• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Istanbul
  • Cappadocia
  • Mediterranean
  • Aegean
  • Black Sea
  • Other Places
Turkish Travel Blog

Turkish Travel Blog

Turkish People, Culture, History, and Places inTurkey

  • Culture and Traditions
  • Food and Drink
  • History
  • Travel Tips
  • Living in Turkey
  • About Turkey
    • About the Blog
    • Advertising
    • Contact

Teach English in Turkey

by Natalie

As part of the monthly posts about how to financially support yourself while travelling or moving to this country, one option that pops up, again and again, is to teach English in Turkey as a foreign language. Now this is something that I’ve never done, although many of my online friends have or are doing it because it is one of the most popular options for working legally in the country.

At the same time, it presents an excellent opportunity to travel and immerse yourself in the culture and traditions. Now while I can list plenty of reasons to do it, to satisfy reader’s curiosity I wanted some more bonafide information. Along with my own research, for this article, I reached out to OnTESOL, who are a large company helping people who want to teach English abroad, and they kindly answered many of my questions.

Teach English in Turkey : Discussing Jobs, Qualifications, Work Permits, Income and More

Teach English in Turkey

How Easy is it to Get a Job Teaching English in Turkey?

There are certainly plenty of teaching positions available, especially in Istanbul. Some are in the university sectors, but most foreigners end up working for the private language schools. Generally, Turks are eager to speak English because it increases their opportunities for jobs.

In all the coastal resorts, bars, restaurants and hotels prefer English-speaking workers, and the business sector has taken off regarding international relationships and deals’ so obviously, speaking English is a useful lifelong skill set to have in Turkey. This trend looks set to continue so job vacancies are opening up all the time.

What Qualifications Will Secure an English Teaching Job in Turkey?

For most teaching jobs, you need a TEFL or TESOL qualification. Those courses teach you how to plan and execute lessons, assess students work and their level whether it is a beginner, intermediate or advanced. They also look at grammar, phonology, methodology and study skills.

Depending on which course you take, they vary in cost and involve roughly 120 to 150 hours of study. The good news about the qualifications though is that they are internationally recognised so you can teach anywhere in the world. If a school, does not require one of these qualifications, then the pay rate will generally be lower.

What about Work Permits, Residency Visas, Pay, and Contracts?

Work permits to teach English in Turkey are subject to their own set of rules and criteria, but any good school will complete this process for you, which will also include obtaining legal residency as well.

Definitely, request a contract and regarding the pay, it varies across the board, but teachers can expect anywhere between $800 to $1000 a month.  If you are a non-smoker/drinker with a frugal lifestyle, this wage is ample.

While you shouldn’t expect to get rich while teaching English in Turkey, it is a viable income for supporting yourself and for people on gap years or travelling long term, it is an excellent opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture and also see the sights at the same time.

Is it Possible to Give Private Lessons Instead?

Yes, but then you are also going down the route of becoming self-employed in Turkey because naturally, all income has to be declared. A few people give private lessons, but these generally don’t total enough hours to earn a decent income, so instead they look at private lessons as a way of supplementing their full-time teaching job.

Further Reading about Teaching English as a Foreign Language

So putting the questions aside, I went searching for reviews of people that have taught English in Turkey. One friend did it for many years but says the city of Istanbul which is where most of the good teaching jobs are, with its fast-paced lifestyle, just wasn’t for her.

She prefers the coastal resorts with a slower pace of life. Obviously as well, she pointed out that schools all have different reputations, especially when it comes to how they treat their teachers, so before accepting a job, use the Internet to research any potential employers.

This is also a rather cool article on the Expeditioner, of a first-hand experience. The author is truthful and talks about the good aspects and the bad. He says

“There are jobs to be found throughout Turkey, mostly in the major cities like Adana, Izmir and the country capital Ankara. Undoubtedly, Istanbul, bigger than all three of these combined and with a much more international community, has the lion’s share of the EFL employment opportunities. Not only are private language schools in every neighborhood of the metropolis, but here lies the bulk of the universities, international primary and secondary schools, and a few great NGOs to check into.”

This article titled “5 tips to avoid s**** situations as an EFL teacher” is also a very helpful read. Otherwise, if you have any hints and tips on how to teach English in Turkey, I would love to hear about your experience in the comments box below.

Teaching English in Turkey

Save

Pin1
Share187
Tweet
Share
188 Shares

Filed Under: Living in Turkey

Hi. I'm Natalie, a freelance travel blogger and writer specializing in the country of Turkey. I love hot summer days, historical sites and coffee. Read More…

Primary Sidebar

istanbul tourist pass

Search This Website

Popular Posts

Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul : Last Days of the Ottoman EmpireDolmabahce Palace in Istanbul : Last Days of the Ottoman Empire49K Total Shares
The Colourful Wooden Mosque of MaralThe Colourful Wooden Mosque of Maral6K Total Shares
Santa Claus and His Life in TurkeySanta Claus and His Life in Turkey5K Total Shares
Sanliurfa (Urfa) : The City of Abraham in TurkeySanliurfa (Urfa) : The City of Abraham in Turkey4K Total Shares
The Serene House of the Virgin MaryThe Serene House of the Virgin Mary3K Total Shares
Ottoman Intrigue at Topkapi Palace in IstanbulOttoman Intrigue at Topkapi Palace in Istanbul3K Total Shares

Footer

Everything Else

  • Blog Sitemap
  • GDPR, Privacy and Cookies
  • Terms of Use and Disclaimer

Of Interest

  • About Us
  • Advertising and PR
  • Map of Turkey

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright @2023 - Turkish Travel Blog

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT