FAQ
TEFL can broaden your horizons, which inspires a lot of questions! Here are the answers to some of our most frequent queries. If there’s anything that we don’t cover, or you’d like to recommend that we mention, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on info@teflhub.com.
teflhub is an online community for teachers of English as a Foreign Language, where we share resources and post TEFL jobs around the world.
Our team of English teachers have taught and lived in 18 countries around the world. We have experience teaching young learners, general English, business English, EAP, ESP, as well as curriculum development, testing, and recruitment, but we are still learning… always learning. Feel free to share your own experience, knowledge, and advice on teflhub so that we can all get the most out of our lives at the ‘chalk face’. Our vision is that you’re able to treat teflhub.com as your online staffroom: use the free resources, ask questions via the social media, find out about the latest TEFL events, share your best lesson activities and photos (and maybe win up to $2,000!), and find your next job.
Signing up is easy and only takes a minute:
- Click on 'register' and choose 'teacher or candidate' or 'school or organisation' whichever is appropriate;
- Fill in the form with your details;
- Click on 'register'
- You'll receive an email in your inbox. If you're a teacher, click on the link to confirm you are indeed the person registering; if you're a school or organisation, you'll receive an email confirming your registration - we'll validate your school status and then contact you within 48 hours.
That's it!
Well, the likelihood is that you already know what TEFL is if you’re already here on TEFLhub, but we thought we should be sure!
When people talk about TEFL, they are talking about "Teaching English as a Foreign Language", a term that can be used interchangeably with the term TESL, "Teaching English as a Second Language". Either the students or teachers may be non-native speakers of English, but most TEFL classrooms are exclusively English-speaking places in order to encourage learning. As a term, TEFL focuses on the teaching of English and the teachers who run classes, rather than the students of EFL (English as a Foreign Language).
TEFL teachers are in great demand around the world, whether working in English-speaking countries with people who want to improve their English as a second language, or working abroad and teaching English to native speakers of other languages.
There are quite a few acronyms in the world of TEFL, and it can get confusing as to what exactly they mean! TEFL, TESL, TESOL, ELT, ESL, and EFL are all acronyms which are generally used by teachers to refer to the teaching of English. Here are a few of the most common acronyms used in TEFL and their meanings:
TEFL - Teaching English as a Foreign Language
TESL - Teaching English as a Second Language
TESOL - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
EFL - English as a Foreign Language
ESL - English as a Second Language
ELL - English Language Learning
EAP - English for Academic Purposes
ESP - English for Specific Purposes
L1 - a student's first language - their native language or mother tongue
L2 - a student's second language
Absolutely, yes! There is a huge range of possibilities for TEFL teachers all around the world. As well as teaching in classrooms, TEFL teachers have found themselves in dedicated language schools, corporate training departments, university language seminars, government-sponsored language programmes, private tuition and working with charities. Take a look at teflhub’s jobs listings for a sample of what’s available!
To make a career out of TEFL, it’s advisable to have a good, recognisable qualification. That will help you on your journeys around the world!
Not necessarily! Though many TEFL teachers love travelling and working abroad from their home countries, demand for English teachers is worldwide. Whether you’re from an English-speaking country or not, there will always be people wanting to improve their English language skills!
You can still work as a TEFL teacher if English isn’t your first language! If you have a strong working proficiency with English and a good TEFL certification, you should be qualified for any job, especially as ane of the entrance requirements for good TEFL courses is the candidate’s ability to speak and write English fluently. In theory, everyone with a good TEFL certificate will be equally qualified for the job, whether they are native or first-language English speakers or not. Despite this, there are still some employers who insist on stipulating 'native speakers only'.
Most TEFL teachers focus on speaking only English to his or her students, in order to maximise students’ time listening to and thinking in English (sometimes called "total immersion"). So while speaking another language is not required for teaching English, if you’re living abroad, some knowledge of the local language is likely to make your life a little easier!
Some experience of learning or speaking another language may help you understand the perspective of a non-native language speaker, which could aid the way you teach. It can also give you a better grasp of more general principles of language, such as how to understand grammar from the outside and how people in general acquire language skills.
No, there are a few companies, particularly in the Far East who’ll provide training for their teachers (usually a week in length). A pre-requisite is usually that you have a degree in any subject but even this is not always necessary – especially if you are in a location where a school is in desperate need of a teacher (beware visa issues!).
