Reasons Why I Teach

Teaching English as a Foreign Language is a career that is open to anyone with an excellent standard of written and spoken English, regardless of age, nationality, or academic history. All you need, apart from a solid understanding of the language, is a TEFL or TESOL certification and the drive to make your dreams come true. However, despite all the many benefits that await teachers heading overseas, there are also a few potential issues that you need to prepare for. So what are the main pros and cons of TEFL? Once you have completed your TEFL certification course you will be able to apply for teaching jobs in virtually any country you can think of. If you dream of living and working by a tropical beach, or if a major world city such as Tokyo, Milan, or Rio is your preference, no problem,...  [Read more]

There is no simple answer to this question as the reasons for teaching English are different for different people. For some it is the chance to help people who need English to improve their job status and to provide for their families. For others it is the adventure of heading overseas that is the real draw. With a TEFL qualification you can realistically look for work in almost any country you can think of. Another major benefit of teaching English that is often overlooked is that it provides a huge boost to the confidence and future careers of thousands of people who see it as a major step on their work and study journey. Whatever your own reasons for wanting to teach English, you will get to travel, help other people, and gain valuable work and life experience, all while exploring your...  [Read more]

There are many reasons why people take a gap year and there is no particular best time to do it. You might have just finished high school or university and are unsure what you want to do next. You might already be in work, but are bored of the daily routine and looking for a break. Whatever your reason for taking a few months, a year, or even longer away from your existing life, it could be the best decision you ever made. After being away for a while you should find you have time to reflect on the past, enjoy your present, and most importantly, make well thought out plans for your future. Initially many people assume that teaching English during a gap year is simply a good way to earn some cash while traveling from place to place. However, there are many reasons why teaching abroad is a...  [Read more]

Teaching English one-to-one is a different role for the teacher, however, most teachers will have done, or will eventually do this kind of teaching during their career. For some teachers it is a way to supplement their salary-their one-to-one classes are out of school hours and privately arranged, or offered directly by the school the teacher is working at. One-to-one classes may also be offered by the school the teacher is working at during normal school hours and the teacher is required to teach them (Riddell, 220). The reasons for students wanting one to one lessons are many and there are a number of advantages and disadvantages to one to one teaching. Students may request one to one teaching on their own, however it must be noted that some schools usually give total ...  [Read more]

Living in this global age where technology is always at our fingertips and our economies between different countries are becoming tightly knitted together to have prompted many people to learn and improve their diction and the communication skills in the area of business for work and personal reason. Because of this great opportunity, teachers can have a great opportunity in teaching Business English as a foreign language. Among some of the benefits of learning to teach Business English is we will learn to improve our business communication skills for our personal reasons. We will become more fluent in marketing and selling ourselves to our clients and our clients will feel more confident in hiring us because we will provide them with interesting and stimulating classes that are...  [Read more]

What is most remarkable about the assortment of discipline on the market today is the number of fundamental assumptions they seem to share. Some may advocate the use of carrots rather than sticks; some may refer to punishments as “logical consequences”. But virtually all take for granted that the teacher must be in control of the classroom, and that what we need are strategies to get students to comply with the adults expectations. In this path-breaking book entitled Beyond Discipline” by Alfie Kohn calls these premises into question and with them the very idea of “classroom management”. He questions the assumption that problems in the classroom are always the fault of students who don’t do what they are told, suggesting that we might...  [Read more]

What is most remarkable about the assortment of discipline on the market today is the number of fundamental assumptions they seem to share. Some may advocate the use of carrots rather than sticks; some may refer to punishments as ?logical consequences?. But virtually all take for granted that the teacher must be in control of the classroom, and that what we need are strategies to get students to comply with the adults expectations. In this path-breaking book entitled Beyond Discipline? by Alfie Kohn calls these premises into question and with them the very idea of ?classroom management?. He questions the assumption that problems in the classroom are always the fault of students who don?t do what they are told, suggesting that we might instead reconsider what they have...  [Read more]

