What level of English can be taught?

Many people think about changing jobs or activities, but can not make a final decision. Most often this is due to lack of confidence in their knowledge and insufficient preparation. The same situation is observed in the field of education. A person wants to become an English teacher , but he doubts that his level will allow him to successfully teach others. Let's look into the main myths and find out what level foreign language teachers should have.

What is the level of English of the teachers at the school?

Before choosing a vacancy, you should pass a test to determine your level. There is an unspoken rule: taught +1 level. That is, if your students know English at A2, then the teacher must speak at least B1. Ideally, of course, +2 levels and above. But in practice there are other situations.

If your students are from the lower grades, then you can apply for a position with knowledge at the Upper-Intermediate. It is possible that in some individual cases you will be admitted to classes with B1, but then you must demonstrate other advantages, for example:

• Be the author of your own teaching methodology for beginners.
• Perfectly master the methodology of teaching kids ( CLIL, Bilingual Study, Game approach, Meshcheryakova, Montessori, Zaitsev, Doman, etc.).
• Have some impressive case studies or testimonials from students or past jobs.
• Understand modern didactic materials and have your own collection of information that you have used more than once and showed good results.
• Have experience in teaching children in foreign schools or resume
• Have additional training that may be useful for your work (for example, higher education in the field of psychology, physical education, art, various creative courses or teacher certification courses ).
• Several years of living in an English-speaking environment.

Teaching high school students or a class with in-depth study of English will be allowed by a teacher with a language of at least Advanced. In lyceums and philological gymnasiums may require Proficiency.

Problems in getting a job at school

Often, applicants with higher pedagogical education . In all other cases, a personal conversation with the administration is necessary and, possibly, a trial period.

In order to evaluate your capabilities, you should try yourself as a tutor. With the right announcements and activity in all available social channels, you can quickly find a few students and practice learning.

There is a chance that you will find your first job through a student who will say that their third English teacher is leaving.

In general, if you are a versatile, open-minded, friendly and hard-working person with a solid intermediate level, you may be hired. Taking into account the fact that in your plan for self-education you will enter additional training.

Requirements in foreign schools

For those who cannot find a job in the Russian Federation due to the lack of higher education, there is a way out - to think about moving to another country and finding a job in a public or private school.

In a number of non-English-speaking countries, it is enough for a teacher to know the language at a confident Intermediate. For example, you can apply to Chinese, Thai, Turkish, Indonesian schools.

For a successful interview, it may be enough to present a TEFL/TESOL with a minimum number of training hours of 120 hours. With a longer course (from 200 hours and above, the chances will increase many times over). Of course, you will make a much more pleasant impression on the recruiter if you demonstrate at least minimal work experience, an understanding of theories and techniques:

• communicative,
• adult teaching,
• online learning,
• children's education.

In this article , we examined in detail the requirements for education employees in different countries of the world.

Requirements for a teacher at a university

In order to get a job at a university, you must have a confirmed level of English proficiency at the C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency.

In some higher educational institutions, where most of the students are foreign citizens, in addition to a diploma of higher education, they may ask for the following documents:

• An official certificate confirming the passing of the Cambridge exam at the C1 or C2.
• BEC certificate - for teachers of economic disciplines to foreigners.
• Valid TOEFL or IELTS certificates.

Also a mandatory requirement is a complete higher education: master's or postgraduate studies.

How should a kindergarten teacher know English?

In order to get a place in a kindergarten, a person must know English at a Pre-Intermediate or Intermediate and have a whole list of additional skills and abilities:

• Basic knowledge of the psychology of children of primary preschool age.
• Perfect knowledge and experience in one of the methods of teaching kids .
• Knowledge of safety precautions when working with children.
• Mastery of developmental techniques and techniques.
• Conflict management.
• Knowledge of health-saving technologies and basic medical training.

Of course, if a person comes in order to take lessons for kids, then part of this may not be known. But if we are talking about a full-time working day, then a specialist working with children must be fully prepared.

In a private kindergarten, a TEFL / TESOL certificate can be the basis for employment. A significant advantage is the passage of modules dedicated to lessons with children and official confirmation of language proficiency.

Also, such courses include important information about such organizational issues as lesson planning, evaluation of results, features of remote classes.

What other options are there for educators?

You can try to find a place in language courses for adults. There are narrowly focused courses that teach medical staff or techies. In this case, it is much more important to know the specifics of the industry, i.e. if your main education is medical or technical, then your English may be at an intermediate level. The main thing is that you understand the specifics of the topics and be able to communicate with students on an equal footing.

Online teaching for international students, which is paid at much higher rates than domestic institutions. Incidentally, this can also apply to international work experience.

You can also pay attention to the following areas:

• Tourism industry.
• Foreign economic activity.
• Content marketing.
• Consulting for foreigners.