Teaching English as foreign language (or second language) is a superb opportunity for visiting new spots of the world. Because English is commonly used for diplomacy, higher education, business and technology, English teachers and classes will be in high demand on planet earth.
Knowing how to teach English also can provide an excellent skill to be used in volunteering. There are opportunities all over where people would profit from knowing English, yet they cannot have the money to enroll in classes, or perhaps they don’t acquire any classes at all.
If teaching English isn’t for your needs , international schools require native English speakers to educate other subjects as well, such as mathematics, science|, history, and the arts.
What is TEFL, ESL, EFL, and so on?
Many abbreviatesions and acronyms exist to refer to teaching English. Here is a quick overview…
ELT: English Language Teaching or English Language Training
EFL: English as a Foreign Language
ESL: English as a Second Language
ESOL: English for Speakers of Other Languages
EAL: English as an Additional Language
TEFL: Teaching English as a Foreign Language
TESL: Teaching English as a Second Language
TEAL: Teaching English as an Additional Language
TESOL: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
All of the above abbreviations are utilized for essentially the same principal, however, you may notice that generally ESL is used for non-native speakers learning English within an English speaking country, and EFL is designed for non-native-speakers learning English in a non-English speaking environment, such as their own country. Additionally, Americans tend to employ ESL more, and British teachers usually tend to use EFL. EAL can be an attempt to bridge the gap
regarding the two. Oftentimes people learn English not as their second language, but as their third, fourth or more. Also, EAL avoids using the word “foreignâ€, which is considered by the more politically correct to have an unpleasant inference.
Do I need a certificate to tutor English?
There are many opportunities world wide to teach English without a certificate. However, certification helps, especially if there can be an application process involved together with positions are competitive.
Do I want to speak a foreign language to instruct people English?
Theoretically, to teach English you should just need to speak one language. Nevertheless, if you are teaching within a foreign country, there is no doubt that some familiarity with that country’s culture and language can make your teaching job much easier, and probably allow you to make your lessons even more relevant and interesting for your students. If your pupils are of mixed international backgrounds, then knowing a few foreign languages may not help all of the group.
There is some profit to your teaching if you do in fact know a foreign language or have learnt one. By having first hand experience of being a student, you'll be able to have a more complete perspective of the student/teacher relationship and the trials and tribulations of those you teach. Moreover, learning another language gives you valuable insight about sentence structure, such as verb conjugations together with tenses, which come naturally to a native speakers. Many some other languages use similar grammatical formats as English, and by learning a foreign language you might be able to examine your native language more carefully.
Do I want to speak English as my native language to teach English?
You certainly don’t have to speak English as your native tongue; however you'll want excellent fluency and writing skills to start a training course for certification. Oftentimes non-native speakers make the most effective teachers, however. If you’ve been through it yourself then it is possible to relate to what your students will be dealing with.
How long does it take to become certified?
Certification is a pretty quick process, usually taking a month or considerably less. You may take the course full-time, part time, or through distance learning. There are options to accomodate whichever method or time frame you prefer.