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teach english in bangladesh

Teach English in Bangladesh

Bangladesh offers unique, exciting challenges to English teachers, with an immense amount of natural beauty to admire outside of the classroom.

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With a population of about 173 million, within just under 57,000 square miles of land, to say Bangladesh is densely populated would be an understatement. Major cities in Bangladesh, like the capital city Dhaka (10.3 million) and Chittagong (2.3 million) go some way to account for the country’s population, but there are a range of cities and towns with hundreds of thousands of citizens, with distinct dialects, cultures and perspectives.

This isn’t a geography lesson, so what does this mean for TEFL teachers? Well, it means a great deal. As we’ll explore, there’s significant demand for English teaching in Bangladesh and plenty of metropolitan areas to live and work in.

As a place to explore, Bangladesh is truly unique. From a geological point of view, the country hosts much of Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, the incredible Ganges Delta, and Cox’s Bazar, one of the longest natural beaches in the world.

So, what does an English teacher need to know about Bangladesh? Is it possible to carve out a career teaching English in Bangladesh? Where are the job opportunities? What’s an average teaching salary like, and what is the cost of living for English language teachers? Let’s explore.

Bangladesh: an overview

With an enormous population of English learners and compulsory English learning at the school level, Bangladesh ought to have excellent levels of English proficiency. Especially, that is, compared to countries where English learning is voluntary. However, you could amply describe the level of overall English proficiency in Bangladesh as “average”, with EF’s English Proficiency Index ranking the country 60th of 113 nations.

A knock-on effect of compulsory English education in schools - something that has been established for generations - is that plenty of English teachers born and raised in Bangladesh teach in state schools. This means that, for those who want to teach English abroad in Bangladesh, the best opportunities are found in international schools and private language schools. In most other countries, international schools can be extremely hard to break into as a TEFL teacher. However, in Bangladesh, they’re actually amongst the most common employment routes for ESL educators.

Another major market for English education in Bangladesh is through private language schools. With English being the lingua franca of business, many Bangladeshi adults realise that to achieve certain career goals, an advanced knowledge of English is needed. As a TEFL teacher, you’ll find plenty of opportunities for teaching adults in Dhaka, the capital city, and in major trade cities like Chittagong and Khulna.

Requirements

So what teaching requirements do you need to meet to teach English in Bangladesh? In terms of teaching English in Asia, Bangladesh is a little different to a lot of other countries. While other nations usually require visa applicants to hold certain qualifications, Bangladesh will normally grant entry to TEFL teachers on the proviso that they’ve been offered a teaching job. So, if you meet the requirements for a teaching opportunity, you automatically qualify to live and work in Bangladesh.

While international schools will usually look to native English speakers for teaching jobs, that isn’t to say that you can’t work in Bangladesh teaching English as a non-native speaker more broadly. After all, at the public education level, the majority of English teachers aren’t “native” English speakers, they came through the Bangladeshi school system themselves. If you hold an IELTS or TOEFL certificate to demonstrate English fluency or hold a bachelor’s degree from an English-speaking institution, this ought to be recognised by employers.

Bengali is the national language in Bangladesh, but English is commonly spoken, especially in schools. While having some Bengali vocabulary is certainly useful, it’s unlikely to be a prerequisite for taking a job in Bangladesh.

TEFL certificate

Completion of a TEFL certification course is usually required for an English teaching job in Bangladesh. You’ll need to have completed at least 120 hours of training, as this is recognised as the industry standard. Your TEFL certification course needs to have been conducted by a reputable provider, one that has been approved by several accreditation bodies.

It would be prudent to have advanced TEFL certificates on your CV to bolster your job applications. For example, if you’re applying for jobs at international schools, having an advanced TEFL certificate in Teaching Young Learners might give you the edge. Alternatively, if you’re more focused on teaching adults with an eye on career advancement, Business English is an excellent addition to your CV, as is English for Academic Purposes, given the appeal of English-language educational institutions.

Degree/no-degree

Whether you can teach English abroad in Bangladesh without a degree depends very much on the teaching positions in question. Certainly, higher-paid jobs in more elite institutions will usually require a degree. Even relatively low-paid jobs in the private sector, usually training groups of employees at businesses, often require a degree. Confusingly, not all job advertisements for Bangladeshi teaching positions specify whether or not they need a degree, so it’s worth contacting a potential employer before applying if you’re at all unsure.

