How to Teach English in Dubai: All You Need To Know

Are you interested in teaching, and are willing to teach and impact the knowledge you have in English to interested students? This article on how to teach English in Dubai will tell you all you need to know about it!

The English language is the official language of numerous countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Gambia, Liberia, and lots more. Generally, English is the official language of 67 different countries and 27 non-sovereign entities around the world.

But some other countries do not speak English as an official language, and such countries are; Korea, China, Japan, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, United Arab Emirates, and lots more.

Dubai is a City in the United Arab Emirates Country, and its official language is the Arabic Language. This means that the majority of the country’s population speaks the Arabic language and that English is more like a second language in the country.

UAE has seven emirates, and the three most popular teaching destinations are Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.

Having known this, the less population that is fluent in English had to either study it as a course or learn it from a teacher. This is the reason this article is coming our way, to let us know that there are opportunities to learn the English language, with the help of a teacher in Dubai, and there are ways to teach English in Dubai.

Being the most luxurious city in the Middle East, it is home to high-end hotels, gigantic shopping malls, the world’s best infrastructures (like Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, and Burj Al Arab), and an urban lifestyle.

There are so many teaching opportunities for the children of ex-pats as well as professionals who want to work on their business English

Teaching English in Dubai can be done online or in a physical class as a teacher or lecturer, as well as through other ways that one can learn and improve your English accent.

There are websites that one can go to and learn English online, to improve and be fluent in speaking the English language.

Without further ado, let’s find out what you would need if ever you have interest to start teaching English in Dubai.

What do I need to start teaching English in Dubai?

In other for one to teach English in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), some requirements are needed from you, which will be talked about below;

TEFL Certification

A TEFL certification is required to teach English in the UAE, and it’s common for schools to prefer applicants with advanced credentials or extensive teaching experience.

Interviews are conducted in advance from your home country. Because of this, it is most common for students to take one of our TEFL course options listed below:

  • 11-Week 170-Hour Online TEFL Course
  • 4-Week Intensive Online TEFL Course

Native English Speaker

Schools in the UAE prefer to hire native English speakers – this means teachers with citizenship from the USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. There are, however, some exceptions so be sure to get in touch with your ITA Admissions Advisor to discuss this in further detail.

Degree Requirements

English teachers will need to possess at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree in addition to their TEFL certification. With that said, many schools in the UAE will require teachers to possess a degree specifically in education or a master’s degree (often in any field). Many will strongly prefer candidates to have previous teaching experience and/or a teaching license from a country like the U.S or the U.K.

Visa and Documents

To enter and work in UAE, you need to have a valid visa. You can enter with a tourist visa but to legally work, you need to have a working visa. Your employer will take all the work for you, but make sure that you have all your documents attested (transcript of records, teaching license, certificates, etc.) for smooth visa processing.

After receiving your working visa, you will undergo a medical exam that includes an x-ray, blood test, and urine test. After that, they will issue your resident visa and Emirates ID. The whole process will take 1 to 3 months.

Criminal Clearance Record

Ensure that you have a clean criminal record if you are considering getting a teaching job in Dubai. You will find it hard to find a teaching job in the country if you have any charges or convictions.

Teach English in Dubai

 

How to teach English in Dubai

Before someone can decide to become an English teacher in Dubai, there are necessary steps that should be taken before you can be able to teach English in Dubai. I will be talking in detail about these steps below;

1.       Start Researching Teaching Jobs in Dubai

This is the first step to take if you want to secure a job as an English teacher in Dubai. You can make research and inquiries on the schools that need English teachers such as public schools, private schools, language schools, universities, and even private teaching jobs.

Make inquiries about accommodation, average salary paid to English teachers if it suits you, assurance of your safety and lots more.

You can also use the help of experts or agents who are involved in job research to help you out, or an authorized company to avoid scammers.

2.       Prepare for your Job Search

To prepare for your job search, you need to make sure you have met the qualifications to become an English teacher in Dubai, by providing important documents and information about yourself such as a cover letter, resume or CV, passport photo, clean criminal record, and transcripts.

You must also possess at least a bachelor’s degree or a TELF or CELTA certificate.

Although it is not a must that you should know how to speak Arabic, before you become an English teacher in Dubai, you can make a little effort to learn some of their local language as a major bonus. The flowering greeting “Salam Wa `Alaykum”( literally” peace be upon you”) is a great place to start.

3.       Apply for the Job

Now that you have your documents ready, you can start applying for jobs. The job applications are done while you are still in your home country and it is when you have been employed that you can travel. Once you are done, you should start processing your visa immediately without wasting time. Visa processing takes 1 to 3 months before it is completed.

Generally, schools in Dubai start in August or September, so the best time to apply for the job is during summer, that is sometime in April or July.  For any job you apply for and get picked for, you will have to go through with the interview which is typically done over the phone or via Skype.

Having done this, you can now pack your bags, enter your desired flight and start your adventurous journey to Dubai!

Having listed all these steps in becoming an English teacher in Dubai, let’s summarize this article by answering some frequently asked questions.

Teach English in Dubai – FAQs

[sc_fs_multi_faq headline-0=”h3″ question-0=”How much do English teachers in Dubai make? ” answer-0=” The average salary for an English teacher in the UAE is about $1,800 – $5,000 per month. Generally speaking, the highest-paid ESL teaching salaries globally are found in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the two biggest cities in the UAE.” image-0=”” headline-1=”h3″ question-1=” Are English teachers in demand in Dubai? ” answer-1=”Yes, English teachers are in demand in Dubai. ” image-1=”” headline-2=”h3″ question-2=” Can I teach English in Dubai without a degree? ” answer-2=”No, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree before you can teach English in Dubai.” image-2=”” count=”3″ html=”true” css_class=””]

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