rates, like Kerala ( 94% in 2011 ), regions like Andhra Pradesh have significantly lower rates of both English proficiency and general literacy. 

Access to high-quality education is not universal. In rural communities, our charity partner Theirworld has made astonishing discoveries about the levels of basic education that rural children - especially young girls - are lacking. 

From a purely TEFL perspective, these gendered trends continue. English proficiency amongst women across all ages has fallen rapidly between 2016 and 2023 , and there has been a lack of real action on a range of issues that have kept young girls out of school, in particular. 

Teaching English in India can be a real challenge, but it remains an incredible country. Podcast contributor Rachael McGettigan describes her experiences in India, before going full-time as a TEFL teacher:

“I can go on forever about India, the people, the culture, the music, the food… it's just unbelievable.”

Cambodia

Now, Cambodia is an interesting TEFL destination.

Why? Well, it’s an incredibly popular choice, with plenty of TEFL teachers going to teach English in Cambodia . Yet, this Southeast Asian outpost still very much needs high-quality teaching talent, spread more evenly across its 181,000 square kilometre size. 

Despite its popularity as a TEFL destination (and believe us, it is a particularly sought-after location), Cambodia ranks a mere 98th of 113 countries on the EF Engli s h Proficiency Index . While tourist hotspots like Phnom Penh will have plenty of English speakers, the rest of the country is a very different story.

From the Cambodian point of view, that’s not ideal. English is needed to be economically competitive, and plenty of young Cambodians aspire to success in their careers, in academia, or both. Being proficient in English would go a long way to achieve that success on the international stage. So if you’re looking to explore Southeast Asia and you want to make a difference, Cambodia is well worth a look. 

Iraq

While Cambodia is a very popular destination for TEFL teachers, and India has a massive tourist industry, Iraq is very different indeed.

Historically an enormously important country in terms of maths and culture , Iraq comes more quickly to mind for younger people as a news story. The Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War, the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and other numerous internal conflicts have decimated a once-thriving educational infrastructure. 

Given the US and the UK’s involvement in Iraq, you wouldn’t be silly to assume that the English language is extremely unpopular there. That’s not the case, and though rates of proficiency are low - especially for the region - there’s demand for English lessons, especially amongst young people.

Our own Carl Cameron-Day taught English in Iraq, and told the ‘ I Taught English Abroad ’ podcast that in northern Iraq there were warm and friendly students who greatly appreciated the opportunity to learn English. While, of course, travelling to Iraq can be problematic, it is worth knowing that TEFL teachers can make a huge difference there, from teaching school children all the way to instructing adults who want English skills to open up a world of opportunity.

Working on your doorstep

Some of the most important TEFL work you can do is most likely on your doorstep. Teaching English to asylum seekers and refugees is enormously important work, with Amnesty International reporting that there are approximately 35 million refugees worldwide - though it’s nigh-on impossible to count accurately, and the number is likely higher.

If you work online or you want to make a difference in person, you’ll find all sorts of opportunities.

The UK

In the UK, Red Cross , The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants , Groundwork , the Unity Project , Refugee Action , Refugee Council and countless others are either hiring translators for legal casework, seeking volunteers, or in general, needing TEFL talent to help out.

USA

We can’t begin to list all of the amazing organisations helping refugees, but you can start with Refugee Council USA , ORAM (Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration) , Alight , World Relief Western Washington , Hope English School and Refugee Educator Academy .

Ireland

We’d thoroughly recommend checking out Spirasi , the Welcome English Language Centre , Fàilte Isteach , Refuge Language and SaorEd , who are doing fantastic work across Ireland. There are amazing facilities for teaching both Irish and English, so multilingual Irish TEFL teachers can really flex their abilities!

Canada

If you’re based in Canada, you’ll want to know about Immigrant Education , who are always on the lookout for English teachers to help new Canadians settle in. Similarly, Volunteer Success and Hi-Canada , as well as newer programmes like Haven , are helping to link refugees to English teachers.

Australia

There are plenty of great programmes and initiatives in Australia for making a difference through TEFL. ASRC - who let you tutor from home - Navitas Skilled Futures, TAFE SA , the TAFE NSW Volunteer Tutor Program and The Smith Family Home Tutor Scheme are also fantastic options for volunteers who are looking to help out.

New Zealand

What about New Zealand? If you’re looking to make a positive difference as a TEFL tutor, reach out to organisations like English Language Partners , Kiwi Class , the Refugee Education Centre , and New Zealand Red Cross , who provide English language support.

Specific ways to help

One significant way you can make a difference is by preparing students for exams like IELTS or TOEFL , which prove fluency in English. These exams are crucial for finding work in English-speaking countries, or getting into colleges and universities. 

Another main way of helping people seems simple, but it’s utterly fundamental - you can help people use local amenities. Whether it’s signing up to use the local doctor’s surgery, enrolling children into school, or finding the local supermarket, everyday tasks become so much harder when they’re not in your native language. Be the person that makes these fundamental experiences normal (mundane, even!) rather than laborious and stressful.

You can make a difference!

These are just ideas. Everywhere in the world, teachers make a fundamental difference in the lives of students. We all remember the teachers who reached us and the ones who didn’t. If you’re lucky enough to have been taught by a teacher from a foreign country, you probably remember how exciting that felt, and how many questions you had about life somewhere else.

When you have a TEFL certificate , you can be an exciting, exotic teacher. You can connect with people who need English skills, and set up students to fulfil their potential. The best way to start is to research literacy rates and English proficiency rates for certain countries and regions, and see where you can make the most impact. It’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself, but you love a challenge, right?

That said, you don’t even have to move to make an impact. You can do it from home, or just a handful of miles away. There’s an opportunity to do some good with English language teaching almost everywhere you look. 

Want to scope out the TEFL landscape before committing to a course? We understand entirely! Try out our TEFL taster , and if you like it, we have highly-accredited courses to suit every need.