English Teacher Requirements in the United States - How to Teach English

It is said that English is the universal language. It is thecourses in 5 years. With most states requiring that all
official language of over 70 countries and the nationalteachers obtain a master's degree within so many
language of the U.S. with over 96% of the populationyears of being certified, these types of programs can
claiming to have the ability to speak English "well" orbe ideal for many aspiring teachers.
better. With that said, English is still a subject that isIn order for you to be accepted into a teacher
taught in US schools from Kindergarten through Higheducation program, you will likely need to meet
School and there is always a demand for teachersminimum GPA requirements and pass university
who are qualified to teach English.admissions screening exams. Many colleges offer
English teacher requirements include paths toalternative routes to a teaching certification for
certification similar to that of other teachers. Astudents that already possess a bachelor's degree but
bachelor's degree and teaching certification is requiredwould like to obtain a certification to teach English.
if you plan on teaching at the elementary, middle, orUsually, this will entail enrolling in education courses and
secondary level. It is recommended that you choose aacquiring the required number of core English courses.
major in an English related field. For example, inYou will also be required to pass either the national or
Arizona and other states, many universities offerPRAXIS series of teaching exams. Specific
Secondary and Elementary Language Arts bachelor'srequirements vary slightly by state, so it is always a
degree programs. Other possibilities include angood idea to make direct contact with the state
Interdisciplinary Studies program with English as aeducation department to make sure you meet all
major. You will find that many schools offer bridgedprerequisites and qualify.
degrees for hopeful teachers. If you are consideringTeachers outside of the United States may also find
pursuing an English teaching position at a college orjobs as English teachers as long as they have
university, a doctorate degree in an English discipline isdegrees that are equivalent and can pass the required
usually required unless you are applying at a two yearproficiency examinations. Foreign aspiring teachers
school where candidates with only master's degreesmay be required to pass IELTS or TOEFL exams and
are also considered.provide a working visa. Other than that, the
A popular program to pursue for aspiring Englishrequirements to become an English teacher for those
teachers is a degree in English Education. Thesenot currently living in the States are the same as the
programs usually include courses such as Creativeprocess that current US citizens have to follow.
Writing, Literature, Cultural Studies, and AnalyticalLearning how to speak English and being able to teach
Writing. In addition to these core classes, you will alsoit are two entirely different things. Depending on the
be required to obtain real-world teaching experiencenative tongue of the student, English can be a difficult
through either student or practice teacher or bylanguage to learn. As an English teacher, you will play
acquiring actual field experience. Many universities alsoan important role in developing the creative and
offer accelerated Master degree programs wherelanguage skills of your students.
you can complete your undergraduate and graduate