Things You Must Know If You Want To Teach English In Malaysia
8th July 2021
Are you thinking of teaching in Malaysia?
If yes, it can be an ideal choice to become an English teacher in Malaysia.
Malaysia is one of the world’s most popular and exotic destinations for teaching English abroad. With its sultry weather, throbbing modern life, delicious cuisine, and captivating heritage, Malaysia will surely offer you a great experience of teaching abroad.
Malaysia is the 3rd largest economy in Southeast Asia, sitting on the verge of progress where there is a high demand for English teachers. The Malaysian government once introduced a scheme where maths and science were taught in English, but due to the excess demand, the scheme had to be stopped a few years later. Instead, it focused on separate English language classes.
Teaching English in Malaysia is an excellent opportunity to set your teaching career on a path as the government is eager to hire English language teachers! You can find several Malaysians who can teach English and thus the market is competitive. Though Malaysia has a large population and a fast-developing economy, the job market for first-time teachers is not that large when compared with South Asian countries like Vietnam and Thailand, but you can land with opportunities if you have a BA degree, TEFL certification, and some teaching experience. As long as you have that international experience and the passion to go that extra mile to reach your goals, there will be no dearth of opportunities.
What are the requirements for Teaching English in Malaysia?
Before starting to look out for jobs in a foreign country, you need to do some research work. First and foremost, you need to find out the requirements for teaching in Malaysia. Let us find what you need to be an English teacher in Malaysia!
- TEFL certification
TEFL certification is mandatory for teaching English in Malaysia. You don't need to have professional teaching experience but a TEFL degree will provide you the training and qualification you need to teach in a foreign country.
Teaching interviews are conducted mostly from the home country of the applicants via video call or phone.
- Native English Speaker
Another requirement for teaching English in Malaysia is that you must be a native English speaker to teach in Malaysia. It implies you must be a citizen from English-speaking nations like the USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa.
- Degree Requirements
For a teaching job in Malaysia, you must have a Bachelor’s degree in any field. Some schools may even prefer a Master’s degree.
Teaching jobs in Malaysia
When you think of applying for a teaching job in Malaysia, do some research and start connecting with schools and agencies, line up your interviews and meeting before stepping out of your home. You should plan everything ahead before getting your first job, like finding cheap places to stay (around $15 to $30 per night) and saving some money to help with the setup costs.
The most common types of jobs in Malaysia are-
- Teaching children in public schools
- Teaching adults in private language schools
- Teaching Business English to adults
- Tutoring privately
- Teaching English online
Salary
Once you secure a teaching job in Malaysia, you can earn around 3,000 to 8,000 MYR (750 – 2000 USD) per month (minus around 10% tax), get paid holidays, free health insurance, and even the expenses of your air travel on year-long contracts.
Cost of living
The cost of living usually ranges from 900-1800 USD per month. (3,500-7,000MRY).
Some schools also provide an accommodation allowance. The wages you will get are more than enough for you to live comfortably and also make some savings. Teachers in Malaysia can save around 300 – 500 USD per month after all the expenses.
Consequently, if you are someone who has a plan of teaching English in Malaysia, this information will help you to plan your teaching career.
Written By : Katharina
