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  • Living and Working in Japan: A guide for US Citizens May 23, 2012
    Japan is a stable, highly developed parliamentary democracy with a modern economy. Tourist facilities are widely available, except in coastal areas of Northeast Japan still recovering from the aftermath of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami. Below is a comprehensive list of all the information you should read before visiting or relocating to […]
  • Experience a New Culture When you Teach English in China May 21, 2012
    The human desire to help others is an innate one. This is why, despite the negative aspects, people are still very attracted to the profession of teaching, notes Thomas Galvin. It has been regarded for centuries as a very noble job, and no doubt this will continue for centuries to come. Many teachers these […]
  • The Importance of Vocabulary Roots in AP English April 16, 2012
    The Advanced placement exams are very important for students, suggests Joseph Paul, as they look very good on the students’ report cards and also help them to get credit in certain universities which helps them to save a major portion of the tuition money demanded from students who have not cleared the exam. The […]
  • Business Translation: A Useful TEFL Sideline? April 8, 2012
    The use of translation in business is heavily underestimated and misunderstood. However translation has a big part to play in business and is rapidly becoming one of the most useful things an organisation can use to get ahead in the business world. Whether it be using in-house translators to transcribe documents, official papers […]
  • How to Judge the Quality of Language Learning Software March 21, 2012
    We all know that learning a language is a great way to enhance the look of your resume! Fortunately, there are lots of different options available to you to help you make that a reality. Out of the vast number of options available to you, the option that provides you with the most […]
  • The worst ELT interview questions… and how to answer them March 12, 2012
    Some friends of Naturegirl123 were talking about interview questions that they got. Here are some difficult ones to answer and suggested answers. What religion are you?/ Are you X religion? This could be a legit question if you’re applying to a religious school. If you have the same religion as the school, simply say […]
  • Invoice factoring as a way of financing your language school March 12, 2012
    You’re looking into alternative ways to keep the finances in order in your burgeoning language school. Why not consider invoice factoring? Please don’t think of invoice factoring as a loan because it’s actually something quite different to that: it is more correctly defined as the acquisition of a financial asset. What does that mean? […]
  • Language Classes… Heat Up Careers! March 9, 2012
    Whether you love the snow or can’t wait until the warmer days of spring, this is a time of year when we all start to get a little stir-crazy, suggests Charlotte Evans. Winter was fun back in December but now the cold temperatures and extra layers of clothing are starting to feel a bit […]
  • Learning and Communicative Strategies March 6, 2012
    Introduction Communicative strategies are systematic techniques employed by a speaker to express his meaning when faced with some difficulty and the difficulty here refers to the speaker’s inadequate command of the language used in the interaction (Faerch & Kasper, 1983:16). On the other hand, the term learning strategies has been defined as “the higher- […]
  • Optimizing Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) March 6, 2012
    Technology transforms virtually all human pursuits, notes Michael G. Hines. In the field of education, the use of audiovisual aids, computers, and telecommunication devices has radically altered classroom dynamics. For ESL and TFL practitioners, the possibilities being opened up by technology are highly promising, with the currently accepted practices alread […]

3 easy steps to becoming a TEFL teacher

You may have heard a little rumour that, as a fluent English speaker, you can magically get paid to teach English in amazing places all over the world. It sounds a bit too good to be true, but in fact, Emma Foers suggests, it’s not! Teaching English abroad is as simple as 1, 2, 3…

Step 1: Get TEFL Certified

Without a TEFL course behind you, you’ll struggle to get out of the starting blocks. A TEFL course will give you a great grounding in the basics of TEFL theory, and give you a good idea as to how to put those principles into practice. More importantly, a TEFL course is usually a pre-requisite for the better TEFL jobs – without one you could struggle to find that dream job.

There are loads of different course options, from 20 hour classroom courses, jam-packed with fun activities, to comprehensive 140 hour courses, which mix top-notch online learning with practical experience.

Remember, the more hours of TEFL training you do, the better chance you’ve got of landing the best TEFL jobs!

Step 2: Research, Research, Research

So, you’ve got your shiny new TEFL certificate in hand, but before you rush off to apply for lots of TEFL jobs, it’s worth doing a little bit of research. Log-on to TEFL communities like TEFL Chalkboard to chat to people who are already EFL teachers, to work out whether you’re best off heading abroad to teach, or whether you’re better off teaching English at home.

It’s also worth researching different visa and job requirements at this stage to make sure you don’t set your heart on a country you’re not actually able to teach in.

Step 3: Find Your TEFL Job

So you’ve worked out where you want to teach – the last step is just applying for that all-important TEFL job. Here are a few different routes to consider:

1) Do a supported internship

Teaching internships are a great way to go if you’ve never taught abroad before and want that extra little bit of support to help get you started. You’ll usually get living allowances and free accommodation, plus someone on hand 24/7 in case anything goes wrong! Learn more here.

2) Use an agency or TEFL job placement service

If you picked your TEFL course provider wisely, they may have a job placement service which will help you find work abroad. Alternatively, search online for TEFL job agencies – just be warned that when using an agency you may not get as good a deal in terms of salary and working conditions as you would if you’d applied direct.

3) Apply for work independently

This may take a little more leg-work, but you’ll ultimately have more control about where you end up and your job conditions. There are plenty of sites online, such as www.eslcafe.com and www.tefl.com, where you can find TEFL jobs advertised, or if you’re already in-country check out local English-language newspapers and magazines.

And that’s it! What step are you on this minute?

About the Author

Emma believes teaching English abroad is the perfect opportunity for any English speaker to explore the world. As long as you’re a fluent English speaker, she suggests a TEFL course is your ticket to the journey of your life.

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2 comments to 3 easy steps to becoming a TEFL teacher

  • Joan Rynders

    My friend referred me to your blog, so I thought I’d check it out. Very interesting reading, will be back for more!

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  • Just found this article and found it very interesting. Especially that you’re not making much of a qualitative difference between weekend and the full 140-hour courses.

    We were thinking about this before we started offering our TEFL courses, and found that from the 140 hour courses, we could pull out the essentials and put it into a 2-week course of around 65-70 hours.

    So far it seems like this is a course length people have been looking for!

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