Australasia

The EFL industry in Australia has changed considerably in recent years. Previously many Asian students of English would go there for intensive English courses but the economic problems in Asia in the 90's led to a marked decline in the number of fee-paying students. This has resulted in a loss of job opportunities for both Australian and foreign English language teachers.

The outlook is not totally bleak and some opportunities still do exist but as competition for positions is tough, schools are able to demand higher qualifications and more experience from teachers.

The profession is strictly regulated in Australia and standards are high in both public and private sectors. There is a nationally agreed pay scale for EFL teachers of A$18,000 - A$30,000 per year. However, highly trained Australian EFL teachers cannot always find jobs. As in the USA, a large proportion of local EFL/ESL teaching is done by volunteers.

One option that may be appealing for Britons, Irish and Canadians less than 30 years of age, is the possibility of a working holiday visa. This is a 12-month non-renewable visa that allows you to work in any one job for a maximum of three months. This can be quite convenient for the 'teacher traveler' who would like short-term contracts while traveling around the country.