The positive aspect of this is that you may get a taste of whether teaching English is for you. The downside is that you may not be ‘equipped’ to teach English. TEFL courses teach you the basics of English grammar as well as teaching theory, lesson planning, classroom management, etc. This could ultimately affect your enjoyment of the job as you are likely to feel more stressed and ill-prepared if, as with any job, you are not ready for your work day in the classroom.
It can also affect your students. Through no fault of your own you may not be able to deliver a lesson of a quality to meet your students’ expectations. This can further effect your enjoyment of the teaching experience.
Still not sure? Why not post a question on teflhub’s social media?
There are weekend courses, online courses, week-long courses and 4 – 5 week courses.
Where to Start
The course you choose will depend on you and your needs. Many employers require that you have physically attended a course of 120 – 160 hours (which can be taken part time or in a full-time 4– or 5-week course) because this involves a teaching practice component and therefore reassures your potential employer that you have stood in front of a class. However, if you’re not sure that a TEFL career path is for you, then maybe it is worth having a ‘taster’ of what is involved in TEFL by attending shorter courses; but remember that this could result in you wasting money if you then have to attend a 120 – 160 classroom-based course.
Is there a way to find out if teaching is for me before spending money on a TEFL course?
Yes. If you are really unsure about whether a teaching position is for you, then there is the option of saving yourself the expense of a TEFL course by heading to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan or China where companies such as Aeon, Berlitz, Gaba, etc offer their own1-week’s training. You’ll get instruction on their particular courses and then be sent to one of their schools for what is usually a year-long contract. This will save you money, but you might find that in the first few weeks you feel unprepared for the classes which might cause you some anxiety. The benefit of a TEFL course is that it gives you a foundation course in English grammar, a grasp of classroom management, and hopefully a wealth of tips on general teaching skills.
Online or Contact TEFL courses?
As mentioned above, many employers prefer teachers who have had experience of standing in front of a class and so stipulate that you must have attended a course of 120 – 160 hours therefore ruling out candidates who have an online TEFL course certificate. This is not always the case and the benefits of online courses are that they offer flexibility and are cheaper.
A Weekend TEFL course or a 4 – 5 Week/120 – 160 hour TEFL course?
The advantages of a weekend TEFL course is that it gives you a cheaper way of finding out if TEFL is for you ,or if you are a teacher in another field it gives you an insight into teaching English. Most employers will prefer, and some will insist, that you have attended a 120 – 160 hour contact course whether it’s part time or the full time 4 – 5 week course.
Where you take the course is important
Some schools will only consider recruiting teachers, rightly or wrongly, who have an accredited Trinity Certificate in TESOL or the Cambridge CELTA. This is because wherever you are in the world, a school offering a CELTA or TESOL course will be regularly checked by an external assessor (Cambridge) or moderator (Trinity) which ensures certain standards are maintained. However, there are institutions offering similar courses which may be of the same quality. You have to research the feedback the course has received carefully and scrutinize the school’s prospectus before making the decision, but make sure the course is accredited.
Accreditation
Accreditation involves being regularly assessed by an independent external organisation such as the Ministry of Education for that particular country, TQUK, ACCET, IATQuO, Cambridge and Trinity. This ensures that the content and quality of the course meets international standards.
Accredited courses will usually offer:
- at least six hours of observed live teaching practice with a class of students of English;
- at least 100 hours of training;
- course instructors who hold an MA or DELTA/Diploma;
- evidence of accreditation from a recognised examination board.
Note that a school’s membership of a teaching association does not equate to accreditation.
Some people decide to take their TEFL course overseas so they can get qualified while enjoying a new cultural experience, and at the same time possibly save money due to the lower cost of living. Visit teflhub’s school directory to start your search.
There are teaching positions in the Middle and Far East which any teacher would be more than happy with. These positions usually require that you have a few years of experience and often a Master in TEFL or a related field. If you have these, then you could earn as much as £1,000/$1,350 a week. There is usually a drawback to the better paid teaching positions. This could be the isolated or culturally challenging location or the unique challenges to which the particular job exposes the teacher.
Many TEFL teachers choose the profession because they are interested in immersing themselves in fascinating cultures around the world. There does seem to be a correlation between culture and salary – the richer the culture the poorer the TEFL teachers (as with any profession). This is not always the case and of course the same cultures will interest certain teachers which leave others cold.
Still not sure? Why not post a question on teflhub’s social media?