It is definitely possible to teach English without a degree. There are plenty of language schools that will gladly hire you regardless of your educational background. Even though having a degree opens more doors and opportunities, there is no reason for not pursuing your dream of teaching English abroad if you don't possess a degree. The question of whether a degree is required to find a teaching job is arbitrary, as it is for many other occupations. There is no reason why a university-educated English teacher would be more effective than one who does not possess a degree. One might argue that certain characteristics, such as passion, commitment, and the ability to establish rapport with your students, are far more important than a college diploma in this career. These qualities should,...  [Read more]

If you don’t possess a university degree, it is still possible to teach English in a foreign country. Regardless of your academic background, there are countless language schools out there that will happily hire you. Even though a degree opens more doors and opportunities, there really is no reason to give up on your dream of teaching English abroad if you do not have one. We at ITTT believe that having a degree is not the most important thing when considering a career in language teaching. Instead, certain qualities, like passion, dedication, and the ability to establish a connection with your students, may be argued to be far more important in this career than a university degree. However, you should still possess the right skills and know-how for leading a successful classroom. This...  [Read more]

I have been teaching now for about one month, so I thought I would sit down and take advantage of this TEFL assignment to really take a good look at myself. I teach English level 3 (out of 10) integrated, integrated meaning that it involves grammar, speaking, writing and listening. In my course I have a text book which I use as my main material. The text book supplies me with a CD for listening exercises, various lesson plan ideas, quizzes and tests. The book is very useful and is called World View 2. My students are all Spanish speakers and the majority are Costa Ricans.To begin positively, I would like to analyze the things I believe I do well as a teacher. In the classroom it is my goal to always get every student involved. I constantly am calling on students and asking...  [Read more]

Many thousands of people every year, of all nationalities and from all walks of life, make the decision to take a TEFL certification course for a wide variety of different reasons. For some it offers the chance to earn a bit of spending money while traveling in far-flung corners of the world, while for others it is a great way to make fundamental changes to their career and life plans. If you are one of the many thousands of others who have thought about studying TEFL, but are yet to act, here are some of the main reasons why we think you should take the leap. Most people have periods in their life when the job they are doing becomes dull, mundane, and all too repetitive. So what better way to shake things up and make a change to the same old same old than by taking a training course that...  [Read more]

For the purpose of this article I assume that there is absolutely no difference between TEFL and TESOL, they are both a means of teaching English to people who do not have it as their first language. So why do people think to themselves sitting at home, maybe I will train to be a teacher, but not a regular teacher that we all grew up with at school. But someone who teaches the English language to non English speakers in foreign countries. Well the reasons are varied but almost everyone can identify themselves with at least one. Some realize that the jobs they work in are not quite what they thought they would do growing up. So in search of excitement and something more worthwhile they sign up to TEFL. Others like myself are really gypsies and have a great urge to...  [Read more]

Teaching English without a degree is, fortunately, possible. Regardless of your educational history, there are plenty of language schools that will be happy to employ you. True, having a degree opens up more doors and opportunities, but if you don't have one, there is no reason to let that stop you from pursuing your dream of teaching English abroad. The question of whether you need a degree to find a teaching position is arbitrary, as it is with many other occupations. There is no reason why an English teacher with a university degree would be more effective than one without. Certain traits (passion, commitment, and the ability to create rapport with your students, for example) are more important than a college diploma in this career, as they are in many others. It is important to note,...  [Read more]

How many of the students learning English as a foreign language have had the chance of having native teachers' I don’t believe they are that many. The reasons are various: not many of them (students as well as native teachers) are willing to travel; costs are usually much higher; the students are afraid that their English level is not strong enough to have a teacher that can only communicate in English, etc. This last reason is one of the most common because learners are so used to having a teacher that speaks their mother tongue and explains in their own language different expressions, words, grammar issues, etc. They do not know that even if the teacher does speak their native language, it is much better if he doesn’t use it at all. Any other method of explaining...  [Read more]

Volunteer English teaching has been an important part of the TEFL world for many years, with countless schemes operating in many parts of the world. Most of these opportunities are located in developing countries where access to affordable language lessons is not widespread and where people often see improving their English as a clear path towards better jobs and a better future for them and their families. However, while these schemes provide a very valuable service, there are now increasing numbers of online volunteer based teaching platforms that are able to provide help to even more people worldwide. There are many individual reasons for wanting to offer your services as an online volunteer English teacher. For many people the reward of helping someone in need and seeing them make...  [Read more]

