Qualifications and requirements

General requirements

The qualifications you will need, and requirements that you need to meet, depend a lot on where you are going to teach: both the country and the employer. Note that country requirements can—and do—change.

In general, the following will improve your chances of landing a job teaching English:

English fluency

Obviously, you'll need fluency in order to teach English, but you may also need proof of it—especially if you do not hold a passport from an English-speaking nation, or even a bilingual nation such as Canada. Being schooled in English is usually sufficient, as is a degree from an English university.

University degree

Most employers will want you to have a university degree, regardless of the subject. It is not impossible to teach English without a degree, but your options are much more limited.

Education degree or advanced degree

In some countries, in order to be considered for positions teaching English in the school system, you will require a teaching degree. Positions teaching English at universities will usually require an advanced degree.

A particular passport

Some countries require English teachers to be from only certain countries: Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, the UK and Ireland or South Africa. This requirement is most common in Asian countries.

A particular accent

In Europe, a British accent tends to be preferred for teachers, while in Central and South America generally a North American accent is favoured.

Work experience

Having teaching experience will be a big help getting your foot in the door almost anywhere, as your employer will expect that you already know how to teach. Some better-paying positions, particularly in the Middle East, require two or more years of teaching experience. Experience of any type can help: private tutoring or volunteering included.

A visa

Most countries will require you to have a visa in order to teach English (legally), and the requirements to obtain a visa can differ greatly. In addition to your teaching qualifications, you may be asked for a criminal record check, a health check or a drug test. Some schools and teachers occasionally choose to avoid the tiresome visa application process (e.g. by working on tourist visas)—and this can be common practice in some places. However, be aware that this can expose you to the possibility of exploitation by an unscrupulous employer, and put you at risk for deportation or worse.

TEFL certification

A Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate may help you to get a job, or may even be required to obtain a visa in certain countries. Deciding whether to take a TEFL certification, and choosing the right one for you, is definitely the Wild West of the English teaching sector. We address this in detail in the next section.

The requirements above depend on the country—but also on the employer and should be taken only as a general guideline and requirements can change. Different rules tend to apply for private versus public schools within a country; and different rules apply yet again for private tutoring. Some people choose to teach privately outside the system altogether. Be sure to check the up-to-date details for the countries that interest you.

TEFL Certifications

Do you need a TEFL certificate? The answer to that question is usually a personal choice. While some employers require this, and it may improve your job prospects, much of the time it is simply up to you.

In general, there are three reasons why you might consider taking a TEFL course:

1.  Visa requirements

Some countries require evidence of TEFL certification before they will issue a working visa. Similarly, if you would like some flexibility on your journey—for example you plan to travel and think that you may want to teach while you are abroad, but you are not sure where—then getting a TEFL certification in advance may be a wise investment.

2.  Improve your job and salary prospects

A TEFL certificate definitely appeals to some employers—improving not only your job prospects, but also your potential salary. Some employers pay TEFL-certified staff higher salaries than uncertified staff, for the same positions. The difference in pay can often more than make up for the cost of a course.

3.  Improve your teaching

If you lack teaching experience, or have doubts about your grasp of the rules of grammar, a TEFL course can help you feel much better prepared to teach English. For many contracts, you will be expected to hit the ground running, and it is not uncommon to find yourself teaching within the first few days of arriving. Imagine stepping into a classroom with an hour to fill and standing in front of a group of 30 students who do not speak a word of English. If you find that prospect daunting, a course may be able to help you prepare.

Choosing a TEFL Certification

TEFL certification is still a little like the Wild West: there are no internationally recognized accrediting bodies, and the quality of TEFL courses varies enormously. There are some highly credible TEFL providers that offer month-long (or longer), detailed in-class courses, which include a teaching practicum. But beware; the sector also attracts a certain number of sketchy fly-by-night operators that are basically willing to write you a certificate in exchange for payment.

Choosing the best TEFL course for you depends in large part upon your objectives. If you are gaining a certificate simply to tick a box (for example, for visa requirements) then you may be able to get away with a very cheap online course. But if you are looking to gain some knowledge about teaching, classroom management, English grammar and language learning, then you will want to research dependable TEFL providers.

Factors to consider when comparing programs include:

1. Is the course online or in-class?

While the quality of online courses is now sometimes much higher than it used to be—and can include classroom participation, teacher feedback and the like—it is still the case that not all employers will accept an online certification. Further, a course that involves some teaching practice is going to better prepare you for stepping into a classroom and teaching your first students. However, an online course is usually a low investment that enables you to get a taste for teaching English and what it entails, before deciding whether this is right for you.

2. How many hours is the course, and how is that time spent?

Beware of simply comparing the number of hours stated in the course description. For example, are the hours taught or self-taught? Do they include your practicum element? Be sure to clarify this in advance. Hours are also important because some employers (e.g. government schools in Korea) do not recognize TEFL certifications below a minimum number of hours (120 hours in this case, at the time of writing).

3. Does the course include a practicum?

And, if so, with whom: your classmates or real English learners? How many hours is the practicum? Is it monitored and assessed, and do you get feedback?

4. Does the course provider have any professional accreditation or affiliation?

To reiterate, there are no internationally recognized accrediting bodies for TEFL certification. However, accreditation bodies do exist: some are very reputable, while others are bogus—essentially started by TEFL providers in an attempt to lend their own courses some credibility. Be sure to check out any accrediting organization thoroughly. Also, be aware that there is a big difference between a TEFL course provider having a professional membership in a TEFL industry association—which usually involves simply paying a fee—versus accreditation, which involves meeting a set of standards.

5. What is the curriculum content?

Of course, the curriculum content is likely one of the most important factors in your decision—and it can also be a difficult one to get information about. You'll want to find out if you will actually be learning anything more than you could teach yourself online—but also whether the content is relevant to your needs. For example, if you are planning to work as a private tutor, then a TEFL course that focuses half of its time on classroom management and public speaking is probably not what you want. If you never formally learned the rules of English—and this is true of many people who grew up speaking English—you might consider enrolling in a course that has a strong grammar component. It is not uncommon for learners in other countries to be well-versed in English grammar—and being well-prepared to explain some detailed rules of English can help you to avoid potential embarrassment.

6. What post-training support do they offer?

One advantage of taking a course is that many of the more reputable TEFL training centres have contact with recruitment agencies, and can help you with advice and contacts to obtain a job after your training. If this service is important to you, then be sure to research it prior to signing up. But beware of "job guarantees"—if they sound too good to be true; they probably are.

The gold standard of short-term courses in this industry is the Cambridge CELTA. These are four-week, full-time courses that include teaching practice—and usually come with a very high price tag. The CELTA name is well-known and respected. Some other providers have developed courses modelled on the CELTA one, and these can be equally comprehensive. Choosing to take one of these courses is a fair commitment of time and money, and is probably best suited for individuals who are absolutely certain of their intent to teach English.

Overall, there is a plethora of TEFL providers out there, and a correspondingly diverse array of courses to choose from. This is one area where you do really need to do your research to ensure you are getting what you expect and what you need. Make sure you consult online forums (there are plenty out there for prospective English teachers), and ask course providers plenty of questions. Don't be afraid to ask to be put in touch with former students, who can share their perspective about the course and the company support; a reputable school will not hesitate to do this.