There are plenty of commercial recruitment agencies specialising in the English language market – working for a school to help find teachers or helping a teacher find a job. The agencies are normally paid by the employer (the school), though make sure that you check before you sign up! Agencies normally cover a particular area or country – and will help you put together a good CV, send you new job opportunities and even advice on relocating, accommodation and visas.

Almost all the jobs for ELT or ESL teachers are with English language schools. The majority of all schools are run on an individual basis, with the director of studies also the person who interviews and appoints new teachers. But there are some major chains of schools who have their own internal recruitment agencies who can help you find a job within the schools in their group. Once you have a job in the group, the internal job-agency often works to help find a job in another school within the group or in a different country.

The biggest ELT employer in the world is the British Council, which has its own recruitment service – see here for more details on the British Council. As a good starting point, try the commercial agencies and major international school groups listed below.

Anglo Pacific
Suite 32, Nevilles Court, Dollis Hill Lane, London
NW2 6HG
Tel: +44 (0)20 8452 7836
Agency that specializes in recruitment in SE Asia
Avalon House
8 Denmark Street, London WC2H 8LS
Tel: +44 (0)20 7279 1998
Email: info@avalonschool.co.uk
Web: www.avalonschool.co.uk
Recruitment for its schools in China, France, Spain, Poland, UK

Bell Educational Trust
Overseas Department, Hillscross, Red Cross Lane,
Cambridge, CB2 2QX
Tel: +44 (0)1223 246644
Fax: +44 (0)1223 414080
Email: info.overseas@bell-schools.ac.uk
Web: www.bell-schools.ac.uk
Major group that has schools around the world; most schools recruit locally, but this office can provide contact information

Benedict Schools
3 Place Chauderon, PO Box 270, 1000 Lausanne 9, Switzerland
Tel: +21 323 6655
Fax: +21 323 6777
Email: info@benedict-schools.com
Web: www.benedict-schools.com
Major group with over 80 schools (in Europe, Africa and America); most schools recruit locally, but this office can provide contact information

Berlitz
Lincoln House, 296-302 High Holborn, London
WC1V 7JH
Tel: +44 (0)20 7915 0909
Fax: +44 (0)20 7915 0222
Web: www.berlitz.com
Major group that has over 400 centres around the
world; teachers are trained in the Berlitz way of teaching

Billington Recruitment
1 Mariners Close, St James Court, Victoria Dock,
Kingston upon Hull, HU9 1QE
Email: bill1312@hotmail.com
Agency that covers Europe

British Council
Education and Training Group, 10 Spring Gardens,
London SW1A 2BN
Tel: +44 (0)20 7389 4596
Fax: +44 (0)20 7389 4594
Email: assistants@britishcouncil.org
Web: www.languageassistant.co.uk
Provides language assistants to schools around the world. (See separate section on British Council)

CG Associates
83 Clarence Mews, London
Tel: +44 (0)7802 211542
Email: info@christopherg.co.uk
Agency offering worldwide coverage.

CIEE
52 Poland Street, London W1F 7AB
Tel: +44 (0)20 7478 2020
Fax: +44 (0)20 7734 7322
Web: www.councilexchanges.org.uk
Looks after the JET (Japan Exchange Teaching) programme as well as Teach in China and Teach in Thailand programmes

EF – English First
Teacher Recruitment, 36-38 St Aubyns, Hove, East
Sussex, BN3 2TD
Tel: +44 (0)1273 201431
Fax: +44 (0)1273 746742
Email: recruitment.uk@englishfirst.com
Web: www.englishfirst.com
Major group that has schools around the world

ELS Language Centers
400 Alexander Park, Princeton, NJ 08540
Tel: +1 609 750 3512
Fax: +1 609 750 3596
Email: info@els.com
Web: www.els.com
Major group that works with Berlitz for its language centers – however its 40-plus schools still recruit
through this central address

ERC Recruitment
New Tyning, Stone Allerton, Axbridge, BS26 2NJ
Tel: +44 (0)1934 713892
Email: info@erc-recruitment.co.uk
Web: www.erc-recruitment.co.uk
Agency offering worldwide coverage

GEOS English Academy
Compton Park, Compton Park Road, Eastbourne,
BN21 1EH
Email: info@geos.com
Web: www.geos.com
Major group that has over 500 schools around the world

GTCE
52 Loampit Hill, Lewisham, London SE13 7SW
Tel: +44 (0)20 8691 6569
Email: info@gtce.co.uk
Web: www.gtce.co.uk
Agency that concentrates on China

International House
106 Piccadilly, London W1V 7NL
Tel: +44 (0)20 7518 6970
Fax: +44 (0)20 7518 6971
Email: hr@ihlondon.co.uk
Web: www.ihworld.com
Major group that has over 120 schools around the world

Linguarama
Personnel Department, 89 High Street, Alton,
Hampshire, GU34, 1LG
Tel: +44 (0)1420 80899
Fax: +44 (0)1420 80856
Email: personnel@linguarama.com
Web: www.linguarama.com
Major group that has schools around the world

Protocol Professional
Tel: +44 (0)115 911 1177
Email: recruitment@protocol-professional.co.uk
Web: www.protocol-professional.co.uk
Agency that specializes on the UK

Saxoncourt
124 New Bond Street, London W1S 1DX
Tel: +44 (0)20 7491 1911
Fax: +44 (0)20 7493 3657
Email: recruit@saxoncourt.com
Web: www.saxoncourt.com
Major group of schools and recruitment centre that
places over 500 teachers per year around the world

Sterling Recruitment
49 Sudbury Ave, Wembley, Middx, HA0 3AN
Tel: +44 (0)20 8903 4424
Fax: +44 (0)20 8903 3566
Recruitment Agency for jobs in London

Wall Street Institute
Paca de Catalunya 9, 4th Floor, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
Tel: +93 306 33 00
Fax: +93 302 08 29
Web: www.wallstreetinstitute.com
Major chain of over 400 schools around the world.