TEFL Why complete a TEFL course
A TEFL (or TESOL) certificate is the major ESL qualification required to teach English abroad. No previous specialist qualification or teaching experience is necessary to take the course? you just have to be able to speak English! Previously, it was extremely easy for any native English speaker to obtain a job abroad, even without a specific qualification. Today however oversees school administrators are far more particular about their employees and their qualifications. A TEFL certificate shows perspective employers that you possess the professional tools to teach English successfully.
The qualification therefore opens a multitude of doors by facilitating sustained travel and work oversees. Living and working in an area allows the teacher to gain an experience of foreign cultures and society that would be almost impossible through tourism travel alone.
Job prospects for accredited TEFL teachers are particularly good. The spectrum of TEFL qualifications is extremely wide, encompassing work abroad (teaching oversees to those whose first language is not English) and teaching in your home country (teaching residents whose first language is not English).English has become the dominant language of the twenty-first century and, according to the British Council, at least one billion people speak or are trying to speak English at the present time with around 300 million of those actively studying the language. Due to this ?you will find TEFL jobs throughout the world, from Spain to South Korea, Thailand to Turkey. There are literally thousands of jobs abroad for certified EFL teachers?. It is true that, as with much expat work, employment conditions vary between countries due to the level of economic development. However, with careful research, it is relatively easy to find a well-paid job in your desired area, often with numerous other benefits. For example, there is such a demand for TEFL teachers in South Korea that it is standard for institutions to pay for the round-trip air-fair and housing costs of a teacher with a university degree.
There is also benefit to be gained from a TEFL qualification in the general job market. Many companies and graduate schools value international experience. Individuals who have lived and worked oversees (even for the short period of time that it takes to complete a TEFL course abroad) are able to offer an international perspective and awareness that invaluable in the modern professional world.
Even if you have no immediate plans to teach abroad, completing a TEFL course is a great personal achievement. Your communication skills are stretched to the limit as you try to relate to and teach a class of non-English speakers in a language that you don?t know. You have to be as creative as possible in your lesson planning and your time management is continuously tested. It is an extremely rewarding experience and so enjoyable that it is probable that, even if you weren?t planning on teaching, you will want to carry it on anyway! Your skills, knowledge and experience will not only make you an extremely effective teacher who is comfortable in any classroom situation, but will also translate into all walks of life.
1. www.teflcorp.com 2. www.teflcourse.net 3. www.wikipedia.com
Bibliography
www.teflcertificate.com www.teflcorp.com www.huntesl.com www.guardian.com www.teflcourse.net www.wikipedia.com
Author: Sarah Collinson
Date of post: 2006-09-26
