TEFL Job Advice
Benefits of taking the International TEFL Course
Explore the World
You can explore new cultures, make new international friends, learn a new language, improve your CV/Resume, live and work in exotic locations, travel the globe, give something back to the world and make a positive difference to other people’s lives.
You’ll get an internationally recognised online TEFL course, a 120-hour accredited TEFL/TESOL certificate, personal tutor, online video & material, lifetime membership to our global job club, job guarantee, online teaching practice.
Time is under Your Control
It takes around 2-4 weeks to complete Part 1 of the online TEFL course but you have up to 6 months if need be. The Cambridge TKT course and online teaching practice modules will usually incur an additional 3-4 weeks study. You only really need to study for a few hours a week up with your own pace. You can download your TEFL certificate as soon as you have completed the course. In-class courses overseas are usually 4-weeks long.
An ESL Job for You
Job opportunities and placements are many, after successfully completing your TEFL course. Remember all job offers are subject to an interview by the prospective employer. A large majority of graduates are able to secure a paid teaching job within a couple of weeks after completing our TEFL course.
We provide a ESL job feed service for job seekers to our TEFL course packages. No other TEFL organisation can offer you such an outstanding platform that allows you to confidently choose from a variety of TEFL courses online or in-person courses from around the globe. You are assured that each TEFL course pack is guaranteed to provide you with both quality training and international recognition.
Teachers are in Demand
A TEFL course is your gateway to working anywhere in the world. With English becoming the “global language”, trained TEFL teachers are in high demand, in primary and secondary schools, colleges, universities, and private language schools in over 150 countries from Thailand to Tanzania. There is also a growing demand for online teachers so you may work from home or while traveling .
Online Teaching Opportunities
Online Opportunities Over Skype or FaceTime
The growth of technology for educational use, has revolutionised the way in which people learn and access education. Teaching English online via video platforms is fast becoming the norm in teaching languages and now has become an integral part of the ESL industry. Learning English online is well established in many countries in Europe, North America an Asia. Other parts of the world are also establishing online schools and platforms.
It opens up a lot of creative options for teachers who will gain 21st century skills in cross-cultural communication and eliminates geographical restrictions for teachers and students alike. For many students, English language proficiency is the key to their future success. Learning English online provides the opportunity to learn in an interactive environment with a native speaker which they may not have access to where they live, in a cost effective and convenient way. For teachers, the benefits of teaching English online are outlined below!
Benefits of teaching English online
You can work from anywhere in the world. This means that you can be constantly on the move, or settle somewhere remote and you can still have access to students even if there are not great teaching opportunities where you are based, as long as you have a reliable internet connection.
There is no commute and with no traveling between classes, lessons can run straight into each other and can last 60 rather than 55 minutes.
The flexible schedule is ideal for those balancing a busy family life/other commitments. You can set your own hours and work as little or as much as you want. With potential students all over the world you can work at any time of the day.
You can own your own business while delivering a needed service. Although there are many online schools that you can work for, many ESL teachers are attracted to the opportunity online teaching provides to be an independent or freelancer teacher.
Teaching English online is also a new challenge for teachers, with plenty of opportunities to be creative and develop new ways of teaching.
If teaching English online sounds like it could be for you, read on to find out how to get started!
Initial set up: Good Equipment
Skype, Zoom and other video platforms are a user-friendly platform anyone can use for online teaching, which many freelance teachers opt for. Its greatest appeal is its simplicity. You can have free video or audio conversations with your students, you can send files, type corrections and new vocabulary in the message box, and you can also screen share your desktop to show PowerPoint presentations or work directly from educational sites.
You will also need a reliable and stable internet connection, a laptop or desktop computer with a good built in camera and a headset to get started. In in terms of receiving payments, PayPal is one of the best options.
Teaching English online.
You will focus on improving your students’ fluency and confidence in English language, in a virtual environment. Generally teaching English online will entail going over conversations, correcting pronunciation and providing feedback. You might work one-on-one or with a small group in a classroom.
You do not need to speak a foreign language, as communication between the teacher and students will be exclusively in English. This is where your TEFL training comes into play. You would know how to deliver interesting lessons to students of all ages by completing the TEFL course.
It has been proven that this form of language immersion is the best way to learn a new language.
Finding online TEFL work /jobs.
1. Teaching via specialist online ESL academies: There are many online companies that specialise in ESL teaching online. This is preferred by many teachers as it saves them time in looking for students to teach. These online companies are well equipped, well run and are always looking for competent and qualified TEFL teachers.
Included in our packages are lists of online companies and alternative platforms you can use.
2. Teaching Privately: When you start your own business in Teaching English Online, you need to start creating a network with other teachers. Get yourself on LinkedIn, twitter, Facebook. Thanks to the internet you can now post one online advert that can be viewed by thousands of potential student clients.
