Both public and private schools accept international teachers who wish to teach English in Portugal. Regardless, you’ll likely work in a school with a set curriculum, so lesson planning will be a breeze, especially if you ask your co-workers to plan with you over coffee. While foreign teachers with older students will usually have full control over their classes, team-teaching is saved for the little munchkins in elementary school.
TEFL Courses & Placement Assistance. There are no prerequisites to obtaining your TEFL certification. You just have to pay a fee of between $1,300 to $2,000 for TEFL/TESOL certification courses. However, housing and transportation are usually not included. TEFL program fees often include TEFL/TESOL classes, instructor support, observations by college-level instructors, lifetime free job placement assistance, and support in finding housing. Obtaining a TEFL certificate in Portugal will give you a leg up in the hiring process, especially if you’ve been eyeing a prestigious language school you'd like to work at.
Homestay Tutoring. This option is best if you’d prefer teaching and living with a host family. In these types of programs, teachers pay a program fee and are assigned to a family. Most tutors will spend time teaching their native language. In some cases, you may need a bachelor’s degree and a teaching diploma, but more often than not, you just need a willing and flexible attitude. Most contracts stipulate that you teach English 10 to 20 hours a week at any time of the year and that your families agree to include you on any excursions.
High School Teaching Jobs. International schools are great places to start for job-seeking multilingual teachers. In these schools teachers can choose from a variety of subjects, including English, biology, and chemistry. Since many international schools operate under an American curriculum, they look for teachers with a bachelor’s degree and two or more years of post-certification teaching experience. Contracts normally run for nine to ten months, from September or October. Most teachers have three weeks paid vacation and, by law, Sunday is a rest day. If you opt for high school teaching jobs, perks include health insurance and subsidized accommodations.