What is TEFL? An Introduction to Teaching English as a Foreign Language
How does making a positive impact on the lives of students, exploring new and exciting cultures, and gaining invaluable experience sound? Rhetorical question — of course, it sounds great! But what is the best way to go about achieving this sense of fulfillment?
Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) opens you up to impacting others positively, immersing yourself in new cultures, and gaining work experience. Thousands of people flock to foreign countries every year, as well as to their laptops, to provide English lessons to non-native speakers.
Abroad vs Online
There are two main paths to go down: teaching abroad or online. Both have their advantages and drawbacks.
Abroad
Jetting off to a far-away land has many wonderful appeals and advantages. For starters, you get to experience, perhaps for the first time in your life, what it is like to be fully independent, away from the safety net of home, family, and friends. This is invaluable as there are few opportunities in life to self-improve like you can living abroad. Stepping out of your comfort zone will force you to make new friends and challenge the perceptions you have long held about yourself. Furthermore, it looks great on a resume!
Another benefit of teaching overseas is the high chance of being able to work long-term contracts and full-time. Schools and employers will usually prefer people who are willing to work full-time contracts, which really opens the possibility of a teaching career. Also, it means the opportunity for pay rises is there.
Online
Teaching online, not just in English, but any subject that has ever existed is super popular. With the pandemic, the demand for online education has increased even further. For people looking to work online, there is plenty of demand.
There is an abundance of benefits to tutoring online: be the boss of your own schedule, work from the comfort of your own home (or anywhere you like!), and no need to worry about the costs that come with travelling abroad or commuting every day.
Moreover, you get the choice to either work with a company or teach as a freelancer. The former is more stable, guarantees a fairly steady income, and eliminates the need to self-advertise. The latter, however, gives you way more freedom to choose who you teach, when, and how.
It’s clear how flexible the very nature of TEFL is. Whether you work overseas or online, are a part of an agency or are solo, you will undoubtedly reap the rewards that teaching has to offer.
Qualification
You may be wondering how to become a qualified TEFL teacher. The best and most common way to do that is to complete a training course and attain a TEFL/TESOL certificate. Your certificate proves to employers that you are trained and ready to work for them.
TEFL Certificates
A quick search for teaching English certificates will reveal a plethora of different companies advertising their offerings. The tricky bit is knowing which one to go for to avoid wasting a large sum of money on a poor-quality course.
Two points to keep in mind are:
- Accreditation – it is crucial that the company you want to buy from is accredited by multiple relevant educational bodies. Otherwise, the courses likely will not be recognised by employers and thus your course would have been a waste.
- Hours – when it comes to English teacher training purses, the more hours a course has, the more advanced and comprehensive it is, and the more attractive it is. Most employers will never ask for more than 120 hours of TEFL training.
Pick a trusted and accredited provider:
Destinations
A big reason why many people choose to teach abroad is the chance to live in a different country. Dreams of lounging by the beach on weekends, soaking up the culture, and enjoying the local delights are the driving force behind many teachers’ decisions. If you are one of these people then read on for a brief list of the top TEFL destinations.
China
If you have done any research about teaching abroad then you will probably know that China is the place to be. No other country compares in terms of demand. Also, there is a range of different job types and contracts, so there should be something for everyone. You could work in one of China’s megacities, smaller towns, or rural areas.
Visa requirements: incoming teachers need a bachelor’s degree and a TEFL certificate.
Spain
Probably the destination with the highest demand for teachers in Europe, Spain is an exciting country to be in. Cosmopolitan cities, good weather, world-topping cuisine, and lovely locals make Spain a favorite in the TEFL industry. Jobs are available mostly at the beginning of the semester, so around September and then again in January.
Visa requirements: a TEFL certificate is needed.
Mexico
Mexico’s TEFL industry is large and demand is steadily growing. Business English is particularly popular here due to the number of young professionals seeking to improve their career opportunities. Work can be found here in both its bustling cities and rustic countryside.
Visa requirements: a TEFL certificate is needed.
In reality, you can teach in all corners of the Earth, even in countries where English is the native language like the US. If you would prefer to work on home soil then there are private language schools and summer camps where English teachers are needed across the country.
