Prices start at $20 USD per year.
Index
● Looking for jobs? Go to The LA Job List.
● Want information about teaching in Peru? Go to A Country Guide to TEFLing in Peru
Is a TEFL cert necessary?Updated 15 November 2009
This article has also been published in the ELT Times.
As far as visa requirements go, while some countries may require a degree, I don’t know of any that require you to have a TEFL certificate. Although TEFL certs won’t help with visa requirements, they will make your life much easier as a teacher. In addition, you should get some training beforehand. It wouldn't be fair to your students otherwise. Knowing the language and being able to teach it are two different things. There’s nothing worse than having a student ask you to explain something and for you to not know the answer.
Realistically speaking, not everyone can take TEFL courses, for a number of reasons. But there are still good ways to learn about teaching. If you can’t take a TEFL course due to time, money or other reasons, don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world. There are plenty of other ways to learn about TEFL as well. Try reading, Learning about Teaching and TEFLing for some ideas.
If you can take an intensive course, go for it. Intensive TEFL courses, whether they be CELTA, Trinity, SIT, or any other course, will teach you how to teach English. There are some basic requirements that a good TEFL course should have: 120 hours plus 6 of teaching practise in the bare minimum. Don't choose any that don't have these. Try reading Choosing a TEFL Course to find out more.
These courses will teach you things such as grammar, how to teach vocabulary, language level, popular activities, different methods, and more. Not only do they help you learn about what to do in the classroom, the course trainers can give you advice about which countries to teach in, what to look for in a contract, and may even offer job placement. They’re a great way to get your foot in the door. If you decide to make teaching English your career, you should try to get higher qualifications as well, such as a PGDE or MA. Once you're ready to teach, you can start looking for jobs, find links in the Job Sites article.
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