18 Most Scenic Places For Teaching English Overseas

Written by Athena Lamberis

–Feature photo by beija-flor

Worldwide demand for English language instruction has created opportunities from Chile to China. So if you’re thinking about teaching English abroad, you might as well do it somewhere breathtaking.

1. Copan Ruinas, Honduras

Wake up for class to the sound of horses trotting on cobblestone roads and the aroma of freshly made tortillas. Copan Ruinas is home to mystical Mayan ruins, boasts vibrant local culture and is at the center of a growing eco-tourism movement in Honduras.

There are numerous opportunities in Copan Ruinas for both teachers and volunteers . Find paid vacancies in local villages or in the local bilingual school. Take field trips to the Bird Park in Copan Ruinas and explore the shade-grown coffee fincas.

Photo by cadampol

2. Antigua, Guatemala

Just 45 minutes from Guatemala City is the town of Antigua, Guatemala, with epic volcano views on the horizon. Enjoy classes outside, exploring the colorful 16th century architecture. Donate your time to teach for two months through a local education program and experience a meaningful cultural and linguistic exchange.

Photo by dsnet

3. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio is a city with brown sugar beaches, bohemian neighborhoods and a pulsating nightlife that will leave you teaching phrasal verbs with sore feet from dancing samba. Rio is also an international hub for teaching English with multiple opportunities in language schools, along with volunteer opportunities in the favelas. When you’re not in the classroom, paraglide from Sugarloaf, play capoeira, and fall in love with Rio’s riotous rhythms.

Photo by armandolobos

4. Buenos Aires, Argentina

Work will always take a backseat to pure enjoyment in the modern city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Take advantage of the theatre, develop a taste for red wine and Argentine steaks and get caught up in the swirling nightlife of the most cosmopolitan city in South America. Why not learn the tango while you’re there?

Photo by formfaktor

Intag, Ecuador

Escape to the cloud forests of Intag, Ecuador, where you can teach as a volunteer in one of the greenest corners of the Andes mountain range.

Photo by sara_y_tzunki

Valparaiso, Chile

Teaching in the UNESCO World Heritage seaport city of Valparaiso, Chile is a dream job for many travelers. Find an apartment on the hillsides of Cerros Concepcion and Alegre, where you’ll have a sweeping view of the Pacific Ocean.

Photo by anarchitect

Athens, Greece

Island hop on the weekends, eat roast chicken drenched in olive oil in the shadows of the Parthenon and develop a taste for ouzo while teaching in the frontisteria of Athens, Greece.

Photo by ranopamas

Tuscany, Italy

Tuscany has a pleasingly laid-back rhythm of life. The rolling hills of the countryside will appeal to your artistic side and motivate you to write your Toscana novel while teaching English on the side.

Photo by juanillooo

Prague, Czech Republic

Meander through historic architecture dating back to the Middles Ages in Prague, Czech Republic. Living in the centre of Old Town in Praha is a close commute to many TEFL vacancies.

Photo by cuellar

Andalucia, Spain

Flamenco cuevas, free tapas and winter skiing in the Sierra Nevada makes Andalucia, Spain a tempting place to teach, especially for its laid-back siesta lifestyle.

Photo by josjos

Istanbul, Turkey

Hadi gel! There is never a shortage of jobs in Istanbul, Turkey. The culinary excellence and alluring districts of the city have already enchanted a number of expat teachers. Intrigued? Read “An English Teacher In Istanbul“.

Photo by kiwanc

Hainan-Dao, China

Freelance on the remote island of Hainan-Dao, China and have your next preposition lesson on a tropical beach, or high up in the Limuling mountain range.

Photo by cw_ye

Majuro, Marshall Islands

Majuro, Marshall Islands is a Micronesian getaway five hours from Hawaii, with plenty of local teaching opportunities and world-class scuba diving.

Photo by cmichel67

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Volunteer with young students on Tanzania’s paradise island of Zanzibar and teach vocabulary in the first National Jozani Forest and Bay Conservation.

Photo by paulwatson

Cape Town, South Africa

Teaching in Cape Town, South Africa’s cosmopolitan outdoor adventure playground, appeals to adrenaline junkies, tree huggers, and city slickers alike.

Photo by marionaubert

LINKS:

Teach in Guatemala

Volcanoes in Antigua

Language School in Brazil

Paraglide in Rio

Theatre in Buenos Aires

World Teach on the Marshall Islands

Support Schools in Zanibar

Table Mountain, Cape Town

Surf and Shark-dive in Cape Town

Teach in Cape Town, South Africa

Athena Lamberis

Athena Lamberis has been studying geopacifism through art, photography, education and culinary linguistics ever since she started listening to KRS-1 from her big brother's boom box. When she's not finger painting portraits with kids in Nicaragua or learning how to make amaranth pastries, she can be found riding the Metro line around Cape Town.