TEFL Fredericksburg Viriginia

With the prevalence, some would say universality, of english in this age of blisteringly rapid globalization and economic strife, there is still yet a vast need for english education around the world. As the adoption of english as the ‘official' language of much of academia and many companies spreads, the need for qualified and capable english instructors grows with it. In other words, in a world filled with job loss it remains a growing market. Parents want their children to speak english to be able to study and work globally; businesses want their employees to speak english to be able to work more effectively with other companies globally. To continue to train the focus on employment for a moment, even a small amount of research will readily illustrate the inherent value of completing a tefl course. An extremely popular website for tefl oriented jobs is Dave's esl Café (www.eslcafe.com), where there is a variety of resources for teachers and students alike. One of the more prominent features of the website is the jobs board. Within a few minutes of browsing any one of the available boards, it rapidly becomes apparent that individual schools often require a tefl certification before they will even begin to consider an applicant. The same holds true for most of the teacher recruiting companies and businesses looking to enhance the skills of their employees. If a job posting does not require a tefl certification, it will very often either have the applicant begin training for one when they arrive or the institution should be thoroughly investigated for legitimacy before anybody applies for an open position. Possessing a degree in english or Education is often considered secondary to specific tefl training. Even when one moves beyond the multitude of teaching positions which actually require the certification, simply having one increases your value, qualifications, professionalism and authority in the eyes of institutions seeking effective english teachers. For those who have not formally studied the english language in some time, tefl courses virtually guarantee a new level of comfort and familiarity with grammar; and, for those who have not previously studied education or pedagogy, tefl courses offer several resources, as well as teaching, coaching and training in how to teach individuals and groups, plan lessons and manage classrooms, among several other topics. Some tefl programs also offer tutoring during the course and employment counseling upon completion, such as International TEFL and TESOL training (www.teflonline.net). The ITTT website also mentions another enormous benefit of completing a tefl course: Networking. Those who complete tefl courses are often put in touch with other teachers, developing camaraderie and encouraging the sharing of ideas. The focus of tefl certification is to teach english effectively to non-native speakers in an environment where english is not the primary language. The focus is not pure academic exercise but rather practical teaching concepts and skills. This training is not only enormously valuable to individual teachers and companies, but to potential students. Completing a tefl course and earning a certificate has proven to be a rewarding experience. Being able to use the certificate and material learned during the course to teach and help change lives for the better is even more rewarding. tefl certification therefore supplies teachers with the knowledge, skills, resources and qualifications vital to pursuing the rewarding path of teaching english as a foreign language.