Though the coronavirus pandemic has been a global event, its impact has been uneven, varying across borders and within communities.
Industries everywhere, particularly those that rely on travel, have suffered, but even those consequences have been dissimilar. While borders closed and the international tourism industry came to a halt, travelers headed for mountain towns and beaches closer to home, providing a boon to local destinations as people became tourists in their own backyards.
The teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) field has traditionally relied on the ability of teachers to travel outside of their countries to work, therefore this industry has been greatly affected. Some classroom teachers had to adapt to teaching online while others remained in the classroom and adopted strict safety protocols.
Some teachers postponed or entirely canceled jobs requiring travel. Many foreign teachers also saw their situations change dramatically when they left their current postings to return to their home countries.
With so many different outcomes, it’s not an easy task to predict when the English Language Teaching (ELT) industry may revive. One way to gauge the health of the recovery is to take the pulse of the teacher recruitment business.
For the good of their teachers and their partner schools, English teacher recruitment companies have had to stay abreast of the constantly changing regulations brought about by the pandemic. Their insights provide a window into the outlook for 2022.