Teaching Jobs in Portugal

Portugal has a warm, Mediterranean climate and wet winters, with most of the larger cities lying on the coast. There’s more to do in the cities, but the cost of living is higher, so if you teach in Portugal in more rural areas, you’ll enjoy a slower pace of life and less temptation to speak English.

Lisbon. As the largest city, the capital offers the highest concentration of opportunities to teach English in Portugal. It’s one of the world’s oldest cities, centuries older than London or Paris, and history is practically seeping through the tiles on the walls. Take a stroll through its winding, cobblestone streets (or hitch a ride on a Golden Tram) to The Bertrand Bookstore, known as the oldest bookstore in the world. After a long day of teaching in Lisbon, head to the relaxed, colorful Clube de Fado and absorb the bittersweet melancholy of live fado performances.

Porto boasts one of the oldest European centers, and its historical core was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The People of Porto are proud of their history and aren’t afraid to let loose during festivals like Festa de São João do Porto held each June; this is the only time of the year when it is socially acceptable for participants to hit each other on the head with garlic flowers, limp leeks, or soft plastic hammers. It’s an odd tradition, dating back to pagan courtship rituals, which we can’t really explain, but highly recommend partaking in.

Funchal. This is the capital of Portugal's Autonomous Region of Madeira. It’s a mountainous island in the Atlantic that attracts teachers and tourists alike to its sparkling waters. Back in the day, Funchal’s economy depended on growing fennel (and was a strategic pirate pit stop). Now, instead of buccaneers, the city attracts visitors who come to enjoy its world-record New Year’s Eve fireworks display. Every other day of the year, the crystalline waters beckon vacationers.

Portugal’s economy is pretty stable, although unemployment has grown recently. With the rise in tourism, there has been a growing demand for teachers, especially those who wish to teach English in Portugal. Not to mention, there are ten times more private languages schools than there were at the end of the 1990s.