If you’re looking at joining the thousands of people every year who complete a TEFL, this is a good place to start. It’s a quick run through of the basic requirements for teaching English abroad, detailing the necessary qualifications you’ll have to have and some of the ones that schools will prefer, which you might want if you’re keen to apply to some of the better-paid and more competitive places around the globe.
The necessary requirements for teaching English abroad
Let’s start with the qualifications that are 100% nonnegotiable. These are the lines on your resume that you will simply HAVE to have completed to be able to start seriously applying for positions in the TEFL industry. It won’t matter if it’s a casual job in a rustic school up in the Colombian Andes or a lucrative city position in the heart of Tokyo, these are needed…
- English – It might seem obvious, but you will need to be able to speak English to be able to teach English. If you don’t, then well done on getting this far through this article! We would note that this isn’t a requirement to speak English as a native. Nope. There are now lots of TEFL schools willing to accept non-native speakers as applicants.
- A TEFL qualification – Virtually all employers now ask for some sort of TEFL certification. It’s a bit of a Wild West out there. You can do free courses that take a couple of hours, or you can spend thousands of dollars on courses run by word-leading universities. The best option is to pick a properly accredited TEFL provider (that means it will be recognized by schools all around the globe) and complete a 120-hour course, which is the most common level asked for by schools. That should quality you for virtually any job out there.
Non-necessary requirements for teaching English abroad
The truth is that the requirements for teaching English abroad vary wildly from destination to destination. In Japan, you’ll need a university education and native-level English. Cambodia doesn’t ask for either of those. It’s different again in Mexico and Spain, Italy and South Africa. Let’s run through some of the things that you might be required to show, but don’t have to have to start dipping your toe in the TEFL world…
- Native English – The reality of TEFL teaching today is that the top jobs tend to be reserved for native teachers. That’s generally defined as teachers who come from a country where English is the mother tongue, which means the US, the UK, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. Lots of schoolswill test this by checking where you hold a passport or citizenship.
- A college/university degree – The upper cohort of higher-paying jobs in the TEFL industry usually ask for a BA or a BSc degree, or some equivalent from a higher education institution. However, a college degree is more commonly a requirement on application for national working visas, which means this is your ticket to get inside the country, not an English school per se.
- Previous teaching experience – Again, not required, but very much a plus. Previous teaching experience is often stipulated as a necessary on applications, but we wouldn’t discourage you from applying if you think you’re still a star candidate. What it will do is give you the confidence to know that you can do the job and let you talk in detail about your specific TEFL skills at interview stage.
Some extra requirements that you might want to think about
There are some other things that we think TEFL teachers should often think about mentioning when they come to apply for that dream job in Thailand or that tutoring position in Brazil. They aren’t usually listed as must-have qualifications, but can really help you stand out from the crowd…
- Organizational skills/experience – Teaching jobs both online and offline involve a lot of organization and project management. You need to manage homework tasks, reporting, feedback, parent liaison – the list goes on. If you can show that you know how to go about all that then you can really improve your position.
- Social aspects – Schools want to hire people that will gel with their current staff and vibe. Show you’re outgoing, easy-going, and ready to socialize and it can help your prospects.
- Love of travel – The TEFL industry is full of people who LOVE travel. Just look at us! Share that passion for experiencing new places and new cultures and it can really look great on a job application. Don’t push it too hard, though – you don’t want to make it seem as if you’ll be gone as soon as a cheap flight pops up!
This guide outlines the basic requirements for teaching English abroad. If you think you’ve got what it takes, be sure to check out our destinations page. Or, if you’re ready to complete that TEFL qualification, check out our courses page.
Ah, TEFL mistakes. Every first-time teacher’s been there. Whether it’s a case of letting homework mishaps slide or having a grammar kerfuffle in-front of the kids, there are actually some really valuable lessons to be learned from those classroom nightmares. Here, we take a look at five of the most common, and the fables they tell us about working in the EFL world.
English only!
Of course, the holy grail of any TEFL class is immersion. Complete, utter immersion. That means there should not be a hint of Mandarin flying around those Taiwanese schoolrooms, no touch of Spanish audible between the desks of your Colombian classroom, and no whiff of a single khob khun na krup as you attempt to teach English under the Thai sun! Not only will allowing instances of the native language sacrifice that all-important elicitation (forcing students to struggle for words they don’t quite know), but it will also damage student talking time – the main vehicle for learning through conversation.
Always check that homework
No matter the age of your class – whether mature adult learners or homework-hating children – if you neglect, just once, to check that homework, then you’ve set a precedent which means it’ll forever be left undone, “forgotten”, eaten by the proverbial dog (that pup must have had its fair share by now!) – the list of excuses goes on. In fact, if you’re finding it particularly difficult to keep up with marking and checking all that extracurricular work, it might be an idea just to reduce the amount you’re giving. Remember: not setting and not checking is better than setting and neglecting. (I’m a poet but I didn’t know it.)
Avoid using the same games
This uber-common of TEFL mistakes holds truest when it comes to teachers working with younger classes, where the attention span is considerably less and the demand on new material is considerably more! Don’t think you can just stroll into the classroom and pull out the same quiz questions or opposites cards as the week before. Even if you try to pass this off as necessary revision, then you’re likely to be shot down by groans and moans and a palpable lack of enthusiasm (kids will rarely care about letting you know they aren’t happy!). New EFL games aren’t hard to find each week, and just varying one a little can make all the difference. (Disclaimer here: some games are an exception to the rule and will always be a hit. I remember being asked for hangman virtually every lesson by one class. They’re rare, but it does cut both ways…)
Pay attention to regional customs and traditions
Flat palms mean ‘hold on’ in northern Europe, but are an ancient Byzantine slur in Greece. Thumbs up are an enthusiastic ‘well done’ in the United States, but will send locals rallying with offence and anger in the Middle East. Crossed fingers means ‘good luck’ in many places, but will get you some pretty offended stares in Southeast Asia. The point here is that EFL teachers should always be careful when it comes to working in places with stark cultural differences to their own home. It’s important to pay attention to what’s acceptable and what’s not, so that you don’t end up alienating or, worse, upsetting your students!
Know thy grammar!
Is it a gerund or a present participle? Does this one need a relative clause, or should commas be kept at bay? What’s that adjective order again? Where does the apostrophe go? The cacophony of grammar-related questions you can expect to receive as an EFL teacher is overwhelming! I remember a few classes (you know, the too-cool-for-school kids) who’d never let me off the hook. If I didn’t know the answer they’d pin me a in a corner with an interrogation worthy of James Bond. A couple of those TEFL mistakes later and you’ll be swatting up on your cases, tenses, apostrophes and the whole lot. In short: become a grammar wiz!
Can you think of any more TEFL mistakes? Or, are you ready to take the plunge, get certified and hit the classroom? Be sure to leave a comment below and check out our offering of internships across the globe!