Experience

Though you might be able to find work teaching English abroad without experience in Bangladesh, it’ll likely be extremely difficult. Most jobs being advertised online ask for at least 2-3 years of teaching experience, and even freelance tutoring roles normally specify the need for experienced teachers.

The job market in Bangladesh, at the time of writing, is extremely competitive. This is especially true for newer teachers. Though the demand for English teaching is huge, the majority of teachers working in Bangladesh are Bangladeshi, and the vast concentration of teaching jobs for English teachers are in international schools and private language schools. This means that, naturally, there’s significant competition for limited spaces, and teachers with experience tend to be seen as a safer bet for employers.

If you lack teaching experience and have your heart set on Bangladesh, however, don’t fret - if you want to make a positive impact as a volunteer, there are volunteer positions available in Bangladesh. Or, if you want to train as you work, there are teacher training programmes available in Bangladesh, primarily aimed at helping to improve the English teaching infrastructure around the country. Just be sure you’re working with a recognised, reputable charitable organisation!

Visa

How complicated is the visa and work permit situation in Bangladesh? Well, not very! In even better news, a lot of it is done by your prospective employer. Here’s what you need to know about sorting out your visa and work permit so you can start teaching in Bangladesh.

To obtain an employment visa to teach in Bangladesh, employees will need to provide the following:

Passport (valid for at least 6 months)
A job offer from an employer in Bangladesh
A visa application form
Copies of qualifications and proof of experience (CV, portfolio etc)
Passport photos
Proof of visa fee payment (to the correct embassy)
Letters of recommendation from the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) and the Board of Investment (BOI)

You’ll need to fill out an application form online. Then, it’s a case of printing out a copy and presenting it to the nearest Bangladeshi consulate with all the documentation provided above, including the fee. Your employer will apply for a work permit on your behalf. After that, you can start teaching in Bangladesh!

These visas are initially issued for three months, with single, double or multiple entries allowed. Then, you’re allowed extensions of up to three years from the Department of Immigration and Passport in Bangladesh.

Download our teaching English in Asia guide

Salary, benefits and cost of living

When you’re teaching English abroad, salary matters - so what can you earn teaching in Bangladesh? How does a teaching salary fit in with the cost of living, and are there any added benefits that English teachers should expect in their contracts? Let’s explore.

Salary

Teaching salaries in Bangladesh can vary wildly. From our research, typical state school teaching salaries can range from as low as 13,000-34,000 Bangladeshi taka (BDT), equivalent to just $110-$289/£86-£226 per month. Corporate teaching gigs in the private sector typically offer wages of about 35,000-45,000 BDT ($297-$383/£232-£299) per month, though these are usually temporary contracts.

The best wages in Bangladesh can be found at international schools. Normally, teaching jobs at these schools offer between $1,500-$2,500/£1,172-£1,953 per month as a starter wage.

Benefits

Most employers in Bangladesh will at least include sick pay and paid holidays, and they'll process your work visa. More prestigious institutions, such as international schools, will often include housing and airfare.

Cost of living

While wages for English teachers in Bangladesh can seem paltry in some instances, Bangladesh does have an extremely low cost of living. If we look at the cost of living in the capital city of Dhaka, for example, we can see that rents are 95% lower than you’d find in London. A one-bedroom apartment in the city centre will cost around $119/£93 per month to rent, and that lowers to $65/£50 if you choose to live outside the city centre.

Basic utilities cost about $29/£22, with internet access normally costing Bangladeshis in the region of $13/£10. A meal for one at an inexpensive eatery shouldn’t cost more than $3/£2, while a three-course dinner for two in a mid-priced restaurant usually costs around $13/£10. With the fantastic cuisine on offer in Bangladesh, you’ll want to take advantage of these prices!

Country	Avg. monthly salary	Degree required	Start of term	Teaching experience	Housing & flights included	Suitable for non-native English speakers	Age restrictions
Teach in Bangladesh	£1,172-£1,953 GBP $1,500-$2,500 USD		January				None

Types of English Teaching Jobs in Bangladesh

So what kind of teaching opportunities are there for teachers in Bangladesh? Let’s take a look.

