How to Get a TEFL Certification? | EF English First

A TEFL certificate is the first step in this process, introducing you to the main ideas about what effective language teaching is, that can ... TEFLHOWTOGETATEFLCERTIFICATION2021.10.07Astheworldslowlystartstoopenupagain,itmightbetimetoreturntoyourplansofteachingabroad.Ifyouwanttoliveinanothercountryandexperienceatotallydifferentwayoflife,thenteachingEnglishisagreatwaytodoit.Beingaveryinternationallanguage,Englishcangiveyouawiderangeoflocationsandsettingstoteachin.Yourschoolwillusuallygiveyousupportwithvisasandfindingaccommodationandyourcolleagueswillhelpyousettlein,showingyouthetastiestlocalfoodsandthemostinterestingthingstodo.Evenifyouonlyteachabroadforoneyear,youmayfindthefriendsyoumakearefriendsforever.Andyoumightwellfindyouliketeachingsomuchyoumakeacareeroutofit:eitherstayinginoneschoolformanyyears,travellingtoothercitiesandcountriestoteach,movingintootherjobsintheteachingindustry,orbecomingaqualifiedteacherinyourhomecountry.WhydoaTeachingCertificatebeforestartingteaching?DespiteallthebenefitstoteachingEnglishabroad,youmaybefeelingapprehensiveifyou’venevertaughtbeforeorhaven’tstudiedtheEnglishlanguageinawhile.Whatifyourstudentsaskawkwardquestionsaboutgrammarthatyoucan’tanswer?Whatifyoucan’tfindaneffectivewaytoteachaconceptorexplainanactivity,andyourstudentsmeetyoureffortswithblankstares?Toreducestresslateron,itcanbeveryvaluabletolearnaboutthebasicsofEnglishteachingbeforeyoustartinyournewjob.Ontopofthis,youmightfindthatmanyofthejobadvertsyouarelookingatsaythata120-hourTEFLcertificateisneededtobeeligibletoapplybutbeunsurewhattheseareorhowtojoinacourse.WhatdoTEFLCertificatesteachyou?Actually,therearemany‘pre-service’(i.e.forteachersbeforetheyentertheclassroom)120hourTEFLcertificatecoursesavailable,mostofthemonline,thatcanhelpyougraspthebasicsoftheEnglishlanguageandhowtoteachit.Thesecoursesincludekeypointslike:·Howtoapproachlessonplanning·Englishgrammar,lexis(wordsandphrases)andpronunciation·Teacherlanguage(includinggivingclearinstructions,correctingerrorsandgivingfeedback)·Activitiesthatengageyourlearnerswhileprovidinglotsofpracticeofthelanguagebeingtaught.·Classroommanagement(keepingyourstudentsfocusedandon-task)·TeachingTeensandYoungLearners·Howtoteachonline(ausefulskillthesedaysincaseyourclassesmoveonlinetemporarilyoryouwanttospecializeinonlineteaching)WithasuchalotofimportantideascoveredinTEFLcourses,it’snotsurprisingthatmanyorganizationswillonlyacceptapplicantswhohaveatleasta120hourTEFLcertificate.HavingTEFLcertificationcanhelpproveyourcommitmenttoteachingandreassureemployersthatyoualreadyknowmanybasicideasaboutteaching.Howmuchdoesitusuallycosttogeta120-hourTEFLCertificate?Costsof120-houronlinecoursesvary,buttheaverageisabout300-500dollars.Someteachingorganizationsmightevencoverthecostsofyourcourse,aspartofthevisaprocess.EF(EnglishFirst)inChinasponsorsallnewteacherstotakeFoundationTEFLtohelpmakeiteasierforteacherstomeetnationalvisarequirements.ThiscanreducecostsandstressduringthemonthsbeforeflyingtoChina.IsaTEFLcertificatehardtopass?UsuallytopassanonlineTEFLcourseyouwillneedtodemonstrateanunderstandingofthemainpointsonthecurriculum.Thiswillbeassessedthroughquizquestionsandperhapssomewrittenassignmentstoo.Ifyougothroughthecoursecarefullyandpaceyourself,makingnotesoninformationtohelpyourememberandunderstandit,thenyoushouldhavelittletroublepassing.Herearesomekeytips:1.Don’tleaveeverythinguntilthelastminute!Instead,paceyourselfoveralongertime.Forexample,10hoursaweekfor12weeksisfarmoreachievablethanleavingeverythinguntilthelasttwoweeks.2.Takenotesasyougoalong.Useanotebook,apporwordprocessingdoctowritedownkeyideasasyougothroughthecourse.Thiswillhelpyoualotwhenitcomestoassessment.Takingnotesisanimportantmethodforinternalizingideasandunderstandingthemmorefullyanditcanhelpyoumakeconnectionswithpreviouslearning.3.Reviewyourlearningeachweek.Fromyournotes,youcanrevieweachweekwhatyou’velearnedsofar.Thisisveryeffectiveforrememberinginformationandlinkingnewinformationtoit.Ifyouonlylearneverythingonce,thenthereisahighchanceofforgettingmostofitquickly.4.Visualizeyourselfintheclassroom.Evenifyouhaven’tbeenateacherbefore,itcanbehelpfulasyoureadnewinformationtopictureyourselfinaclassroomapplyingtheideasyouarereadingabout.Therewillalwaysbeotherchallengesyouhaven’tyetthoughtof,butthisapproachwillstillhelpthenewinformationfeelmorerealtoyou.Ifyoufindthatsomeoftheassessmentischallengingorthatthereareideasyoudon’tunderstand,therewilloftenbeasupportchanneltoaskquestions.Ofcourse,pre-serviceTEFLcoursesarenotdesignedtoturnyouintoeffectiveteachersovernight:youwon’tbeagreatteacheruntilyou’vespentmanyhoursintheclassroom,reflectingonandimprovinguponyourteachingskills,andthinkingabouttheparticularneedsofyourlearners.ATEFLcertificateisthefirststepinthisprocess,introducingyoutothemainideasaboutwhateffectivelanguageteachingis,thatcanlaterhelpsupportyourreflection.Mostrespectableteachingorganizationswillgiveyouafullinductionwhereyouobserveotherteachersfirstandthengetsupportfromamentor,managerortrainerforyourownfirstfewlessons.AlreadyhavingaTEFLcertificatewillhelpyougetmuchmorefromthisinduction,sinceyouwillunderstandhowwhatyou’reseeingandhearingfitwiththekeyideasabouteffectiveteachingthatyoustudiedonyourcourse.GoodluckwithbecomingTEFLcertifiedandexpandingyourhorizonsintheTEFLworld!Areyouready?ApplytoTeachNOWIttakeslessthanfiveminutestochangeyourlife.ApplynowRelatedArticles