How a TEFL certification can help you land a teaching job abroad

A TEFL certificate is an internationally recognized certification to teach English as a foreign language. TEFL certification is the best designation for teachers looking to teach English in countries where English isn’t the primary language.

If you’re seeking an ESL teaching position overseas in a non-English speaking nation, then TEFL is the certification for you. Read on for the lowdown on how a TEFL certificate can help you land that dream job teaching abroad.

TEFL certification is a common requirement for most teaching jobs abroad. When researching ESL teaching jobs abroad, it’s likely that you’ll find job requirements vary across countries. For the most part, though, an internationally recognized TEFL certification is a requirement to teach at most reputable schools abroad. A Bachelor’s degree is a common requirement, but you don’t need to possess a degree in education or previous teaching experience in order to teach English abroad.

A TEFL certificate shows prospective employers you’re qualified to teach English. When interviewing for teaching jobs abroad, you‘ll be expected to demonstrate a strong grasp of fundamental English teaching skills – skills that can only be gained through getting TEFL certified. A TEFL course covers the ins and outs of ESL teaching, including lesson planning, classroom management and how to teach English language skills like reading, writing, speaking, listening, pronunciation and grammar. A TEFL certification equips you with essential skills for the foreign language classroom, like how to identify different learning styles and adapt lessons to suit different student needs.

A TEFL certificate lets you tailor your resume to your desired international teaching job. Select TEFL courses, such as the OISE University of Toronto TEFL course, offer the option to specialize in areas like business English and teaching English to children. You can even specialize in teaching English to students whose first language is, for example, Arabic or Chinese. These specializations all allow you to tailor your certificate to certain locations or types of teaching positions. Depending on the country you want to teach in, having a relevant specialization under your belt can really make your resume stand out, strengthen your job prospects and improve your abilities in the classroom.

You’ll have a competitive edge over other candidates who lack a TEFL qualification. The ESL job market is highly competitive. Without a TEFL certificate, you’ll be at a distinct disadvantage; good schools are looking to hire teachers with proper training so will not consider you to be a viable candidate without a TEFL certificate. Even for job openings where the hiring school has not explicitly listed a TEFL certification as a requirement, it is always noticed and could be the distinguishing factor between you and another teaching candidate.

Make this the year you qualify to teach abroad. Find out more about our TEFL course options today!