5 things to love about TEFL teaching

Never let it be said that The TEFL Org doesn’t love love. We love our amazing students, we love our fantastic staff, and we love TEFL as a whole.

What a lovely, if soppy way to open a blog post, but it’s appropriate. After all, we’re coming up to Valentine’s Day, the traditional holiday of card giving, awkward first dates and not being able to book a table anywhere. Not that we speak from experience. Ahem.

Perhaps your Valentine’s gift in 2024 ought to be for yourself, in the form of an exciting career change. After all, if you could give excitement, opportunity and the chance to travel to someone you care about, you would likely do it, wouldn’t you? 

All of this loved-up excitement got us thinking. What do we adore most about TEFL teaching? What do we like most? What is it about this industry that puts a spring in your step and a song in your heart?

Here’s our love letter to the TEFL industry, with all the reasons it means so much to us. Ultimately, you can’t take an entire sector of education out on a date. Have you tried? It’d be ridiculous. Let’s get romantic.

Reason 1: You make a difference

Call us biased if you will, but with TEFL teaching, you can really make a massive difference. 

Take, for example, volunteers who work with a range of people to boost English proficiency. There’s a whole lot of ‘em, and they’re doing real, social good in both their own communities and further afield. For people who don’t speak a country’s native language, especially refugees and asylum seekers , everything can be tricky, from modest goals like finding a doctor to getting into university. After all, what could be scarier than being in a foreign country, needing access to services, and not knowing the local language? It’s a terrifying thought, but through volunteering and action from TEFL teachers, it doesn’t have to be so difficult.

Or, think of those tireless teachers who work to boost the learning of young people and adults alike. Whether it’s your job or it’s a voluntary position, it doesn’t matter; the end result is that you make a difference to people and wider communities. 

You should love TEFL because of the amount of good it does. You can change people’s lives with learning. That’s something to admire.

Reason 2: Exploring the world

You knew this was coming, but how can we talk about our adoration for TEFL without mentioning the adventure aspect of it all?

Whether you teach in person and move around the globe , or you teach students from all over from the comfort of your own home , you’re still travelling and expanding your horizons. You’re learning about different cultures, different locales and different perspectives on life, community, learning and so much more. It’s beyond exciting.

There’s no greater teacher, of course, than travel. Again, that doesn’t need to be in a literal sense - though teaching English abroad is amazing - it’s about the people you meet, the experiences you have and the conversations that flow. Imagine, as you stare out of an office window, finishing your work on the coast of Argentina. Or clocking out early to try out some gorgeous street food in Seoul, South Korea? Maybe you want to wake up with the sun in the Middle East, or take in some early skiing in the Swiss Alps before you start work. It’s all possible!

There’s more to love, as well. For the self-employed, we’re seeing a continued rise in digital nomadism , with more countries allowing these kinds of workers in. So you can explore while not being tethered to a permanent job. It’ll be fascinating to see how this kind of remote work develops.

Reason 3: It’s a living!

We may be romantics here, but we’re also realistic. The fact is that yes, you can make a career out of TEFL. Around the world, you’ll find salaries for teaching English and an unending list of vacancies that might just be perfect for you.

Today’s job market is all about flexibility, meaning you can work as little or as much as you want to. So, you can TEFL full-time, or make it a side hustle . Really, it’s up to you, but if you’re looking to make a living then there are loads of options.

Some places around the world will pay top dollar for highly qualified and experienced teachers. The Middle East , for example, has very competitive wages, as do countries like Hong Kong , Singapore and Japan . There are also decent wages available for teaching English online , and of course, there’s always tutoring.

Bear in mind: what’s considered a high wage in one country might be deemed average in another. It’s all about contrasting it with the cost of living in a given location.

Reason 4: You’re testing yourself

Love is about so many things, and one of those things is letting someone flourish. Giving them the confidence to grow, and the growth to be confident. TEFL does this; it’s a means to build skills, gain belief in yourself and show your creative side.

There are few industries where you can make such a difference without a degree or experience . So many people end up in careers that go stale, or that they just don’t suit, but TEFL is always there to provide some much-needed change. Loads of skills from the working world can transfer easily and successfully to teaching English.

We believe that if you have the right level of application, you can get a TEFL certificate and start teaching. If you think you can’t: why not? What’s stopping you? There’ll be nothing that some advice and training can’t sort.

If you’re in a career rut, do what so many of us did; find TEFL and let the rest of your life be an adventure!

Reason 5: It’s something to be proud of

There were bad old days when TEFL was far less regulated, and anyone could turn up anywhere saying they were going to teach English as a foreign language. There was some reputational damage to the very concept of teaching English overseas, fairly or otherwise.

Nowadays, the clichés and stereotypes around TEFL don’t apply. It was never just about giving students something to do between school and university (though a well-executed gap year isn’t such a bad thing). Nowadays, teachers are qualified and ready for whatever teaching brings them, and are respected as such.

TEFL, especially in a globalised world where English is a lingua franca of business, is a very useful skill to have. It’s not to say that everyone in the world needs to speak English; there are thousands of languages, let alone dialects and colloquialisms around the world, and they are each to be respected. However, there are billions of people who want to learn the English language for a variety of reasons.

With English teaching, you can open up so many doors for people around the world. You can put smiles on faces and help a generation of learners become global citizens, able to move freely and enjoy the benefits of language knowledge. On an interpersonal level, you can develop meaningful relationships, watch learners progress, and build a network across the globe.

Are you in love yet?

There are, of course, more reasons to love TEFL. However, we understand you’ll have a mountain of anonymous cards to read and roses to put in vases. Safe to say though, we think the TEFL industry is very, very worthy of love, especially since it’s Valentine’s Day.

There really are a variety of rationales to adore English teaching, from the opportunities it gives to learners, to the ability to travel the world, develop important skills and find the self-belief you knew was always there.

Maybe the best gift you can give yourself or someone you care about is TEFL. Whether it’s having an initial conversation about changing career, buying a course, or reminding someone that they have all the skills to be a successful teacher, there are lots of ways to introduce the concept of English teaching to your life.

Perhaps by next Valentine’s Day, you’ll have your own tutoring business. Or, you’ll be teaching a class in Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Japan or South Korea? Maybe you’ll be on a teaching programme in Spain or France? The options are limitless.

It’s no wonder we love it, is it?

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