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.

06

March 2015

Tiers for fears & choosing words to teach

by Vincent Chieppa

Any conscientious teacher knows that choosing words to teach is not as easy as it seems. Sure you can deal out words left, right & center. However, would your students understand, grow & be empowered? Fortunately, there is a nifty little 3 tier model that helps teachers enable their students to broaden their language capacity. &...

03

March 2015

Dealing with disruptive or difficult students

by Elena Riches

Whatever kind of teacher you are, be it a maths teacher, an art teacher or a teacher of karate, there will come a time when you will have problems managing your class/group of students and if you cannot find a way to do it effectively your students can become uninterested, unmotivated or quiet, and will seldom reach your desired goal...

27

February 2015

How to... use emails for ESL teaching

by Vincent Chieppa

In this day & age paperless teaching is the future. Seeing that this is the case it should be no surprise that the next step should be using emails for ESL teaching. How emails are incorporated in the out-of-class learning experience depends of course on the nature...

24

February 2015

Teacher student interaction: teachers are learners too!

by Elena Riches

So, you've completed your TEFL course, gained your certificate and procured a job. The next part is, how do you do it vs how do you do it well. I personally don't think there is a wrong and right way of teaching as everyone has their own way and each way works for them; providing the students are learning what they've set out to learn then...

20

February 2015

Teaching new vocabulary: 7 fail-safe strategies

by Vincent Chieppa

If teaching grammar forms the frame for language acquisition, teaching new vocabulary provides students with the building blocks. It is therefore the teacher's responsibility to bring home the value of these building blocks by presenting them in perspective - that is, in a way that is relevant and useful for the students. In order to do th...

18

February 2015

The trials and tribulations of being a TEFL teacher

by Elena Riches

If you're thinking of becoming a TEFL teacher you might want some information of what you get out of it from someone who has firsthand experience of being one. ...

13

February 2015

ESL error correction techniques for the classroom

by Vincent Chieppa

As any experienced ESL teacher knows, the type of language errors students make are as diverse as the students themselves & their attitude toward learning. This in turn will dictate which of th...