10 February 2015 / by Elena Riches

TEFL teacher: What does it take to become one?

For those already familiar with the term 'TEFL' (an explanation of the various terms can be found here) you will know that it means teaching English as a foreign language but, what does this actually entail, other than the obvious. It would be a common misconception to think that teaching English to foreigners is totally different to teaching English in a school in the UK but, essentially it isn't really much different. Both consist of the following:





As you can see from my thesis, there isn't a lot of difference in the way it is executed and implemented; the difference lies in the qualification of the teacher and, fundamentally, anyone (including non-native English speakers) who has a good command of spoken English can be an English teacher, providing they obtain the necessary qualifications. To teach English in a primary or secondary school in the UK, you would need to have CSE's in English, Mathematics and Science, a degree and be QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) certified. To teach English to foreigners, you only need a TEFL (or equivalent) certificate.


I purposely made a point of mentioning that anyone with a good command of 'spoken' English could potentially apply to be a TEFL teacher because, with the comprehensive training that you receive when taking a TEFL course, providing you are able to speak it well the rest will be taught. So, if you've decided that becoming a TEFL teacher is the way forward for you, then you'll need the relevant certification. Click here for a no-obligation interview to get you started on your new career path.


N.B. With the modern paperless classes that Oxbridge TEFL have now implemented, there will be no more printing or photocopying.

17

February 2012
Friday Fun: The History of English #7
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7W7UgFxri8 The history of English series now reaches the first dictionaries. This shows an attempt to control and record the English language by writing the meanings of words in a rather large book. However, as the video demonstrates 'English is a very rich language' and there are always new words being intro...

16

February 2012
January Monthly Quiz
by Radmila Gurkova
You can now test your knowledge with our January Monthly Quiz ...

10

February 2012
Choosing to be homeless..?
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvvjDOtS2sw Becky Blanton was Homeless  - but of her own volition – for one year. She is a journalist but decided, after her father died, to hide from the world, travel and become homeless. She had camped her whole life so thought driving off into the sunset with her dog and cat, in a Chevy van w...

10

February 2012
Language - the endangered species
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McF3CoVHbYM There are 6,500 languages in the world and 3,500 are “endangered”! How many languages can you think of? Every two weeks a unique language dies when the last speakers pass away. Mark Turin is an anthropologist working on language death as an academic linguist and has been living within a...

10

February 2012
When do we add 'ly' ending?
by Radmila Gurkova
Do you know when to add -ly to a word? For example, He walks slow or he walks slowly? Adverbs modify adjectives, verbs, and other adver...

10

February 2012
They eventually learnt English....
by Radmila Gurkova
Adverbs of time: already, still, yet, finally, eventually, soon, last, just We normally use eventually before ver...

10

February 2012
I ALSO agree with you!
by Radmila Gurkova
Also is use...

10

February 2012
I had never seen so many students in one class...
by Radmila Gurkova
PAST Perfect Tense USE: We use the past participle to talk about actions in the p...

10

February 2012
Friday Fun: The History of English #6
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES3qDORQjAA&feature=youtu.be The history of the English language continues with this video that looks at the British Empire and it's effect on the world. Do you know any of the phrases that are mentioned in this video? ...

04

February 2012
Kids really brought their imagination…
by Radmila Gurkova
Kids really brought their imagination… Bring shows movement toward the speaker Can you take me a bottle of water? Incorrect Can you bring me a bottle of water? Correct Bring ----> toward speaker A common mistake for English learning is Bring and Take. They ...