| To those who have become accustomed to the daily | | | | accommodation, free health care , etc. Sometimes the |
| doom and gloom that we read about in the | | | | package will include a settlement allowance and even |
| newspapers and hear on the news about recession, | | | | an airfare home once a year. |
| job losses and collapsing industries etc, it will be | | | | It is no longer the case that the normal TEFL teacher |
| surprising to hear that there is one industry that is still | | | | is a young graduate just seeking a year or two in the |
| expanding on a global basis and actually shows no sign | | | | sun before settling back into a real job. Nowadays, |
| of slowing down. | | | | men and women of all ages and backgrounds are |
| Teaching English as a Foreign Language or Teaching | | | | taking up the opportunities and challenges of this new |
| English to Speakers of Other Languages -TEFL | | | | profession. |
| TESOL has now become a massive industry | | | | Many new entrants have already tried a previous |
| employing tens of thousands of teachers across the | | | | career and have either become disillusioned with what |
| globe. With globalisation and changing work patterns | | | | might have been a dull and routine work life or may |
| having a good level of English has become not just an | | | | have been made redundant and wanted a second |
| advantage to have, but a must have in order to | | | | chance. Unlike many professions a long and lengthy |
| complete effectively in the job market and workplace. | | | | training is not necessary to become a TEFL/TESOL |
| More and more people of all ages are attending | | | | trainer. |
| English classes or even studying English online. Some | | | | Most begin with a Certificate in TEFL that requires |
| just need to acquire a good level of spoken English | | | | around 120 hours of study. These are very practical in |
| while others need specialist forms of English such as | | | | nature and provide all the skills required to be an |
| business English in order to further their careers. The | | | | effective and confident teacher of English. This can be |
| bottom line is whether in Poland, Russia, China, South | | | | followed or combined by a range of other courses |
| Korea, Taiwan, Thailand , Vietnam, etc., more and more | | | | that can provide training in teaching business English or |
| people are studying English and the demand for | | | | working with young learners and teenagers. Those |
| teachers has never been greater | | | | who wish to move into others areas of the profession |
| With the demand for teachers greater than the | | | | such as management or teacher training may then at |
| available supply TEFL/TESOL can in many ways be | | | | some stage take a Diploma course that is of a higher |
| seen as a recession proof career. While schools and | | | | level. |
| companies would generally prefer to employ a native | | | | Two popular courses are The Certificate in TEFL 120 |
| speaker the demand for teachers is such that non- | | | | hour program and The Diploma in TESOL which is at |
| native speakers are often taken on as well in order to | | | | level five. The best are ASET approved programs |
| meet the demand. | | | | which means that on completion of the program the |
| Although salaries may not compare to those of city | | | | student receives a second certificate from ASET in |
| bank workers the pay can be good according to the | | | | addition to the one issued by the teaching school. |
| chosen location and there are often many fringe | | | | And some teaching schools offer a job placement |
| benefits on offer such as free or subsidised | | | | facility at the end of the TEFL course. |