International TEFL Academy Articles

A whole country inside one city, the labyrinthian metropolis of Jakarta encapsulates all that Indonesia has to offer. Where smoke from satay grills rises between banyan branches and fluorescent lights, nationalities and cultures from the world over make their home. Join this diverse population yourself as an English teacher in Indonesia and begin the adventure of a lifetime!


Sitting just beneath the continent of Asia, below the equator, Jakarta enjoys a tropical climate year-round. Located on Jakarta bay, several rivers flow through the city before opening into the Java Sea. The city’s name is derived from the Old Javanese word "Jayakarta" which translates as "victorious deed", "complete act", or "complete victory". Hindus of the Tarumanegara Empire were the first major power in the region, arriving from Southern India in the fourth century and passing on their religion to the native Sundanese inhabitants. The city now covers over 225 square miles, and as of 2010 was home to over 9.5 million people!


The demand for English teachers in Indonesia - particularly in urban centers like Jakarta- is very high. Beyond being useful in an employment or university setting, a level of status is attached to English fluency in Indonesia. Indonesian celebrities pepper their sentences with English phrases when interviewing with the press, and the language itself is associated with sense of style and class. Many English teaching jobs in Jakarta will provide health insurance and accommodation, as well as flight reimbursement. As an English teacher you will have a greater likelihood of working with children, because English has been instated as part of the national curriculum.