  Our next category in our series of teaching special groups in ESL is English for specific purposes. This video focuses specifically on teaching business English. How is business Enligsh different to general English? Will you be able to teach business English? Find out in this video. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. Unit Two focused on the grammatical aspects of speech. It is clear that grammar will be one of the toughest topics to teach, in...  [Read more]

Many fully certified teachers decide to head overseas to teach rather than stay in their home country. For some newly qualified teachers it can be hard to find a suitable job so they go abroad to gain valuable classroom experience, while others might simply be looking for a change of direction. Whatever your reasons, teaching is one of the few professions that allow you to develop your skills and knowledge and increase your experience and employability, while travelling the world and exploring new countries and cultures. If you think this is the right path for you, the next step is to think about how your CV/resume will stand out when applying for the best jobs in the most exciting locations. In many cases, qualified teachers do need a TEFL certificate. While searching for jobs online you...  [Read more]

  In this ITTT TEFL review video Paul describes his experience during his TEFL/TESOL course in Sydney. He talks about the people he met and the students he taught during the course. ITTT's TEFL/TESOL certification courses last for four weeks and are held in a variety of exciting sites like Sydney. No matter which training center you select, our courses will focus on training you to teach English with the international standard communicative approach, where English is the only language used in the classroom. This means you do not need to be able to speak the local language. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of...  [Read more]

To Teach, Travel, Work and Live abroad! says the ITTT website. Indeed, the main reasons for wanting to be a certified TEFL teacher are most probably these. If you are a student, to travel the world, discover different cultures, meet new people and learn the local language. If you are an office employee, frustrated by the routine and bored with your job, to escape to China or Japan to teach and learn about Buddhism. If you are an experienced teacher, to give a new dimension to your teaching. If you want to help others, to do volunteer work in Africa.There are a multitude of personal and professional reasons that may motivate people from all walks of life to do a TEFL course. For me it was to be a real teacher. This is my story.I am a native English speaker, but have lived in...  [Read more]

Many new teachers are intimidated by the prospect of having to teach grammar. There are several reasons for this. Many of us aren't that familiar with grammar rules to begin with, the many exceptions make English grammar a complex subject, and finally, grammar just isn't that exciting to most teachers or students. For these reasons, there can be a tendency to question whether teaching grammar is really that important in the first place.So, is teaching grammar important' I believe it is. Ed Swick says, 'The rules of Grammar for a language learner are like the rules of the road for a driver. In order to be able to drive properly and maneuver with other drivers, you have to know the rules that everybody goes by' This is true of language to. If you follow the rules of...  [Read more]

  In this TESOL review video Eva from Germany talks about the reasons why she decided to do ITTT's 120 online TEFL/TESOL course with tutor support and how happy she was to achieve her certification. Eva also outlines the many benefits she gained from the course and how she is now planning to further enhance her qualifications by completing ITTT's Business English course. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. In this unit, I learned about three...  [Read more]

Most people who want to teach English overseas will eventually come to a point when they consider taking a TEFL training course. However, many teaching establishments throughout the world will hire teachers with no experience or training ' a four year college degree will do! If it is not necessary for all TEFL jobs, why spend the time and money taking a TEFL course' While it may be the case that it is not a prerequisite for every job, completing a TEFL course gives a prospective teacher many advantages over an uncertified teacher.In Teaching English Abroad, Susan Griffith is careful to point out that a TEFL certificate does not necessary offer a straight shot to the job of one's choice: personality and experience can also factor in heavily. Griffith also maintains,...  [Read more]

Istanbul is one of the most diverse, fantastic, and vibrant cities in the world and there is always a reason to visit the city in any time of the year. There are only few cities in the world that can be so delightful to experience and enjoy as Istanbul. Its rich history and geographical position are responsible for a fascinating melting pot of cultures. Here are some reasons why to attend a CertTesol – TEFL course in Istanbul, Turkey. Our academic staff consists of fully qualified foreign trainers and Turkish with significant experience in TESOL/TEFL and devoted to their students and their profession. Furthermore, our centre provides in-service training to keep up with the latest trends in TESOL/TEFL. The basis of our approach is to enable our students to communicate effectively in real...  [Read more]

