There are many reasons for someone to complete a
tefl course. Some people wish to travel. Some people wish to experience new and different cultures by living in a different country. Some people want to be a
teacher and think that teaching
english will be a good start for their career. Whatever the case may be, there are so many positives to taking and completing a
tefl course.
Personally, I just graduated from my University this past year. For the past four years at school, I have been studying Chemical Engineering. I have enjoyed science, but just recently realized I wanted to try something totally different for an entire year. I wanted to get away from my technology field and experience something I never thought I would be able to. I looked into many Teaching
english programs abroad. I studied abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland my Junior year in college and got a travel bug. Since then, I have had the strong desire to travel more and experience more cultures by living in different countries. Scotland was an incredible experience, but I wanted something entirely different than any
english-speaking country I've been to. I wanted a new culture and a whole new atmosphere. Therefore, I was very excited when I saw a program offered in
shanghai,
china. The program required a 4-year University
degree and a
tefl certificate.
When I first realized I would be taking a course on
english, I felt rather childish and simple. Then, once I started taking the lessons, I realized how valuable and informative the
tefl lessons were. I realized that there was so much of
english I just took for granted that I didn't even realize how or why I was saying sentences a certain way. I also realized that I was using my
english incorrectly at times. When teaching abroad, I think it is critical to use
english flawlessly so that the students are learning the language properly.
I knew that I wanted this teaching experience because I love helping people and I love
children. However I was unsure whether or not I would be able to be a good
english teacher. I have had limited experience teaching in the classroom and I have never taught
english to a group of non-
english-speaking students. I was rather intimidated that I would get in front of the room and not know what to do. However, these
tefl courses have given me the confidence that I needed. I now know the steps that I need to take when preparing for a lesson. There are so many factors I would not have considered if I had not had these online lessons. I now know that I must write a lesson plan and follow it in order to be organized. I have also learned how to write an effective lesson plan. I know all about different activities to use during my teaching lessons. I also know about how different learners can potentially respond to different teaching strategies, classroom set-ups, games, activities, etc.
Overall, there are so many valuable lessons that I've learned from this
tefl course and there are so many uses for receiving this
certificate. I'm excited to put the lessons I've learned to use in the fall.