| The qualifications required for teaching English as a | | | | depend upon where you want to teach. Incidentally, |
| Second Language (ESL) will depend upon who you | | | | speaking a language other than English may be helpful |
| want to teach and where you want to teach. For | | | | at times, but it is not an absolute requirement for the |
| example, do you want to teach elementary school | | | | majority of ESL teaching jobs. |
| children, adults, new immigrants, business | | | | Usually, the highest paid ESL teaching opportunities are |
| professionals? Do you want to teach at a university, a | | | | in universities. Most of these positions require at a |
| community college, a private language school, a public | | | | minimum a Master's degree related to English; probably |
| adult school, a non-profit organization? Do you want to | | | | the best is MATESOL - Master of Arts in Teaching |
| tutor students privately in your home? | | | | English to Speakers of Other Languages. Teaching in |
| Whenever anyone asks me how to start teaching | | | | public schools, ranging from elementary schools |
| ESL, I ask them to consider the above options and | | | | through public adult schools, usually requires a |
| then refine their question. First they have to know | | | | Bachelor's degree (not necessarily in English) plus a |
| what "teaching ESL" means to them. After the | | | | state teaching credential. |
| potential teacher or tutor figures out exactly what they | | | | Private language schools are another place to teach |
| want, then they can narrow their search for the | | | | ESL. These usually require a certificate in TESOL or a |
| necessary requirements to meet their goal. A better | | | | CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to |
| question would be, for example, what are the | | | | Adults). They do not always require a college degree if |
| qualifications required for teaching elementary school | | | | you have one of these certificates and meet other |
| students in a public school? Or, what are the | | | | school-specific requirements. |
| requirements for teaching English as a Second | | | | Another option is to become a private ESL tutor. |
| Language to adults in a non-profit organization working | | | | There are no requirements for teaching privately, |
| with recent immigrants? | | | | although there may be some state business licensing |
| The answer to these more refined questions will vary | | | | requirements. This is something you should look into if |
| as each of these settings has different requirements. | | | | you plan to start your own tutoring business. As for |
| Also, you could become a volunteer teacher or tutor | | | | the ESL learner, if someone is willing to pay you to |
| with no or very few qualifications at all. If you wish to | | | | teach English when you have no specific ESL teaching |
| pursue teaching English as a career, then you will have | | | | qualifications, then that is between you and your |
| to meet some minimum qualifications. These could | | | | students. However, most adult students will want their |
| include an English degree, a TESOL or CELTA | | | | English tutors to have some minimum teaching |
| certificate, a TEFL certificate (to teach in a | | | | qualifications, and most parents of young ESL learners |
| non-English-speaking country) and/or a teaching | | | | will almost certainly want their child's tutor to have |
| credential. Again, the necessary requirements will | | | | some qualifications. |