TESOL Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
If you plan to join the many thousands of people who head overseas each
year to teach English, you should seriously consider completing a TEFL
certification course before you start applying for jobs. A TEFL certificate
is the standard qualification for English language teachers worldwide,
and although it is still possible to find teaching positions in some
countries without certification, the vast majority of employers who
offer a good rate of pay and a settled work environment now expect their
teachers to be TEFL certified.
Unfortunately, a quick online search will reveal that there are a large
number of course providers offering all manner of TEFL courses that vary
hugely in terms of cost and the time required to complete them. So how
do you know which one to choose? The first thing to remember is that
TEFL courses are usually categorized by the estimated time they take to
complete. For example, you will find courses ranging from as little as
40 hours or even less, all the way up to 500-hour courses and beyond.
The rule of thumb here is that anything under 100 hours is generally
considered an introductory course that is ideal for people planning to
volunteer as an English teacher; however, a certificate of over 100
hours is usually expected for most jobs that pay a good salary. Take a
look at our FAQ for more information regarding TEFL course hours.
- All courses should meet international standards for the regulation of acceptable English language teaching certification.
- They should offer online courses that include at least 100 hours of training and input.
- They should offer in-class courses that include a minimum of 6 hours of observed teaching practice with real English language students.
- Training materials should cover vital teaching skills, classroom management, language awareness (grammar), phonology subjects, as well as how to apply these effectively in the classroom.
- All in-class trainers and online tutors must be highly-experienced and qualified professionals.
- Every course must be moderated and inspected by an independent teaching body or professional.
- All teaching materials and training methods should be updated regularly to reflect developments in language teaching.
No comments:
Post a Comment