Teaching English in Turkey

Teaching English in Turkey

EFL in Turkey

TEFL in Turkey is a still thriving industry, though not quite as big as the boom years of the 1980s. There are of course many new private language courses opening, but the real growth area is private English-medium high schools and universities. There are also positions in state schools and universities, but these are hard to get and, furthermore, do not usually pay well.

So, what kind of qualifications do you need?

A degree is (technically) a minimum requirement for any teaching job, but the subject of the degree is not important. Nearly all schools also require RSA CTEFLA or the equivalent. For the better jobs a few years' experience is necessary, and a DTEFLA or MA is a big advantage/ necessity, particularly for university jobs.

Note of caution: If your potential employer isn’t bothered about qualifications, it probably means that they aren’t going to be worth working for!

Nevertheless, the Turkish middle classes are very keen to learn English, and they really want to learn it from a native speaker of the language. If you speak English as your first language, you are almost guaranteed a job teaching English in Turkey. The number of students wanting to learn English far outweighs the number of English teachers, which means that many schools will hire someone without the proper qualifications.

How about getting a visa?

Visas are something of a problem. In the past, the usual procedure was to get a tourist visa, which you can buy on arrival in Turkey, then the school would get you a work and residence permit. However, the laws have changed, and you now have to apply for a work permit from your home country. Consider this before leaving! The truth of the matter is that most schools want you to stay for one year, but few schools are willing to pay work permit fees, or do the required paperwork. This means that you must leave the country every 3 months to renew your tourist visa. This is crucial, if you try to leave the country with an expired visa; you will be charged a hefty fine. However, without a proper work permit, your contract is not valid and you can leave at any time. It sounds a bit dodgy, but it happens all the time.