ESL Teaching - Is it For You?

Would you like to teach English to foreigners in yourposition to ensure you will be safe and have reliable
country or travel to another country to teach? Manywork. You may decide to work with an agency based
young people consider such employmentin your home country that will assist you with legal
advertisements with great interest since the positionquestions and assist you in making living arrangements.
offers them the opportunity to travel and often doesWhile many foreign positions are available to individuals
not require any experience other than being a nativewithout experience or certification you will likely find the
English speaker.education and resources of a class to be valuable
Foreign countries looking for English teachers greatlybefore taking an assignment. If you think you would like
desire the instructor to be a native English speaker.to try this career out you might offer your services
The course materials may be provided or you may belocally, as a private tutor, or take an instruction class to
asked to show previous teaching experience or afamiliarize yourself with the responsibilities and work
TEFL or TESL certificate.required to teach a language.
Common Terms:If you choose to work in your own country there will
Before you excitedly answer any employment adsbe various guidelines for certification, experience and
you should learn the meaning of commonly used termsmaterials as determined by the employers. If you
as well as recommendations for working locally orconsider private tutoring you can research
abroad.recommended course materials and methods online or
TEFL: Teaching English Foreign Language; often refersat a book store or library. You can then advertise your
to teaching English in a foreign country. Known toservices in a local paper or on college and university
students as EFL classes.billboards.
TESL: Teaching English as a Second Language; usuallyTeaching English can be very rewarding. However,
refers to teaching English to foreigners in an EnglishEnglish is a language that is full of rule breaking
speaking country. Known to students as ESL classes.nuances. Trying to explain these to a student can be
Teaching Locally or Abroad?difficult and a person needs to have patience and
For people who wish to travel TEFL can be a greatgood personal skills to become an effective teacher.
opportunity to interact with new cultures and to financeIf you would like to review what types of positions are
traveling. It is important to investigate the country youavailable you can check them out online through
will be traveling to as well as the employer offering theemployment and ESL teaching sites.