Jan 23 2012
Interesting facts about TEFL
TEFL is an acronym for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. The industry allows native English speakers to become accredited and to teach English to students where English is regarded as a foreign or second language. However, due to many reasons, the industry is surrounded by speculation and assumptions that often workout for the better and in some case, for the worse.
Accepting the employment opportunities presented by your school is not the best option – This is something that most TEFL candidates look out for. If a TEFL course provider says ‘guaranteed employment’ you should be prepared to stick to the same location for a while, until the contract ends.
Freelance teaching is an actual, lucrative option – Freelance TEFL teaching, or finding students to teach on your own is the preferred form of employment for many EFL teachers. The fact that you are able to pick and choose your students and to create your own working hours is an added advantage. However, in order to make this happen, you are going to have to be a bit of a sales person.
JK Rowling used to teach EFL – The world famous author of the best selling young adult novel series Harry Potter, has spent 2 years in Portugal as an EFL teacher. For those of you who wish to pursue careers as a writer, getting some experience about life in different countries is a great way to improve your resume as well as your writing abilities.
TEFL can be a lifelong career only if you choose to – Just because you studied a course and spent a few years as a teacher, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to devote yourself to the trade. True, the industry offers a life’s worth of experience, but you can always leave if you choose to pursue a different career. TEFL can, however, be a stepping stone to many other careers.
Time and money management skills are a must for success – If you are to meet a TEFL teacher, having a good time in some sunny, exotic location, they will surely be able to tell you a great deal about managing their income in such a way that they managed to cover their expenses and to still put aside some savings. Therefore, be prepared for money and time management if you are to actually enjoy your job.