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.

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February 2016
You are how you think
by Paola Tanc
A lot of people often say that you are what you eat, but it really should be "you are how you think". Let me explain. My name is Paola, I was born and raised in Mexico City, meaning that Spanish is my native language. I had always been a very shy little girl, living in my perfect little bubble and having a big family meant that I didn't re...

19

February 2016
Sharing Experiences: Food
by Toby Knight
Food. I love it. We have to eat it to survive but more importantly it defines who we are, where we are from and represents countries and cultures. ESL conversations require both students and teachers sharing experiences and in my opinion there is no better topic than food. Consider this: Spain has more restaurants, bars and cafeterias than al...

18

January 2016
Building professional identity in a community of practice
by Ana Garza
When we decided to start our careers as teachers by working for someone else, we started to participate in a community of practice ...

15

January 2016
The joys and tribulations of web classes
by Rafael Olivares
It's 8:30 in the morning. Your 3 students from Valencia, Zaragoza and Barcelona are getting ready for a web class. In half an hour, they will all be enjoying their 30 minute web class with each other and their favorite teacher. No, they will not be commuting to Madrid at the speed of sound in order to be together in class by 9:00, nor will...

11

January 2016
A perfect ESL conversation
by Paola Tanc
I'd like you to look back at your past experiences as a student. What were the best memories you had about those classes?What could you do to recreate them in your classroom? Personally, my best memories are the ones where I had the most fun. When the teacher thought outside the box and did something different and challenging for a change....

08

January 2016
Teaching Taboo Subjects
by Toby Knight
When I first started teaching I found myself teaching an activity about relationships to normally out-going group of students. Less than a minute into the discussion one student announced that she did not want me to ask her any questions as she had recently ended a relationship and was too upset to talk about the subject. It was obviously an ...

18

December 2015
Eating your way through Spain
by Rafael Olivares
If you are living and working in Spain, it is more than likely that you will have heard someone utter the words: "Spain has some of the finest food in the world." And yet, many foreigners working as TEFL teachers become quickly disillusioned with Spain's gastronomic offerings. The reason behind this dissapointment lies in the difficulty of...

14

December 2015
Dealing with those difficult students
by Rob Wylie
Despite the majority of students being motivated and professional, there is always a possibility you may come across one or two “difficult” students who come to class with a negative attitude. I’m sure that as teachers we can all relate to this and have some form of experience when it comes to having to work with a person who arrives to class...

12

December 2015
What you need to ask yourself before creating ESL activities
by Paola Tanc
Creating ESL activities can sometimes be frustrating, at least that's the case in my life. I sometimes find myself in need for inspiration, so I google some conversation topics that might interest the students, or that's what I think.  I start working on the activity until I feel that it is perfect, I submit my activity and wait for the day w...

07

December 2015
ESL teachers' frustrations. Is there a way out?
by Ana Garza
Monday. 8:30 in the morning. A mixed-level group of unresponsive adult learners. Is it me? At least it’s only three of them. Or maybe that’s the problem. Is it their personalities? Perhaps it’s that they’re not interested in the activities. But everything played out so well in my mind last night… questions and answers, role-...