What Are The Requirements For Becoming an ESL-Certified Teacher?

There is no such thing as a universal language, but if there were, it would probably be English. Our language is taught in schools the world over, and it is more often than not the common denominator when people from differing nations need to communicate with each other while conducting business. International business people and travelers who learned English when they were younger have a strong need to brush up on their skills (if you have any doubt, just try to recall the French you learned in high school). Anyone who loves teaching and international travel should know that teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) is a great way to earn a living both abroad and at home, and there are many ESL teacher certification programs that can help them qualify for this fun and satisfying work.

There are a few ways that someone who is interested can get an ESL certification, and the best method for you depends on where you want to teach. If you want to teach in the U.S. you will need to have at least a bachelor's degree through a college or university, and get your teacher certification or ESL endorsement either concurrently or post-degree. This is usually a two-year program, but there is a lot of experiential classroom time. If you have the time and money, this is a good (if expensive) way to go, as it will qualify you to teach ESL anywhere in the world.

If you want to teach abroad, the qualifications are different. Different schools in different countries have different rules, and in some (rare) cases, you might be able to land a job just by being a native English speaker. However, most of the better (and more competitive) jobs require at least a college degree, and prospective employers greatly prefer that you have completed some sort of teacher certification (known as either TESOL or TEFL) or significant classroom experience.

There are several schools that offer certification for teaching abroad, and the options range from four-week intensive training to online courses. No matter which you choose, keep in mind that it is always a good idea to get as much experience in front of a classroom as possible, so if you have none, you might want to make sure that actual teaching time is part of your curriculum.

Whichever road you choose, you can rest assured that teachers of the English language will always be in demand no matter where you may go in the world.

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Author Stephen Daniels highly recommends http://www.teach.us for those seeking the best jobs in the education field. They offer ESL teacher certification programs and Master of Arts and Master of Science degrees via alternative education programs, so students can continue to work in their chosen fields as they study simultaneously for their higher degrees.

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