Portugal is one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations, with miles of unspoilt beaches, a warm Mediterranean climate and some of the best cuisine in the region. The country’s booming tourism industry is one of the main reasons why there is a strong demand for English language teachers as knowledge of English is necessary to find work in what is Portugal’s biggest job sector. Unfortunately, Portugal’s economy is currently quite weak so teacher’s salaries are not particularly high. However, it is the local lifestyle that attracts people to this corner of Europe rather than the pay scale. If you want to teach English in Portugal in any type of school you will need a university degree and a TEFL/TESOL qualification. Most employers also expect at least one years teaching...  [Read more]

Throughout the ITTT course, the main suggestion for finding supplemental materials is to search through the school's resource library. There are obvious benefits to this: the staff may be able to direct you easily to what you are looking for, the materials can easily be photocopied (if that is an option), and the materials can be chosen as the need arises during the class. However, there is a whole other world of materials available on-line as well. While there are many places where Internet access is impossible, the teacher will probably be aware of this before arriving and could do some preparation and bring ideas and materials with them. For an isolated school, the teacher can also then cheaply and easily provide the resource library with new and updated activities, ...  [Read more]

Teaching students in groups is very common in most classrooms. If the group is fifteen or forty they still have the same needs and problems that all students have. Teaching groups is a very large topic so this essay will concentrate on a few certain topics that will be based on research and the experiences that I have encountered while teaching English to large groups. I will concentrate on three areas the first is using choral repetition as to encourage students to use English. The second will be concentrating on using group work to help all students to contribute to the class and the last is limiting the use of the native tongue while doing group work.Some students do not have the confidence to participate in class, due to many reasons, so Choral repetition helps to produce...  [Read more]

Writing may be the most difficult and the most neglected of the four cardinal language skills.1 Speaking gets the most attention followed at some distance by listening, and reading. Writing, in comparison, is often ignored all together. The website www.englishclub.com calls it the 4th language skill.2 There are reasons for this. The simple fact is that most people, teachers included, never really learned how to do it and therefore are unable to pass it on. Another reason is that it is lonely, tedious work. (No teacher ever had to carry home a bag full of speaking assignments and labour into the wee hours marking them for return in the next day.) Still there are those of who continue to make the effort. What follows are a few suggestions on how to ease the burden.Adjust your...  [Read more]

After completing a TEFL certification course and working as an English language teacher, some people look to branch out into other avenues of the teaching profession in order to gain more experience or to earn a higher salary. One such route is to become a TEFL trainer. Teaching people to become classroom teachers can be a very rewarding and well paid job and a route into management positions or even setting up your own language school. The first and most obvious requirement is to successfully complete a TEFL course. This experience will give you the basic knowledge you need to teach English and also a valuable insight into what it takes to be a good teacher trainer. Crucially, it is not necessary to be at the top of the class when taking your course, as many of the best teacher trainers...  [Read more]

These acronyms are used when referring to training courses that English language teachers undertake, as well as the certification they receive upon completion. TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language and tesol stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. As these terms are essentially the same, they are often used interchangeably, however, TEFL is most commonly used within the UK and tesol is usually preferred in the USA. Although some countries may favor one acronym over the other, it is important to remember that a TEFL certification and a tesol certification are exactly the same thing as the training involved is identical. Although TEFL and tesol training courses are identical and the acronyms are generally used interchangeably, there is a technical...  [Read more]

South Korea is a small but incredibly beautiful country, and during the 4 week TEFL you will have fantastic opportunities to experience the rich culture and history. Not only will you have the chance for local excursions, but based in Incheon, you will be less than an hour away from the lively city of Seoul on the express train. The first week of your program includes in-depth cultural orientations, ensuring you deeply understand the Korean way of life and culture. This includes a welcome dinner, tour of the local neighbourhood and the “Grand” Palace (Gyeongbok Palace), taekwondo class and learning South Korean cookery and language. Incheon is home to Korea’s only official Chinatown, where you can try jajangmyun (noodles with black bean sauce) at the Gongwachun restaurant and for...  [Read more]