Not until few years ago did people know what
tefl was, or how to pronounce it properly. However, nowadays teaching
english as a Foreign Language courses have become a very popular choice for students who would like to travel after graduation, as well as those looking to take a career break, improve their own
english language skills or establish themselves in another country.
tefl (Teaching
english as a Foreign Language) refers to teaching people whose first language is not
english. Other acronyms to look out for in the teaching
english sector include
tesol (Teaching
english to Speakers of Other Languages) and TESL (Teaching
english as a Second Language). There are several reasons why someone should complete a
tefl course. Some of the most important ones are as follows:
The demand for
english teachers around the world continues to rise, as
english has emerged as a global language. Nearly a quarter of the world's population speaks some
english (about 1.6 billion people), but only around 400m are native speakers. This means that there are approximately 1,200,000,000 potential students out there, just waiting for the chance to improve their
english. This has created great career opportunities for
english speakers while having an amazing experience at the same time.
Meanwhile, native-like foreign speakers of
english could teach
english in their own countries or abroad along with
english speakers and at times even surpass them. For instance, since such
teachers are able to understand their students' problems better than native speakers of the language since they themselves have been learners at a time in their lives. As a result they find it much easier to deal with students' learning difficulties. On the other hand,
english speakers are a source of authentic
english and provide students with a first-hand experience of the language, people and culture.
tefl is a mine of information about teaching
english since it revolves around how to deal with different areas of
english language such as linguistics, phonology, pronunciation, grammar and skills like listening, writing, speaking and writing. Taking such courses could come as a great advantage to its takers who range from experienced
english teacher and those who have never even had a real classroom experience.
Experienced
teachers are already aware of the situation in classroom and most points mentioned in the course just assist them brush up on their previous knowledge of the subject. However, since
tefl is a various course, it allows such
teachers to evaluate their work and get to know many novel, creative ideas which would help them improve their teaching quality afterwards. Taking a
tefl course is also very beneficial for inexperienced
teachers who are willing to start teaching
english as a career. For one thing they learn a great deal about the language and come to experience and appreciate the language in a more educational way. For another thing, the course helps them prepare themselves for a future real teaching experience. On the whole, this course provides both groups with a wide range of ideas which can be practiced efficiently during their career.
In addition to the educational advantages of the course, a
tefl certified teacher is given the opportunity to work abroad and immerse themselves in a foreign culture, learn the language and learn about the people and culture.
So it is no wonder that
tefl qualifications are among the most popular course options at the moment. The mix of travel opportunities, potential money making and valuable language skills mean that more and more people enroll in a
tefl program each year. Let
tefl give you a life abroad that is the envy of people back home! Just be warned: you may never want to come back home!