Public Schools
Private Language Schools
International Schools
Universities
Private Tutoring

Public schools

While most state school jobs are taken by Bangladeshi teachers - English is a compulsory subject at schools in Bangladesh - there are still a few opportunities here and there. Generally speaking, public schools don’t offer the best salaries, and you’ll usually require at least a bachelor’s degree and/or TEFL certificate to be considered. Expect large classes of children, especially teaching in Bangladesh's major cities.

Private language schools

Private language schools, particularly in the capital city of Dhaka, are relatively popular with adults in Bangladesh. Though English is compulsory at schools in Bangladesh, the quality of English lessons can vary, and of course, not every adult living in Bangladesh was raised there.

Increasingly, Bangladesh has seen a demand for English teachers from overseas, particularly native speakers or those with high IELTS scores. While private language schools can vary in terms of funding and resources, they’re a decent option. If you have a TEFL certificate, and ideally some experience, it’s well worth applying.

International schools

For a great number of countries, international schools can seem out of reach for the vast majority of TEFL teachers. English teaching jobs in international schools are typically taken by long-tenured teachers with multiple qualifications, with a master's degree being the start.

In Bangladesh, however, you could feasibly find work in an international school with a degree, a teaching certificate (including a TEFL qualification) and some experience. While some posts will require both a teaching degree and a separate bachelor’s degree, this isn’t always the case. Fluent English speakers, whether native speakers or non-native speakers, will usually be accepted if they meet the job requirements. The majority of these teaching opportunities are in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Most international schools will have small class sizes, which helps!

Universities

With an absolute abundance of universities to choose from in Bangladesh, it would be astonishing if there weren’t any jobs available for TEFL teachers. Experienced teachers with master's degrees (at least) should keep an eye out for lecturing positions. Newer teachers, meanwhile, could do worse than to look out for teaching assistant positions, which will occasionally come up on job sites.

Private tutoring

You’ll need a permanent employment contract from a Bangladeshi employer to get a visa/work permit, so we wouldn’t recommend private tutoring straight away. However, once you’re established in Bangladesh, giving private lessons is an excellent idea for topping up your salary.

The best opportunities for private tutoring are to be found in the major cities, where ambitious adults are looking to advance their career opportunities. Bear in mind that the average monthly salary in Bangladesh is 26,000 Bangladeshi taka a month, equivalent to $221/£173, so set your prices accordingly.

Teach English in Dhaka

Blending fascinating, historic landmarks - not least the gorgeous Lalbagh Fort and Ahsan Manzil - and ambitious modern architecture, Dhaka is a true bucket list destination for any intrepid traveller, especially during Durga Puja and Pahela Baishakh (Bengali New Year). The most densely populated city in Bangladesh, it can take some getting used to, but Dhaka’s charms are seemingly endless, with its culture, incredible food and bustling nightlife cause for anyone to want to stay long-term.

For TEFL teachers, staying long-term to teach English is the name of the game. Happily, Dhaka is where you’ll find the vast majority of international schools, universities and private language schools, where the majority of English teaching jobs can be found. In terms of teaching opportunities and professional development, you'll struggle to find anywhere more fruitful in Bangladesh than Dhaka to teach English.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How to become a teacher in Bangladesh?

To get a work permit and visa to become a teacher in Bangladesh, you’ll need to meet the job requirements of a job opportunity in Bangladesh. This can vary - for TEFL teachers, it can mean holding a TEFL certificate, having previous teaching experience, and holding a bachelor’s degree.

Q. Is English widely spoken in Bangladesh?

Yes, the English language is widely spoken in Bangladesh, especially in schools. However, the level of English language proficiency isn't high, which means there are opportunities if you're a teacher.

Q. Is the education system in Bangladesh good?

The education system in Bangladesh is slowly improving, with literacy rates averaging around the 75% mark nationally, though there are significant discrepancies between urban and rural areas.

Q. Is English taught as a second language in Bangladesh?

Yes, English is taught as a second language in Bangladesh. English language learning is encouraged from a very early age, and it's the most popular "foreign language" in Bangladesh.