HOW TO TEACH ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

HOW TO TEACH ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Author
Erica Fairchild
2016.08.05

At EF, we often get emails from our new teachers asking, "How can I teach English as a foreign language?". After a while, we learned that the "how" isn't a "how" at all, it's more of a "when".

Before you start teaching English as a second language, you will have to do the following: choose a TEFL course, find the best price, find a country to teach in, and find a job. If you follow these steps, the "how to" teach English as a foreign language will become, "When can I" teach English as a foreign language?

1. Find and choose a TEFL course

There are hundreds of TEFL courses out there; you just need to choose the right one for you. TEFL courses can vary in length and location. One of the most popular ways to get your TEFL certificate is online. Here you can choose how many hours you would like to study. For visa purposes, it's always best to go for the maximum, 120 hours is about right.

2. Find the best price for a TEFL certification

How to teach English as a foreign language should also be followed by the question, "how much is it to teach English as a foreign language?" From our research, a typical online TEFL course can cost anything from $400 upwards for a 120-hour course. If you shop around, you might be able to find some discounted TEFL courses.

However, if the thought of spending almost $400 for a TEFL course sends shivers down your spine, then why not apply for a teaching position with EF? EF English First will sponsor your TEFL course, and you will have a job, what more could you want?

3. Find a country to teach in

Once you have completed your TEFL course, then the next logical step is to put it to good use. The best thing about teaching English as a foreign language is that you can teach almost anywhere. Popular destinations include China, South East Asia, the U.A.E and even Europe and the UK.

Make sure that you choose a location where you are sure that you can get a visa with a legitimate company. If you violate visa regulations, you can be expelled from the country for a long time!

4. Find a company to teach English as a foreign language with

The final step in your TEFL journey is to find a company to teach with. Remember, when you have completed your TEFL, you are more than likely going to move abroad. As mentioned, it is important to choose a company that can offer you a legal working visa. Salary is important, but when you teach English as a foreign language for the first time, salary isn't everything.

It's important to think about other benefits other than money. You will need to make sure that you have health insurance, just in case you need any routine check-ups or if you have an accident. As a new teacher, you might need a little more training to get used to the teaching environment. Arrival support and training are essential in the beginning. Make sure you get used to your new surroundings and have time to settle in.

5. Start teaching

It doesn't matter how many hours you have spent learning online or in class how to teach English as a foreign language; it's the teaching that you do that will answer this question. When you start teaching English, you'll find that you can remember some of the information, but not all of it.

Perhaps, think of teaching like driving. You only need the basics to get started. As long as you can cover the basics, you can start moving. When you're driving there's so much going on at first, that it feels overwhelming. But the more you do it, the better you get and the easier it gets to focus on more things. The same rules apply in the classroom. At first, you can't use all of the techniques that you know, but every time you teach, you can get better and better adding more as you go.

Teaching English as a foreign language is a rewarding job, and it is easier to do than you think. Remember, most of the learning takes place on the job, so just roll up your sleeves and dive in. If you follow these steps provided, then you will be teaching in no time.

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