Morocco is now one of the hottest destinations for holidays — and for teaching! With its easy access to Europe, a long history of diverse cultures, and varied and beautiful landscape, it has something to offer for everyone.
Whether you’re interested in history, languages, architecture, sunny beaches, or outdoor adventure, teaching English in Morocco is a great choice on multiple levels. You’ll get to earn money from a noble profession and enjoy life in an exotic country. Sounds perfect, right?
Morocco hasn’t always been famous for teaching English. However, that is changing fast with the country’s policy towards economic advances and tourism and with adult Moroccans’ eagerness to pursue higher education abroad and increasing their professional opportunities.
That is why you can easily find opportunities to teach English in Morocco in language centers, international universities, private schools, or tutoring, whether as a paid teacher or as a volunteer. These jobs are usually found in bigger cities like Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, Fes, and Marrakech.
Before you jet off though, there’s something you might need before teaching English in Morocco: advice. Well, lucky you! We’ve got some top insider tips about Morocco teaching jobs and the work that goes into finding the best opportunities for you.
Our top teaching English in Morocco advice
1. Make sure your program offers accommodation or assistance in finding it
If you are working in a school or university with attached residential areas, it is likely you will be offered a subsidized or free apartment; and with a little work, you can transform one into your new cozy home. If not, you can easily find your own accommodation with some research.
A one bedroom apartment can go for as much as $400 to $500 in Casablanca or Rabat, and for almost half the price in other cities. You will need to ask around the neighborhood you’re interested in for offers (local grocery owners usually have information on which places are in the market for rent).
Your place of work will sometimes help with this but make sure to always inspect any place for rodents and pests, especially cockroaches. Most houses do not come with heating or internet access. In this case, you will need to buy your own.
For internet access, it is available all around the country with a subscription to one of the main services: Maroc Telecom, Inwi, and Orange. These three providers allow monthly package deals which contain phone calls and internet access for less than 400 dirhams ($40).
2. Check to see if you need a degree or if you can get by with a TEFL certification
It depends on the specific job that you’re applying for, but the Moroccan government requires a TEFL certification and a BA degree to teach in Morocco and be able to have a bank account that allows money transfers abroad.
In general, native speakers are preferred and the ones with teaching experience have the most advantage. English schools in major cities frequently hire English speaking teachers of all subjects and English-speaking administrative workers.
For a city like Casablanca, some private language centers include Wall Street English, BPEC, AMIDEAST, and the British Language Academy. One language company that has centers in 11 cities in Morocco (including Marrakesh and Casablanca) is the American Language Center.
Since open positions are usually not publicly posted for teaching English in Morocco, advice is necessary here. Make sure to contact the school or institution you’re interested in working at by telephone or email. Inquire about possible job openings and be sure to follow up with a phone call if you do not hear from them after 3-4 days.
3. Budget wisely — and follow it
Even though salaries are higher in cities, the cost of living is also equally high when teaching in Morocco. The good side is that most Morocco teaching jobs for foreigners come with a free or subsidized apartment and health care.
Food is varied, delicious, and extremely affordable in Morocco. However, imports like alcohol and packaged foods are more expensive than local goods. The Moroccan diet is a healthy one — even street food is affordable and is very diverse.
While teaching in Morocco, you’ll find that taxis are also cheaper compared to many other countries and that they are ideal for getting around town. With the wage provided to foreigners (usually way higher than the Moroccan minimum wage), you will be able to live comfortably. You can even save some of your salary if you live the way locals do!
4. Go over visa details before you accept a job
If you are a holder of a passport of most English-speaking countries (except for South Africa) or most European countries, you are able to get a tourist visa for 90 days on arrival in Morocco.
Then, you and your employer will need to submit paperwork for your work visa or residency permit (carte de séjour). Keep in mind that this process is long and can take longer than 90 days.
In that case, you will have to leave Morocco and re-enter as a tourist for another 90 days. Luckily, Spain is very close to Morocco so you can easily get cheap flights to Madrid or a bus to Ceuta. All you need is to leave for less than 24 hours. We’re sure Spanish sangria will make up for the inconvenience!
5. Be mindful of cultural differences
When teaching English in Morocco, advice to live by is to always be culturally sensitive. The Moroccan people are modest, good at heart, and have high values of hospitality — they will even respect foreigners more than they would do with one another. Approach them with kindness and you will find yourself invited to their house on Friday for Couscous! Moroccans in general are also tolerant to other faiths and will refer you to the nearest church or synagogue when you ask.
Most people have a high level of honesty but make sure you are careful with certain language centers’ owners when teaching in Morocco. These locally-owned schools have become an easy way to make money and thus, they may not have a high level of professionalism. You may be expected to do more work than what you initially agreed on. Work culture in Morocco is a bit laid back in comparison to other places, so punctuality and efficiency may not be defined the same way.
Since Morocco identifies as a Muslim country, there are certain aspects of the faith that are more noticeable. The call for prayer is one that you will not be able to ignore for a while (then you get used to it and you miss it when you leave!). Larger businesses have a special place for praying, and older people are more likely to be seen in traditional long robes called djellabas.
During Ramadan, work hours are shortened and holidays are somewhat unpredictable as they depend on the formal authority’s moon sightings. Additionally, alcohol is slightly expensive and is mostly sold in bars, hotels, and some grocery stores.
It will be rare to see couples hugging or kissing, as PDA is inappropriate. A kiss on each cheek, however, is a way to greet other friends regardless of gender in big cities. People in smaller cities will opt for handshakes or just a verbal greeting.
Finally, food is very accessible, with loads of Moroccan delicacies found around cities. However, it will be more challenging to incorporate certain diets, like a vegan or gluten-free, since the cuisine heavily depends on meats and breads.
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Teaching English in Morocco will prove to be a life-changing opportunity. It will introduce you to brilliant and ambitious individuals (both Moroccans and foreigners), it will help you polish your French and pick up Arabic words, and it will welcome you to an ancient country with diverse cultures and rooted traditions.
Visiting Morocco as a tourist gives you just a taste of this beautiful country and its people. Living here, however, will immerse you fully in the daily lives of Moroccans. Even years after your experience, you will still look back at it with love and nostalgia for all the unique, happy moments and memories.
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