Teach English in Shihu Zhen - Huai'an Shi

English is one of the most spoken languages in the world, being the most used language on the internet as of April 2019 by Statista and is said to reach 2 billion people in 2020 by the British Council (which is 1 person in every 4). Of that number those people will either be using English or learning how to use it. So the question "why" may be better put as "why not" complete a TEFL course. There are many great reasons to pursue a TEFL course, in this essay I will discuss some of the most advantageous ones. With the English language being such a prominent presence on the global stage it is likely that most people from all over the world will have been exposed to it to some extent. Whether this is due to moving into a target-language community where English is the national language such as the United Kingdom or Australia, or where it has moved and become a main language of culture and commerce such as Singapore and India. Most people may need to learn English for a Specific Purpose (ESP) such as for legal, tourism, and finance sectors. A popular strand of ESP teaching now is Business English, where a person learns to use English in the business setting in most cases for work purposes. It would therefore seem logical to want to learn English in order to better a persons ability to interact with their neighbours, colleagues or peers, whether on a personal or occupational basis. The TEFL course not only could help a person to learn English but also to teach it as well. So a student would in effect be learning a new skill, the ability to teach. Not only would they be learning about the language (words, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation etc) they would also be learning new skills as well. Such skills would include how to build rapport with people, analysing strengths and weaknesses, enhancing listening skills, knowing how to manage their time effectively and so on. It could also be looked upon as Continued Personal Development (CPD) as a means to enhance and develop their abilities. All of which are transferable skills which can be put to use in any facet of life. With the ever-increasing numbers of people learning English, so too will there be a demand for those to teach it. According to myTEFL, there are more than 20,000 new ESL jobs listed per month, which is a staggering number. So the likelihood of getting a job is high. So it is safe to say that working towards a TEFL qualification will indicate to prospective employers that the graduated student will have obtained the necessary skills and tools to teach English successfully. So therefore there is great potential in securing employment in the future. To conclude, it would seem that any shortcomings of completing a TEFL course are outweighed but the many positives that come with it. Whether it means sacrificing some time and money in the short-term, the long-term benefits of enhanced skills, knowledge and increased employability are substantial. Ryan Secolonovo References Clement. J. (2019), Most common languages used on the internet as of April 2019, by share of internet users. [online] Statista. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/262946/share-of-the-most-common-languages-on-the-internet/ [Accessed 6 Feb. 2020]. Francis, J. (2018), 8 statistics that show just how big the demand for TEFL teachers is. [online] myTEFL. Available at: https://mytefl.com/8-statistics-that-show-just-how-big-the-demand-for-tefl-teachers-is/ [Accessed 7 Feb. 2020]. Riddell, D. (2014), Teach EFL. 4th ed. London: Hodder Education. The British Council. (2013), The English Effect. [online] British Council. Available at: https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/english-effect-report-v2.pdf>.viewed [Accessed 6 Feb. 2020].