A Career As An ESL Teacher
ESL (English as a Second Language) / TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) means teaching English to those whose first language is not English.
To teach English to those who are not native English speakers you need to have a solid grasp of the English language and feel confident in your ability to explain and express your knowledge to other people. Having the following attributes will also be of benefit to you: clear speech and pronunciation; a friendly and confident manner; good time management and planning skills.
The main job responsibilities include: planning, preparing and delivering lessons; giving feedback on students work; being available to answer language queries and questions; participation in social and cultural activities. Teaching roles are predominantly related to conversation, rather than grammar, and it is widely accepted that teachers should only speak in English during classes; the ability to speak a language other than Enlish not being necessary when teaching English abroad.
The vast majority of ESL / TEFL positions require you to be a native speaker}, which means that you were born in the USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa, and that English is your first language. You can be any age from 18 to 80 but those under 21 or over 50 may find it more difficult to find employment.
Most ESL / TEFL positions require you to have a university degree, however, it is not necessary for that degree to be a teaching or English language related degree. You can find ESL / TEFL jobs should you not be a degree holder but you: will only be able to choose from a handful of countries; will probably be paid less; may have to work illegally (i.e. without a work permit).
ESL / TEFL specific qualifications are not required to teach English abroad, but job prospects and salary increase if you do have them. If you want to get yourself an ESL / TEFL qualification, look for a program which consists of: at least 100 hours of studying teaching practices and methodology; at least 6 hours teaching real students under the supervision of an experienced teacher; accreditation from an overseeing body (a university or examining board).
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