Teaching English is a very interesting profession. Many teachers who understand the intricacies of their business reach a high level of income through tutoring , moving and employment in foreign schools , a highly paid position in domestic prestigious educational institutions.
Today, in order to become an English teacher, you must choose one of the options:
- Obtaining higher education.
- Graduation from college or technical school.
- International certification courses.
- Selfeducation.
- Language certificates.
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Let's look at each of the options in more detail.
How to start teaching English?
In summary of the future teacher, there must be a basis for engaging in this type of activity. Of course, there are times when experience speaks for itself. For example, if you have been engaged in private tutoring for the last five years and are familiar with all the necessary methods and technologies of the lesson firsthand. But what if you are a novice specialist without education and minimal work experience?
Is higher education required?
The most obvious and common way to become an English teacher. In order to work in this specialty in the future, diplomas of higher education in related areas are also suitable: foreign language, linguistics, philology, translator, and even a psychologist.
Pros
- Getting the fundamentals.
- Formation of the image of a professional and increase the level of confidence of students.
- For work in a school or garden, a bachelor's degree is quite suitable.
- Significant improvement in English.
Minuses
- For admission, you must pass exam in English for a high score, which depends on the university you have chosen.
- When passing exam on a score below the passing one, you will have to enter on a paid basis.
- In order to teach students, it is necessary to obtain a master's degree and graduate from graduate school.
- Difficulties with sessions and course projects are possible.
- It is very difficult to combine attending a university and work, which can negatively affect finances.
- Duration of study is 4 years.
Despite the obvious advantages, higher education is not for everyone. Basically, it is considered by high school students or first-year students who want to change their occupation.
It can be difficult for adults to allocate funds and time for full-fledged long-term education, but if a person is confident in his abilities, then you can do it in absentia. We examined pedagogical universities, tuition fees and passing scores in more detail in this article.
Who will suit?
- Graduates of schools and technical schools.
- Students of primary courses in other higher educational institutions.
- Adults who can combine university (full-time/part-time) with work.
- Professionals who want to continue teaching at universities.
Is college enough to become a teacher?
To enter a secondary school, you need a high school diploma and good knowledge of the English language. You can study both internally and in absentia. However, it is still better to take specific subjects in the classroom, where there is an opportunity to clarify an incomprehensible question with the lecturer.
Pros
- Shorter duration of study - on average, about 3 years.
- Fewer requirements for admission: it is enough to have a certificate and pass the entrance exams.
- The teaching staff, as a rule, consists of practicing specialists, so you can take out a lot of professional "chips" for yourself.
- Lower cost of contract training.
- Industrial practice, where you can get a future job.
- Knowledge for admission can be an order of magnitude lower.
Minuses
- Limited employment opportunities - it will be realistic to get an English teacher in a kindergarten, and at school you will have to discuss the issue with the administration.
- The need to finish teaching yourself advanced techniques , which probably will not be considered in detail.
- Perhaps, the level of English will have to be tightened independently.
- Lower wages: both in official work and for private lessons.
Thus, a technical school can also be the basis for the work of a teacher, but limitations are possible. So, not every school will accept specialists with this level, but a kindergarten can be an excellent way out.
Get your TEFL TESOL certification
Travel, work online, get a job abroad, or be
an EFL and ESL teacher in your country.
Who will suit?
- People who want to teach English to children .
- Those who do not plan to apply for a vacancy at a university or abroad.
- Those who want to save a little on education.
- For those who decide to combine study and work, it will be easier to graduate from college.
What certificates give the right to teach English?
If your diploma is not related to pedagogy, but you have a TOEFL, IELTS, BEC, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency, then you can count on a vacancy for a teacher in language courses.
You can combine your knowledge gained at the university and the language as a tutor in business, corporate, legal, technical, medical English.
Narrow-profile knowledge, including terminology, combined with advanced grammar, will make you a sought-after specialist not only in courses in the Russian Federation, but also in many foreign companies.
In addition, with this level, you can look for a place as an English teacher in private kindergartens or schools.
Advantages
- Obtaining modern knowledge and assimilation of complex grammatical structures.
- Improving reputation for employers and potential students.
- Improving resume and portfolio.
- The cost of certificates is significantly lower than the cost of higher education.
- In general, preparing and passing the exam will take about 1.5–2 years, but maybe less, depending on the initial level of the language.
The disadvantages of this option include the fact that it is more suitable for those who want to be a tutor, mentor, coach or employee of an international company. However, you will not get enough specialized pedagogical knowledge. In addition, passing this kind of exams can be quite a difficult task, not amenable to the first time.
Who will suit?
- For those who are not completely sure that they want to connect their lives with learning.
- For those who have long wanted to work in a foreign company.
- For those who are not interested in getting a vacancy at school and are ready to consider positions in private language courses.
