Why You Should Get TEFL Certified Even if It’s Not Required
Have you always dreamed of traveling overseas while earning money to do what you love? You probably answered yes, as would millions of other people. Your ticket to this dream may be your ability to speak English, and the best part of it all is that you could make a tremendous difference in the lives of your future students. Learning how to speak English opens the door to a wealth of employment opportunities, both for you and those you’ll teach. So, if you’re still on the fence about getting TEFL certified, you should start acting even if you think you don’t need it.
Reasons for getting TEFL Certified
Many people think that a TEFL certification is unnecessary considering that some overseas teaching programs don’t require one. But as always, it’s best to prepare yourself. When getting TEFL certified, you’re not only after the piece of paper that you’ll earn after taking all the courses, but you’re also setting yourself up to be the best English teacher to foreign students.
Sure, it’s understandable if you’re thinking of teaching abroad to have some fun and explore new places, but this doesn’t take away from the fact that you’ll step inside a classroom with upwards of 20 students all looking at you. Without any prior teaching experience, this can prove to be intimidating. And what will you do when you encounter misbehaving students? Or those without zero language abilities? Do you have what it takes to speak in front of your students for an hour while ensuring that they learn something new every day?
How to Prepare for Your TEFL Certification
1) Think about the best interests of your students
Moving abroad marks an exciting time for anyone, but you shouldn’t forget that your primary reason for traveling is to teach English to your foreign students. Many say that teaching is one of the most honorable jobs in the world, and it pays to draw inspiration from that. Teaching English overseas allows you to make a real and lasting impact on your students—and with every student that learns how to speak English, their country takes one small step toward progress.
2) Embrace your training
Preparing for an English teaching job may be more challenging than you’d imagine, especially when teaching foreign students who have to start completely from scratch. This goes for any job, but be sure to embrace your training and have fun along the way.
3) Learn how to deal with classroom chaos
You were once a student, and you know how a classroom can get chaotic in a blink of an eye. Many teachers don’t have problems sharing their knowledge with students, but the same cannot be said about dealing with chaos in the classroom. Getting a TEFL certification doesn’t only teach you about planning your lessons and the best way to teach English to foreign students, but it also gives you some much-needed classroom management tips.
4) Explore the world
By getting TEFL certified, you can travel across the globe without worrying about employment issues. TEFL jobs are in demand right now, and the trend doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.