Promoting yourself: You want to develop a following by creating your own unique brand. It is important to have a presence through social media like a Facebook page you can advertise on and even your own website which you can promote yourself and draw in students through your content and profile.
There is a strong demand for industry-specific English teaching. Perhaps the industry you know well, might just be the route to your success as an English teacher. Think about the type of audience you want to attract. The opportunities are endless.
More on Online teaching companies…
Online schools, like any business, cater to different customers. Most will teach young learners only and others will perhaps focus on adults or business-people. Some online apps will offer conversation English practice only. This is easy tutoring and can be done on a cell phone. However, teacher pay tends to be at the bottom end of the scale with these conversation apps. You should do some research as to which sector you would want to teach.
Teacher pay from online schools vary widely and can range from $10 to $30 plus per hour depending on the online school, country, your qualification (with or without a degree) and level of experience.
Rules for Chinese Online schools as of July 2021.
China issued a set of rules that aims to ease homework and after-school study hours for children, a policy dubbed the “double reduction.” This means China has barred profit companies from teaching China’s school curriculum, blocked foreign investors from holding stakes in firms offering such classes, and forbidden after-school tutoring on weekends or during vacations. The Chinese government’s idea is to both make educating children less costly for parents, to reduce the pressure on children from an early age and to make tutoring companies non-profit. This has naturally had a profound impact for teachers teaching Chinese children online. But does not affect those who teach adults.
There are many online schools based in other parts of the world that hire TEFL teachers. These
companies are mostly based in the Americas, Europe and other Asian countries.
Check out our Jobs feed page and other ESL jobs portals for latest opportunities posted every day Here
Teach in foreign countries without a degree.
Rules apply in different countries in employing TEFL teachers
Some countries officially need a BA or BSc Degree to obtain a teaching permit in order to teach legally.
Countries that do not require a degree. Here
Other exceptions:
a) If you do not have a BA Degree, your employer can apply for a provisional teaching permit, which lasts for two years. Some countries are more flexible with their rules than others.
b) Your school or employer has a good relationship with the Department of Labour and the Ministry of Education. If they can demonstrate that you are a suitable candidate for the position and they desperately need an English teacher, then a teachers license and work permit will be issued.
Teacher recruiters / agents will assist with the paperwork. Do not pay monies upfront for promised jobs. Always do due diligence on the recruiter agency and the employer school before you commit and start making plans.
c) There are many private and corporate opportunities to teach English where a BA degree is NOT a legal requirement. In this case you may be employed as a ‘consultant’ and not as a ‘teacher.
Applying for Teaching Jobs Abroad
Job prospects for suitably qualified TEFL teachers are excellent. There’s a growing demand worldwide as English becomes our universal language.
In every country of the world, both in business and tourism, English has become the global language. Most people however make some fundamental mistakes when applying for Teaching Jobs overseas.
1: Applying For Numerous Teaching Jobs by Email
Most people just send out an email blast to as many schools as they can find and hope for the best. This kind of approach yields little to no result. Most school directors don’t have enough time to go though email applications with CV’s every week! In fact most don’t even bother checking as they’ve been let down too many times! The trick is to get the name of the school director before sending your resume. You must then make a follow up to see if they have received it.
Have you ever wondered why some people are able to nail the top jobs? Here is the secret of success… right here: Send your personalised application and CV/resume to the school director by Fed Ex, DHL or EMS special delivery service! It will be worth the investment!
2: Setting Up a Teaching Job In Advance
Some schools will guarantee you a teaching job in advance without even meeting you. There’s a good reason for this. THEY ARE DESPERATE for teachers and NO ONE wants to work there! The job will be located in the middle of nowhere, miles from any civilisation and you’ll be teaching 50 kids in a class. YOU must decide which job is a good fit for you and YOU must decide, at least, some of the terms BEFORE you sign the contract.
3: Applying for Jobs With Zero Teaching or TEFL Experience
Our TEFL/TESOL course will provide you with the skills needed to start your new career as an English teacher. You’ll learn how to plan lessons and engage your class, tips for keeping discipline, and ideas for teaching grammar, vocabulary, speaking, listening, reading and writing. Most of all, you’ll gain the confidence to walk into a room full of expectant faces and deliver a great fun lesson. All the time.
We will provide you with advice on how to apply for jobs, where to look, and what to expect.
Errors and Omissions. Always do due diligence on any party you are going to work for or do business with.
The onus to verify employment agents or employers is on the user /applicant.
TEFL SA (Pty) Ltd is not an ESL employer, agent or affiliate to any ESL job listing sites or advertisers that appear from a feed to this website.
Third party Job feed information is provided as a free service to ESL job seekers. Refer all queries to the advertiser or job listing site.
Although great care is taken to ensure correct information, the user exonerates TEFL SA (Pty) Ltd from any errors or omissions that may arise from this website.
The TEFL Course is provided and moderated by TEFL South Africa.
Internationally recognised and accepted worldwide by all reputable schools and ESL recruitment companies.