- For those who definitely want to be a tutor.
Specialized courses for English teachers
Courses can be the missing piece to start teaching from scratch. If you have a methodological certificate like TKT, CELTA, TEFL/TESOL, then there will be much more chances to get a normal job, even with a non-core higher education.
Do you want to thoroughly delve into the methodology, techniques, techniques, as well as learn how to plan classes, evaluate students? TEFL/TESOL certification will suit you. It takes place remotely, supervised by a personal trainer and resembles a regular course, but with one major difference. Here you will be taught to teach others and after passing the final test you will be considered a full-fledged teacher.
Benefits of Certification
Obtaining documentary confirmation of a teacher's title involves taking online classes in a convenient mode. The applicant has from 6 to 8 months of open access, during which he can learn the information and pass the exam. In addition, the advantages include:
- International recognition of the document.
- A full-fledged theoretical base, which is enough to start a career.
- Practice with feedback from the curator.
- The modules consist of modern methods: CLIL, ESP, EAP, teaching children, online teaching, etc.
- The certificate is the basis for a work visa in a number of countries.
- Bonus service for finding suitable vacancies and assistance in finding employment.
- In the process of studying, you will also improve the quality of language proficiency.
- Affordable price and the average level of language proficiency required for admission.
Who is TEFL/TESOL suitable for?
- People of various professions, not related to the education system, who want to become teachers.
- Those who want to start teaching from scratch and without entering the university.
- Those who are considering moving to another country.
- Those who already work at school and want to improve their skills.
- Those who want to understand the profession, starting with the basics.
- Those who want to combine current work with online learning.
To check how easy it will be for you to study, test. It will help you evaluate your chances of getting certified.
Those with minimal experience can learn about TKT. It is designed to deepen the theoretical aspects and work them out in practice. Three different modules that are paid separately and focus on different aspects of professional development. They can be taken at one time, or you can take breaks. There is a variation of TKT CLIL for teaching other subjects in English and TKT YL for teaching children.
You can also pay attention to CELTA, but the specifics require the presence of confident experience, without which it will be very difficult to understand the material. Apart from this, the cost of CELTA is about 200,000?. Even gradually, this amount will be unbearable for many.
Difficulties also lie in the fact that before admission it is necessary to pass an interview with a representative of the organization, confirm the level of the C1 or C2 or pass an exam in one of the centers. Agree, for beginners this can be a serious obstacle. You will also have to allocate time for training, which is full-time and lasts a month.
Who is TKT and CELTA suitable for?
- English teachers with teaching experience who want to further develop.
- Those who plan to submit Job Application to English-speaking schools or universities.
- Professionals who want to open their own courses.
- People who write candidate or doctoral papers in pedagogy.
- Those who want to fulfill the plan for self-education by 100%.
Self-training per teacher
A laborious, slow process that requires incredible perseverance and labor. To learn to become an English teacher on your own, you have to learn a large amount of information for a long time and in detail:
- special websites for teachers;
- detailed analysis of methods (including communicative );
- learning platforms for educators ;
- constant passing of various tests ;
- reading specialized literature ( How to Teach English from Jeremy Harmer, Grammar for English Language Teachers from Martin Parrott, Learning Teaching Third Edition from Jim Scrivener );
- analysis of magazines for teachers;
- video lectures and video analysis of lessons;
- fiction in the original;
- specialist blogs: Jeremy Harmer, Scott Thornbury, Jim Scrivener, Herbert Puchta, Busyteacher;
- training courses: Alison, EDX, Coursera, FutureLearn, Synergy, Udemy ;
- communication with future colleagues in groups in social networks;
- sites for training speech skills;
- competitions for teachers .
This format is suitable for purposeful and hardworking people. With daily English and methodology classes, after a while you will be able to place an announcement about the recruitment of the first students. Then, with the help of word of mouth and recommendations, you can find a second batch of applicants. If at the same time you actively maintain your blog and social networks, then over time you will form a base of regular customers.
After a while, you will become the proud owner of several years of experience, which may help you get into kindergarten.
We have considered some additional options for tutoring without specialized training in this article .
As a conclusion
To become an English teacher, you need to choose the right option for yourself and work hard. The profession is available to those who do not lose heart, who know how to cope with stress, who are ready to study from morning to evening. Make your choice based on the initial level of language proficiency, time resource and your career goals.
Get your TEFL TESOL certification
Travel, work online, get a job abroad, or be
an EFL and ESL teacher in your country.
If you are an active English teacher, or speak this language at B1 level and above, then we offer you to take advantage of our special offer and enroll in a TEFL/TESOL course right now with a 50% discount. After completing the training and receiving the certificate of the same name, the doors will be opened for you to teach English to foreigners in well-known ESL companies for decent pay both directly abroad and online! Go to the main page of our site and sign up for a TEFL / TESOL certificate!