Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Have you ever thought about teaching the English language in a foreign country? It certainly is a feasible option for those who would like to spend an extended amount of time in a certain country, whose jobs require overseas experience, or who need to move to a country due to a family situation.

If you have ever wanted to spend some time in a foreign country yet lack the funds to make this a reality, teaching English on the side can make your sojourn a kind of "working vacation". If a family situation has resulted in you taking residence in another country, then you can use this time to your advantage, gaining teaching experience while building up a small nest egg for such necessities as food, lodging, and (possibly) the return trip home.

Getting started is relatively easy, but does require that the candidate obtain either a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) or the more involved TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate in order to demonstrate the ability to speak and instruct students in the English language. There is also something called the CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults), which is the Cambridge University equivalent of the TEFL.

The cost is about $2,300 (U.S.) for the TEFL. Much like with university degrees, cheaper options abound, especially online. However, as more and more overseas schools become aware of these buy-it-online certificate programs, it will not be worth even the paltry sum paid to these Web sites if you later on cannot find employment.

It will take approximately five weeks (about 130 hours) of classroom instruction time in order to obtain one of the aforementioned certificates. Most universities and community colleges offer TEFL or TEFL-equivalent certificates. The courses address proper oral (speaking and listening) and non-oral (reading and writing) communication. You will not be required to know the language of the country to which you apply, and some foreign schools even forbid that the instructor speak the local language.