Do I need a TEFL cert to teach English as a Second Language?

William Lake poses the question and proposes the answer.

So, do you need a TEFL certificate to be an English Teacher? The simple answer is no! There are many options available to you with regards to qualifications and this article is going to look at the TEFL Certificate.

TEFL stands for Teach English as a Foreign Language. A TEFL Teacher teaches ESL Students. This is the TEFL at it’s most basic!

From speaking to other teachers I have worked with it’s surprising how many don’t have any kind of teaching qualification nor do they have a university education. This goes to show you that you don’t require either to be a teacher of ESL. In fact, these people are just as good teachers and in some instances better than their colleagues who have all the relevant paperwork. This is not to say that the TEFL certificate is worthless. Indeed, why get one if you can get a job without it?

There are several advantages to obtaining a TEFL Certificate. Firstly, it will give you the information you need to be a good teacher and give you some expectation of what to expect on your first day! If you don’t know what to expect, how can you prepare and complete other tasks such as course outlines, lesson plans, etc. I can hear people saying easy ‘you use google’. Ok, I agree, but then you have the situation where schools that are paying higher salaries are only employing teachers with experience and qualifications. Even ‘google’ couldn’t help you with this!

Moreover, have you forgotten the rules of grammar and other knowledge required to teach ESL accordingly? Again, there are numerous websites that offer free grammar lessons, but often having a real teacher is a good option, especially when you don’t understand something!

If you intend to make a career out of teaching ESL rather than just a temporary traveling funder, having a TEFL can help you further your career by giving you more career options and opportunities to study for futher qualifications later in your career.

Therefore, the reason why you want to teach English is an important factor on not only should you get a TEFL Certificate or not but even what kind of TEFL Certificate. There are hundreds of companies offering a large number of different services in many places all over the world! If you plan only to do a little teaching to help fund a traveling expedition maybe a short, cheaper course is for you, but if you are planning to make a career, maybe a long classroom based course is more appropriate.

Some people become teachers purely by accident. Maybe you are traveling, and need some income. You apply for a teaching job and start working. You have found work without a TEFL qualification, and you are gaining excellent experience. A TEFL course can still be of relevance to you. You can undertake an online course and implement the ideas learnt in the course in your ‘real’ class. You can also use the fact that you are studying for teaching qualifications to try and get a higher salary.

There are also many other qualifications that you can obtain, for example TESOL and CELTA. They differ slightly to the TEFL and will be explained in different articles soon to be published.

In conlcusion, a good TEFL Certificate and set you in good sted to find a job as a teacher of English as a Second Language. You will learn valuable information to help you be the best teacher you can be. You can find work without one, but it is a great way to help you start progressing in your new carrer.

Visit The ESL Corner TEFL page for more information about TEFL Courses.

About the Author:

I am an ESL Teacher, living and working in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. After deciding to travel and teach to fund my travels, I have now decided to make a career of teaching English as a Second Language.