Author: Marie Therese Swabey, English Language Teacher, Teacher Trainer, Assessor and Joint Chief
Assessor for a range of teaching qualifications from Cambridge English.
Whether you’re just starting out or thinking of a career change, teaching English as a foreign language
(TEFL) is one of the most rewarding professional journeys you can embark on.
In English language teaching (ELT), there is a lot of career potential. As you develop your skills and take
on more responsibilities, you can enjoy a long-term career. Many ELT professionals become senior
teachers or teacher trainers, or move into management or materials writing.
In this blog post, we’ll outline why teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) is such an
exciting job and offer advice on how you can get started.
Why become an English language teacher?
There are lots of reasons you might want to become an English language teacher. For a start, you can
make a real difference in people’s lives. According to a 2019 survey by Wall Street English, 18% of
professionals who have learned English report that they feel happier at work; 12% say they feel happier
in general; and half of English speakers earn 25% more because of their language skills.
Moreover, English language teaching is an immensely flexible profession. You can decide whether to take
a public or private job, or offer lessons on your own. Your working conditions are flexible too. You might
prefer to work in a local school or academy, but many English language teaching jobs also allow you to
work online from home. And if you’re feeling adventurous, there are lots of opportunities to live and
work abroad, in a new country and culture. If you do travel further afield, you might even learn a new
language of your own.
English language teaching is a career that encourages creativity. You’ll become an expert at designing
lessons and making learning materials to meet the needs of your students. Best of all ... it’s fun! You
spend your day with interesting, engaging people who are keen to learn. What could be better than
that?
What do English language teachers do every day?
It probably goes without saying that language educators teach students English on a day-to-day basis.
But there are plenty of other aspects to the job as well.
English language teachers assess their learners through quick tests and official exams. They use this
information to define learning objectives, and then plan courses and classes that meet their students’
needs.
Language teachers use a range of coursebooks and English language teaching materials, including a
variety of audio, visual and digital tools. At the same time, they find and create teaching and learning
materials of their own.
In the process of developing learners’ reading, listening, speaking and writing abilities, teachers also help
students develop confidence in presenting and communicating ideas. Furthermore, language teachers
encourage students to develop important 21st century skills, such as creativity, collaboration, leadership,
autonomous learning and adaptability. These skills are transferable and will help learners in many areas
throughout their lives.
What do you need to become an English language teacher?
Being a good English teacher requires more than just being able to speak the language fluently. You’ll
also need a comprehensive knowledge of English grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary, combined
with excellent communication skills. Teachers of young learners will also need to have an understanding
of how to teach engaging, effective classes to children.
It helps if you are comfortable speaking in front of other people, managing groups of learners, and able
to plan and organise your time. And it’s important to have a friendly, sympathetic nature and a good
degree of cultural sensitivity. After all, you’ll be working with people from all over the world and all walks
of life.
You can develop the knowledge and skills you’ll need with an initial TEFL qualification,
like CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Most courses can be done in
four to five weeks full-time, or over a couple of months to a year part-time.
Where can you teach?
There are opportunities to teach the English language almost everywhere. For example, you can teach
English in an English-speaking country such as the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or Ireland.
You’ll find many private and public programmes and classes for people who have come to work or study,
and who need to improve their English.
