Teach English in Linjin Zhen - Yuncheng Shi

Teaching English abroad is becoming an increasingly popular career path. This means that the competition is high, especially for popular countries such as China, Spain, Japan, etc. Though there are some countries where a TEFL certification is recommended, even required, there are plenty of countries that will allow one to teach with just a Bachelor’s Degree, or even just a GED. This is especially true in Asia, where there is particularly high demand (Goddard, "Teaching English Abroad is An Increasingly Popular Choice For Struggling Graduates"). This begs the question of why one should even bother obtaining a certification. One important reason is that it allows one to stand out more favorably against other job candidates. This is especially true if one graduated with a degree not related to education. Going through the effort to pay for and complete a training course shows schools that the person cares about the quality of their teaching and is motivated to teach students the English language in the most effective and engaging way possible. This separates them from the teachers that come to a lesson not fully prepared, are frequently late, and are just not fully committed. A TEFL certification also signifies a candidate that has knowledge in terms of how to teach a lesson and run a class, even if they have little to no actual teaching experience. Even if one has experience in teaching, a TEFL certification is still useful because teaching English in foreign, non-English speaking countries is a completely different affair from other forms of teaching. It requires a great deal of patience and consideration on the teachers part, as one needs to tailor their language and instruction to the knowledge level of their students. Especially in regards to teaching earlier levels, there is a stronger emphasis on providing visuals and engaging activities than with other forms of teaching. Getting certified shows that one is cultivating the unique skill set required to teach English as a foreign language. One of the most noteworthy benefits to taking a certification course is the wealth of reference material one acquires from doing so, which one can then take a look at when preparing lessons and looking to hone their teaching skills. Using this course as an example, the ideas for Engage and Activate phase activities, as well as the guidelines on how to teach basic aspects of English, will be invaluable for lesson planning when starting out as a teacher. Also, the videos that show examples of effective and ineffective forms of teaching will be useful materials to refer to. One should never just rely on outside sources to dictate how they teach their students, but the material offered in certification programs can still be of great assistance to new teachers. For new teachers, the skills a TEFL course provides one are invaluable. Knowing about how to effectively construct a lesson plan, control a large class, encourage shy students to speak up, etc. puts one in a much better position than a teacher who does not possess those skills. While one could figure out how to run a class on their own over time, they would need to figure out various gems of wisdom, such as using a student’s name at the end of a sentence when asking them a question, for themselves through trial and error. Furthermore, the confidence boost that comes with starting a job fully prepared and with the proper skills can’t be undersold. It makes the difference between a new teacher going in over their head and quickly becoming overwhelmed, and said teacher diving into the job headfirst, eager to try out their newfound skills. This confidence radiates to all of their students, making them more eager to learn. Perhaps most importantly, whether the country one is trying to teach in requires a TEFL certificate or not, being certified simply makes one’s life easier. The fact is that most countries either require or recommend having a TEFL certificate. Even if a school is happy to accept somebody as a teacher without a TEFL certificate, they may not be the kind of schools one would want to work for. They may not be able to afford teachers with a certificate or convince them to work for them, or they may not want to deal with the hassle of procuring them a visa. In fact, not having a certificate would also make it impossible to procure a long-term visa. This would make one more susceptible to being scammed since they would have no legal backing. In conclusion, whether one should pursue a TEFL certification depends on their circumstances. Admittedly, the investment may not be worthwhile if they are seeking part-time employment since it is possible to make a living abroad working multiple part-time jobs that don’t ask for a certificate. That being said, a certificate is near essential for anybody seeking long-term full-time employment with benefits. A couple of hundred dollars is a measly investment when one considers how it will pay off throughout their career.