What is TEFL?

By Courtney S. Ries
Looking to spend some time living and working overseas? Teaching English is a great way to do it!

First, you need to know the lingo:

TEFL: Teaching English as a Foreign Language. TEFL programs offer certification in teaching English. Certifications are not always required to teach English, but job prospects (and pay) tend to increase with certification levels and experience.

ELT: English Language Teaching, as in, "ELT jobs are plentiful overseas."

TESOL: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. TESOL and TEFL are interchangeable words, with TESOL used in the United States and large colleges in Britain and TEFL used in U.K. language schools. Technically, TESOL refers to all learners whose first language is not English, including immigrants to that country.

CELTA: Certificate for English Language Teaching to Adults. A CELTA is a TESOL certificate course.

TEFL teachers can be of any age, with a wide variety of experience. Most are in the low-to-mid twenties and teach from one to three years.

There are a number of steps to becoming a certified teacher who can work abroad.

• Step One: Figure out where you want to teach. Learn about various countries. Consider living conditions, proximity to other areas you wish to travel to and native language used.


• Step Two: Find a certification program and decide on dates. It is most beneficial to get certified in the region (Europe, Asia, etc.) that you will be teaching. Country-specific study is not necessary. The advantages of studying in the area where you want to work are numerous: you have an easier introduction to the culture, you make English-speaking friends and nearby schools are more likely to know the place you received your certification. Virtual or long-distance learning is a possibility, however, employers prefer that students have in-class teaching experience, which isn't a feature offered by remote programs.


• Step Three: Get your visa, buy your plane ticket and get ready to go! Make sure you have a visa that lasts the length of your course, throw your stuff in storage, say goodbye to your friends and embark on a new life.


• Step Four: Attend your certification class and find a job. Certain programs, like the ones offered by TEFL International, will assist you in finding work. Do research online, read books and explore opportunities presented to you once you arrive in the country.


• Step Five: Teach, Travel and HAVE FUN! Celebrate your new position, the different culture and the opportunity to explore another country.

Start exploring the opportunities available to you overseas by becoming certified and you can be teaching in a little as 6 weeks! Check out Bronwyn Price's article on TEFL for more info on teaching abroad.