Teach English in Zhuokeji Zhen - Aba Zangzu Qiangzu Zizhizhou —

For many centuries, the English language has evolved phenomenally and it has become one of the world’s main languages studied and spoken today. Like many languages, English is a complex language for non-native speakers. However, with a knowledgeable resource, students are more likely to prove successful results. To work and travel around the globe has never been more achievable today, particularly teaching English to foreigners. Whether it is a career choice or simply a work and travel experience, there is much more to it than just being fluent in English. Despite someone’s level of experiences, a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course prepares English teachers with evidence-based education and training before accrediting those who can show theoretical and practical skills within non-English speaking contexts. There are many advantages for completing a TEFL course apart from being a well-informed teacher. It encourages the use of student-oriented lessons for positive results, promotes cultural awareness as it plays a huge role for TEFL teachers and offers lifelong guidance for professional development. Many countries now require potential applicants to obtain a minimum of 120 hours in a TEFL course since they endorse evidence-based strategies that associate with student-oriented lessons for promising results. Unlike traditional teaching approaches, TEFL courses strongly believe in student-oriented lessons since it allows the students to become active participants. Additionally, it is easier for the students to absorb the content at their pace and it encourages the students to converse in English more freely within the classrooms. It is important to understand how student factors influence learning activities, especially when working with children and adults from a different culture. Some student factors that can influence English lessons are: age, culture, level of English skills, motivation, and reasons for studying English. TEFL courses strongly accept the idea that teachers who act more like a facilitator will see more participation from students. Throughout the course, the most common teaching method used was ESA (engage, study, activity). The ESA approach ensures that all lessons are student-oriented by engaging the students, allowing student talking time, empowering the students to use the language freely and maintaining motivation using age-appropriate activities. Although TEFL courses may teach certain methodologies, the delivery and receiving of a lesson can vary for different cultures which is why cultural awareness is another principal found across all TEFL courses. Additionally, TEFL work opportunities are becoming more prevalent in various countries and so are the number of teachers moving overseas. TEFL courses provide concise English lessons and noteworthy approaches on how to become a competent English teacher in a foreign country by encouraging cultural awareness. One of the benefits to completing a TEFL course is that it acknowledges how important it is to appreciate the values and beliefs of different ethnic groups as it dictates how valuable and respectful a TEFL teacher is on foreign grounds. Although it is recommended that teachers become familiar with their students’ cultural background, it is still difficult to decide what level of English to teach and how-to carry out lessons. Rather than comparing students’ ages with their expected level of English, TEFL teachers are learning to identify a student’s level of English based on how efficient they use the language regardless of their age. Students are not always competent users of English due to limited opportunities to explore or be exposed to the language and sometimes, may not have an established school curriculum. Therefore, the progress of students’ English skills may seem slower and varied which is perfect for student-oriented lessons. Teachers who complete a TEFL course would be more aware and ready due to receiving formal training in assessing and developing an eclectic approach dedicated to the students’ needs to learn English in retrospective of their ethnic background. However, if TEFL teachers do come across a difficult situation or feel that they need more support in general, there is always professional advice available. Likewise, to keep up with the latest teaching methodologies and competence as a teacher within the industry, TEFL courses can also offer lifelong support and professional development through networking with other TEFL teachers, organisations, job boards and more advanced TEFL courses. Furthermore, TEFL courses give teachers the extensive knowledge that they need by referring to different types of resources such as textbooks, websites and international TEFL institutions. Not only will a TEFL course enable international opportunities but also earn the trust and recognition from educational institutions worldwide. In addition to working overseas, TEFL teachers can also trust that their professional training online as well as their in-classroom training will help them when working abroad in different countries. Overall, these propositions show that having completed a TEFL course before pursuing a career in the industry, proves valuable as these courses provide evidence-based education and training to those interested in teaching English as a foreign language. In contrast to the traditional teaching methods where lessons are teacher-oriented, students from a non-English speaking background benefit from student-oriented lessons as it gives them a purpose to become more involved and explore the language more freely. Furthermore, the course acknowledges the importance of cultural awareness as it can affect the delivery of English lessons and vice versa where the students’ ability to learn and interact can become impaired. It is important to note the options that are readily available for professional development such as networking with TEFL colleagues who have received the same training, TEFL organisations and other advanced TEFL courses. Ultimately, TEFL courses have a universal aim to prepare and give English teachers a solid set of skills to empower, facilitate and inspire students to learn English as a foreign language.