Travel Asia in July and August

What is an English camp?

English camps are short, intensive courses where kids get sent to fully immerse themselves in English for a period of time, usually around 1 month. The idea is that they are only allowed to speak English for the duration of the camp.

Who works at English camps?

It’s a bit of a mixture really but the majority of people who work at English camps are the ‘teach-travel’ type. Normally aged between 22-35, people are traveling in Asia and want to bolster their travel fund. There are also an older group of teachers who may be retirees.

When are these English camps?

They normally run in the summer or winter although their dates are never set in stone. Factor in something around December 26th-January 30th and July 15th to August 15th, give or take a week or so.

Where can I work at an English Camp?

They are becoming more and more popular throughout Asia, at this stage Japan and South Korea are the most prevalent. They also exist now and again in Taiwan, China and Thailand.

Can I work at an English camp?

Probably, although it is quite competitive so you have to be prepared to lodge a quality application. This is an awesome, short-term job and the secrets out so you can’t just wing it. You need to be from a native English-speaking country (Ireland, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the US) so regardless of your English ability, if English isn’t your first language the embassies simply won’t give you your work visa.

Also, you need at least a bachelors 3 or 4 year degree and if you have no teaching experience you’re going to probably need a TEFL too. Even if you have a year or two of teaching experience, a TEFL will make your application a lot stronger.

Where do we sleep at English camps?

It’s almost always the case that the camp will supply you with free accommodation, more often than not in university style dorms, often sharing with a fellow ELT (English language teacher). If they don’t supply accommodation they’ll most likely give you a stipend for renting your own place.

What about the food at camp?

Think high school/university cafeteria food in the country that the camp is held, that’s what you’ll get. Far from disgusting but certainly not gourmet, but hey – it’s free!