Information for Potential Teachers of English

Obtaining a qualification to teach English

If you wish to

- teach English as a foreign language either in your home country or in a foreign country,

- work for a reliable employer in a reputable language school,

- work in primary or secondary schools in a state education system,

- receive adequate remuneration,

you should obtain an internationally valid qualification.

There are at least two ways of obtaining a qualification to teach English to speakers of other languages, or as a foreign language:

1) through a first degree in Education or a Masters with a substantial English Teaching component. University courses are normally subject to scrutiny by external examiners,

2) through a special course leading to a TESOL/TEFL certificate.

Method 1 is advisable for undergraduates who already know what they want to do and for those more mature students who have the time and means to obtain a university education for the first or second time.

But not everybody knows before they begin their university course that they wish later to teach English. Only once they have graduated may they look for a course leading to a TESOL/TEFL qualification. Method 2 is the answer for them.

Then there are also those who have pursued their chosen profession for a few, or even many, years and who decide to switch career. They don’t have the time or the money to embark on further university study. Method 2 is also for them.

Next Page - Choosing a Course