There is no definitive answer to this question. Some people have overcome their shyness by becoming TEFL teachers while others have endured years of anxiety before entering the classroom.
The advantage of TEFL teaching is that there are schools which offer 1 – 1 classes. Most private language schools in Japan, for example, will not have more than five students in a class – something the students insist on as they want more individual contact with the teacher; this allows someone to slowly build up their confidence in front of students. It would be rare to have more than 20 students in a class anywhere in the world.
Even teachers who appear bubbling over with confidence occasionally have a moment’s anxiety before a lesson. This is natural. It could be due to weariness, low-sugar levels or a feeling that he or she is not completely prepared.
The best way to combat anxiety is to ensure that you are completely prepared for a lesson the day before the class. Don’t leave photocopying to the morning, or your lesson plan to the bus ride into work – or you will be that sweaty, trembling, scared teacher who has just dropped his unstapled photocopies on the floor causing him to pour his coffee down the crotch of his light trousers while frantically looking around to try and find the classroom where his students are (im-) patiently waiting for him.
There are an ever-increasing number of excellent free resources for teachers online, as well as a core selection of books which will be invaluable for a teacher throughout his or her career. As well as the resources available on teflhub.com there are a host of other websites offering excellent resources covering almost everything a teacher needs. There are also activities the teachers can set the students as homework to complete at their own pace.
If you don’t have access to a computer lab at your school, then there are numerous publications available to help the globe-trotting TEFL teacher. Here are just a few of them:
1 Teaching English as a Foreign Language for Dummies
For those thinking of a career in TEFL or taking a TEFL certificate
by Michelle Maxom ISBN - 1119992281
A great introduction to TEFL! The chapters give an overview of all the various aspects of teaching English. It’s perfect for beginners in the field who need a summary of the essential basics of teaching, classroom management, English grammar and so on. The author has presented the content in layman’s terms avoiding confusing jargon and so allowing someone new to TEFL to absorb the content in easy-to-follow passages.
2 The A – Z of English Grammar and Usage
A great grammar reference book
by G. Leech, B. Cruickshank, and R. Ivanic ISBN – 10: 0582405742
We can’t all remember every aspect of grammar in detail. This is a fantastic book to have with you as a quick and easy way to brush up on that grammar point you’re going to teach. It has an easy to use alphabetical guide to English grammar with examples and cartoons to help illustrate the grammar points.
3 700 Classroom Activities
A compendium of engaging lesson activity ideas
by David Seymour and Maria Popova - ISBN – 10: 1405080019.
This is an excellent book which many TEFL teachers take with them wherever they go. The book literally has 700 classroom activities (most of which do not need any preparation before hand) so it is unlikely that you’ll teach a general English lesson where this book will not be of some use.
4 Reward: Elementary – Upper-intermediate Resource Packs
Printable tried-and-tested lesson activities
by Sue Kay
A collection of resource packs to help supplement a course book you are studying or to help build a lesson of your own; particularly useful for communicative activities in your classes.
5 English Grammar in Use (all levels)
Student friendly grammar explanations and practice pages
by Raymond Murphy
This series of books covers all English levels. Again an excellent resource, particularly good for one-to-one lessons whereby you can open the book at any page and go through the very clear grammar explanations with your student before doing the activities on the opposite page – superb!
Still not sure? Why not post a question on teflhub’s social media?
After a couple of years a teacher may start researching the next step in professional development, so which course should a teacher take? A master’s degree is a more academic qualification covering theoretical aspects of teaching English (although a few do have a practical component) while a Diploma/Delta is considered of more practical value as it involves more teaching practice – but both are Ofqual (UK) level 7 qualifications.
Before committing to a course you should investigate which qualification and which institute running the course is preferred by your prospective employers. Also bear in mind that some universities will award you credits for your Diploma/Delta which you can then use towards your master’s course; you may then only have to do three of the six modules (and a dissertation) to get your master’s.
Usually universities will only allow one module to be credited from previous studies, but this still amounts to a substantial financial and work-load saving. However, once you have completed a master’s degree you do not usually require a diploma in TEFL, therefore saving time and money.
Many teachers prefer to attain a master’s degree as it doesn’t usually involve teaching practice (which conversely is why many institutions prefer a diploma) and lesson observations (which most teachers already experience enough of in their day-to-day life) and the master’s negates the need for a diploma.
Remember that a Continuing Professional Development section might be introduced to all TEFL teachers’ CVs – this might result in it being advantageous in doing both a diploma/Delta and a master’s.
