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You are already an established teacher. Do you still need to take a TEFL course to teach English as a foreign language?

Well, the short answer is yes as the TEFL-specific teaching skills involved in the ESL sectors are quite different than the other fields of teaching. Online TEFL certification is not just for the freshers or the travel enthusiasts, it’s for the trained teachers as well. NumerousTEFL students come from different teaching backgrounds – some have been into the teaching sectors for years while others are learning towards or sometimes graduated recently with degrees in education. Teaching English overseas is a pleasing mode to get beyond your daily life routine by exploring the world and at the same time earning too.

What Does TEFL Mean Precisely?

Well, TEFL basically stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Well, there are other abbreviations that you might have come across as well such as TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) amongst others, but then again, by and large, they are all pretty parallel.

A TEFL certificate will qualify you to teach English as a foreign language all across the world. TEFL also opens up different career opportunities for the long-term travel or living abroad and, more significantly, earning decent money while doing it!

So, without further upheaval, let’s get into the matter of why earning a TEFL certificate is worth it!

TEFL for the Experienced Teachers?

YES…the foremost reason behind this is the teacher training programs can differ significantly and TEFL certificate is just a standard requirement for the ESL jobs. Also, you can qualify for more jobs with better opportunities with an online TEFL certification. And, in some cases, you will also be suitable for a higher salary!

TEFL will make you an outstanding applicant for the most highly competitive ESL jobs available around the world. Also, with appreciated classroom experience as well as credentials, may result in a better career with lesser qualified candidates. By getting TEFL certified, you will also be well-prepared for the job interviews. During the job interview, if you will be unable to showcase a coherent and in-depth knowledge of TEFL-specific terminology along with concepts, you may lose out on good job opportunities.

Well, without a standard TEFL qualification, most of the ESL recruiters will simply put your application in the bin. We understand the fact that you are already a qualified teacher and you may be extensively acknowledged in your home country, but to the ESL employers abroad… this may not be the case. The first thing most ESL employers will look for on an application is a TEFL qualification, so make sure you have one.

So, what are the job responsibilities of a TEFL qualified teacher?

A 120+hours TEFL qualification as per the industry standard is the minimum requirement for teaching English as a foreign language job. Not only the certification will give you a boost in your CV but also train you with all the ESL teaching specific techniques. Also, it’s a great option for the people who are from the non-teaching backgrounds. TEFL is a big umbrella term for teaching English to students of any age whose first language is not English.

Usually, a TEFL qualified teacher needs to –

• Plan, prepare and deliver the ESL lessons.
• Prepare the ESL teaching materials.
• Help students to improve their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills via individual plus group sessions.

And many more…

Generally, employers from all the possible sectors like the private schools, maintained schools, higher education institutions, Community and adult education centers, Voluntary organizations, etc. hire the qualified ESL teachers.

With the outstanding spoken and written English language skills along with English and foreign languages, the other important skills that are usually required for a TEFL teacher are as follows:

• Clear phraseology
• Lateral thinking
• Creativity
• Patience
• Confidence
• Strong observational skills

The Rising Demand

Because of plenty of job opportunities out there for entry-level people with no previous teaching experience, the demand for the trained English teachers worldwide is massive and, in some countries, demand even beats supply. Even if you are a qualified teacher, a "TEFL certificate" is the basic requirement for online and ESL jobs abroad along with your formal qualifications and experience.

Well, the best mode to formulate yourself for everything about teaching English overseas is getting that TEFL certificate in the bag.Teaching English as a foreign language cannot be done with simple knowledge of the language, you need to be able to teach the grammar and techniques effectively to help your students advance in their English.

Also, if you’ve been teaching for quite some time, chances are that the teaching methods that you use in the classroom are not the contemporary ones. Well, the professional development is the key to making sure that your teaching skills stay new, and updated by keeping up with the best practices for the 21st-century ESL classroom.

Opting to collect targeted training through your online TEFL certification will take your teaching assistances and your resume to the next level.