Working Abroad

Teaching English Abroad

Teaching English as a foreign language is a fast growing sector. With the English language becoming one of the main medium for national and international communication, there is a growing need for English teachers both in the UK and abroad.

Terminology- TEFL, TESOL or TESL?

All the terms are referring to teaching English to someone for whom English is not their first language.

• TEFL (Teaching English a Foreign Language) – term used to describe teaching people for whom English is not their first language, but need or want to learn it for work or leisure.
• TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) – TESOL in essence means the same as TEFL. It is most commonly used to describe teaching English to people who are living in an English speaking country, e.g. refugees and first generation immigrants.
• TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) – TESL (sometimes called TEAL) refers to teaching English in countries where two languages are spoken natively, one of which is English. Examples are: Nigeria, Kenya, India and Singapore.

Entry Routes

1. Travelling abroad on a scheme that includes teaching abroad
2. Joining a company who will train you in house
3. Completing a qualification- CELTA (Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) and CertTESOL (Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) are the most commonly accepted by employers.

Please note that you will find many online courses offering TEFL qualifications. These courses are often not the TEFL courses employers are looking for. However, they do provide a good basic introduction to TEFL if you want to work in an informal, voluntary basis, e.g. whilst travelling or doing an internship abroad.