The following points might help you decide:
- Do you want to teach at university (usually require a master’s) or be a Director of Studies/DoS ( usually require a DELTA/Dip)?
- Distance learning MAs are not accepted by some institutions around the world;
- DELTA has more recognition in Europe than in the Middle and Far East;
- Teacher training posts usually prefer a DELTA/Dip;
- Schools which offer CELTA/TESOL courses are often more inclined to hire teachers with a DELTA/Dip than an MA.
Still not sure? Why not post a question on teflhub’s social media?
Some non-TEFL teachers and a few TEFL instructors do not consider TEFL teachers to be "real" teachers. This is unfair when you consider that TEFL teachers spend easily as many hours as other teachers in the classroom and so gain experience and expertise in teaching methods, classroom management and pedagogy; gaining it from on-the-job training which is considered by many to be the best form of training.
TEFL teachers are employed at universities all over the world providing EAP (English for Academic Purposes) and ESP (English for Specific Purposes) courses for both under- and post-graduate students. University English language departments often employ TEFL teachers to teach accredited modules of their courses therefore having a direct impact on the students’ award/qualification.
In the Middle East TEFL teachers earn more than ‘regular’ teachers in their home countries. All over the world TEFL teachers have gained senior positions up to and including Principal level posts.
A TEFL teacher has as much classroom experience as a ‘regular’ teacher, can earn more, and reach the same high-level positions. So what’s the difference between a "regular" and TEFL teacher? Some might say that TEFL teachers have less paperwork, usually more motivated students, and get paid to travel the world.
TEFL offers teachers a variety of career choices such as curriculum development, EAP, ESP, business English, head of department, headmaster, recruitment, as well as globe-trotting adventurer. A teacher’s options increase with experience and qualifications. Once a TEFL teacher has gained enough experience he or she hopefully has a CV which will be acceptable for senior positions. There is talk of an extra section being added to a TEFL teacher’s CV: a Continuing Professional Development section. This section will reflect a teacher’s ability, enthusiasm, and commitment to take on senior positions or a move into other TEFL-related positions.
There are numerous specialist courses a TEFL teacher can undertake to facilitate a move into a specialist field and add credibility to a teacher’s CV. After a TEFL certificate, teachers usually take the TEFL Diploma/Dip and then maybe a master’s degree. However, some bypass the Diploma and go straight onto a master’s course in TEFL or Education. In the course of undertaking the above courses many teachers complete shorter courses related to young learners, business English, etc. which help a teacher on his or her preferred career path.
Many teachers have managed to spend a year or two teaching up to four short contracts a year in up to three or four countries. It’s a fantastic means of gaining experience and a chance to see the world for free.
An example would be to apply for a two-month contract to work in Morocco with the British Council in January – March. This could be followed by a spring three – four month contract in Japan with Westgate. In the summer there are EAP (English for Academic Purposes) courses preparing students for their studies at English-speaking universities. Or summer schools for teenagers around the world. It’s even possible to walk into a language school anywhere in the world during the summer and ask if they need someone to cover lessons while their teachers take their summer vacation. In the autumn there are three - four month contracts in Japan with Westgate, or, for many, the beginning of a year-long contract.
It’s worth visiting the short-contract (1 week – 5 months) pages of teflhub.com or other recruitment websites to plan your trip.
The downside is that you just get to know your students and fellow teachers, and get settled in to the area when you have to pack up and move on to your next contract which may not start for a month or two.
Still not sure? Why not post a question on teflhub’s social media?
Well, if you do choose another career then it’s likely that you’ll have to learn “the trade” in that job too.
Many native teachers of English were not taught grammar at school. However once you start teaching you’ll acquire a more in-depth knowledge of English.
Remember, you are a teacher of English, usually about how English is used in a certain situation. You are not a professor of linguistics and it would be unfair of students, schools, and yourself to consider that you are.
All a teacher of any subject can do is gain knowledge of their particular subject, prepare properly for a class, teach, monitor and help your students with the lesson’s target language and then you are fulfilling your role 100%.
If an aspect of English comes up in a lesson that you are unfamiliar with, then don’t lie (students will know) just tell them you’ll get a proper response to the question in the next lesson as it will distract from the current lesson or that there is not enough time to deal with the query. Remember that if you do promise to provide a detailed response in the next lesson, then you must do it – your credibility is at stake.