TEFL, or Teaching English as a Foreign Language, is teaching English to students whose mother tongue is another language. TESOL refers to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, and TESL refers to Teaching English as a Second Language.

These are obviously not the same thing, as some students may be living in an English-speaking country, and learning English as a second language. This is different from learning it as a Foreign Language.

TEFL usually takes place in state schools, private language schools and on a one-to-one basis in non-English speaking countries.

TEFL can also take place in English speaking countries, but this usually occurs when students travel from non-English speaking countries and enrol in schools to study short courses. This immersion-style learning is very popular, as students are surrounded by foreign-but-familiar systems.

How do I go about getting a TEFL Certificate?

TEFL jobs in the East often don’t require a TEFL qualification. Jobs in Taiwan, South Korea and Japan only require the teacher to have a Bachelor’s degree. You may ask: Why then attempt the TEFL qualification?

Firstly, it will prepare you for teaching if you have never taught before. This will be critical when you first start a teaching job in a foreign country. You will undoubtedly experience some culture shock and spend some months getting acclimatised.

Not having teaching basics will only add to the pressure, which may cause you to pack your bags and head home. Many language schools have little in the way of teacher training and will expect you to step into your teach role, purely because you speak the language.

Secondly, and almost more importantly, TEFL is a step toward becoming a professional TEFL teacher. Some teachers do a TEFL course after a few years of teaching. They do this to improve their teaching abilities, and to help them develop in the ESL/EFL field.

Better paying jobs require teachers to have a TEFL certificate. Take a look at jobs advertised for countries like Hong Kong or in Europe. Most of them require some form of TEFL certification.

Okay, TEFL is a must. But which one should I do?

There are a number of types of TEFL courses available, and unfortunately there is no international body that accredits graduates. Employers generally will accepts most types of 4-week, 120 hour TEFL certificates. However, where employers are more selective is usually for the UCLES CELTA or the Trinity CertTESOL. To find out more, contact TEFL.

Will I need to learn the language of my destination?

In general, it’s only necessary that teachers have excellent command of English. Speaking a foreign language is therefore of no particular value. Indeed, if you are teaching a class of students who have ten different mother tongues, as is not impossible, even your fluency in say French, Spanish and Zulu would have little relevance.

The ability, therefore, to speak a foreign language is not a requirement for teaching English. Having said that, some experience of learning and speaking a foreign language will help you understand language in general and how we learn it, as well as help you learn more about English – especially English grammar. Some knowledge of your destination country’s language and culture may also make your life easier and enrich your experience.

What will it be like to teach English in a foreign country?

Teaching TEFL is quite unlike any other occupation. It involves moving to another country which is guaranteed to be unlike your own. You will need to use you native language in the workplace, but communicate (at least partly) with people outside of the workplace in a foreign language. The stress of adapting to this different way of life is referred to as “culture shock”, and is one of the biggest causes of people abandoning TEFL as a career.

For the most part, TEFL teachers are not highly paid. However, in many countries, TEFL teachers are paid very little compared to other jobs in their home country, but are well paid compared to locals. This means that they are able to have a comfortable, middle-class lifestyle.

There are well paid TEFL jobs even by first-world standards in places like the Middle East and Hong Kong. Taiwan and South Korea also offer reasonable salaries, but are attractive to teachers because of the lower cost of living. Japan is also attractive currently for TEFL teachers.

TEFL teachers should take care when accepting employment overseas. There are constant reports of abuse of teachers and broken contracts by employers. The danger of being exploited increases greatly when working in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language and don’t know your rights as an employee.

Before accepting employment, research the school and contact teachers who have worked there. If possible, visit the country and school before signing anything. TEFL can be an adventure and a life-long career, but either way, research, prepare and enjoy yourself!