The English-speaking world has expanded to over 900 million, according to estimated figures by Ethnologue which include people who speak it as their first language as well as second language. This makes English an extremely useful language to know how to speak and many people opt to go abroad and teach.

It is not only a way to earn a living – it is also a way to interact very closely with other languages and cultures or even to finance travel. People from all walks of life, young and old, opt for options like this. A few popular countries where people choose to work in teaching fields are the Middle East, Japan and Germany.

Germany attracts many students because of the low cost, high quality education it offers, as compared to prices most other places. Teaching English in Germany as a part-time job or after completing their degrees is an option worth considering for these students, especially as they have the advantage of already being familiar with the German language and facilitating students who are new to English. However, contrary to what most people might think, it is not necessary to be fluent in German in order to be able to handle teaching English as a foreign language in Germany.

It certainly helps a lot, especially when dealing with a beginner’s class and when navigating visa processes and tax forms, but it is not a hard and fast rule to know German. In fact some schools may ask you specifically not to use German at all when teaching, in order to push students into learning English if only because they are desperate.

For individuals interested in teaching, Germany provides a diverse industry. There is an increasing need for English teachers in the country because of the inherent drive for education and knowledge in the people, as well as the international business connections. And of course teaching in a place that houses some of Europe’s most gorgeous architecture and boasts riveting landscape is a given perk.

Universities and international schools offer teaching positions and although appointment is competitive, there are varying levels of teaching available that range from beginners’ classes to university classes. University jobs will usually require the job applicant to have a teaching license and some teaching experience, and the same rules may apply to lower level jobs but having a license is always a safe way to go.

The two kinds of English taught in Germany most commonly are Business English and General English, and the students are normally adults. Business English may be a considered a field within the occupation of teaching and learning the English language. It is this area of the language that most jobs in Germany will require teachers to focus on.

Business English has a lot to do with international trade, as most study the language in order to facilitate business deals and trade with countries which either speak English or that use it as a trade or vehicular language. In this specialization of the general English-teaching occupation, the purpose is to teach individuals how to get their message across accurately and efficiently and sometimes rigid grammar rules may be ignored.

The vocabulary will constitute what is frequently used in finance, trade and international but for other professionals, the kind of vocabulary they want to learn may differ depending on their career fields.

Most businesses require their employees to reach a certain level of fluency and this also results in highly motivated students, which makes teaching rewarding and more fun.

The names of the organizations that an individual has worked with and taught at, makes a lot of difference in terms of the quality of future placements so it is recommended to be careful about the choice of organization.

Teachers are also usually provided with the resources to find accommodations and can expect to earn a comfortable wage. Some jobs may also offer the additional advantage of offering accommodations. It is also worth mentioning that teaching Business English gives your salary a boost and private tutoring is also a profitable venture, although the timings may fluctuate when one is working with a single individual. The commuting is also made easy by the efficient railway across the country.

Most teaching jobs will be located in big cities like Hamburg, Frankfurt and Berlin and these spots will usually be the hub of competitive vacancies for teaching English. Berlin offers teaching opportunities in Kindergarten as well as jobs as a conversation coach, which is a slightly more informal affair. Hamburg provides an atmosphere akin to a college for international teachers and is a smaller space than Berlin, which has more of a big-city feel. For the people who are more interested in interacting with the community and want to take the cultural approach to the matter, as opposed to a primarily monetary motivation, seeking out jobs in smaller areas like Dusseldorf might be a good option.

While the hours can get long and may be erratic, and the German temperament takes some getting used to, most teachers speak positively of their teaching experiences as the pay is good, expenses are manageable and the country offers lovely places to live in and explore. From an economic point of view, Germany is a nation of very hard working people and those who are passionate about their careers are sure to enjoy themselves and be able to immerse themselves in their work.

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