You’ll often see many companies have being ‘Native English’ as a requirement for a teaching job. You are usually considered Native English if you were born and/or raised in a country with English as your first language.
These countries include:
- United States
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- Australia
- New Zealand
- South Africa (sometimes)
Unfortunately, even if you are born in a country other than those listed above and English is your first language, like the Caribbean, Philippines, Malaysia, etc. You will not be considered as Native English. I’m not sure why it is this way but it’s the nature of the industry.
Being Native English doesn’t necessarily mean that someone will be a good or better teacher. In fact, non-native English speakers make great teachers because you may know from first-hand experience what it’s like to learn English as a foreign language. Being a non-native can mean that there are less jobs you can apply for and you may need to be more qualified than your native counterparts but don’t give up. There are still plenty of opportunities available for you. We’ve put together a list of companies that actively hire non-native fluent speakers.
