Teacher of English as a foreign language

Teachers of English as a foreign language teach English to learners both in the UK and other countries. The emphasis is on reading, speaking, listening and writing.

Also known as:

English as a foreign language teacher
TEFL

Work activities

There are many acronyms to explain teaching in this area. This can be very confusing - although the meanings and teaching methods involved are broadly similar. The most important areas are TEFL and TESOL:

TEFL (Teaching English as a foreign language) is about teaching English to learners, both in other countries and the UK, who don’t normally live or work in an English-speaking country. For example, learners might want to learn English for business, holidays, a hobby or to study in the UK.
TESOL (Teaching English to speakers of other languages) is for learners who have moved to an English-speaking country to live and work.
ELT (English language teaching) covers both TEFL and TESOL.

Whichever area they work in, teachers need to analyse learners’ language abilities and assess their needs, making sure they are learning at the right level and pace for them. Teachers plan and deliver creative, imaginative lessons, using a variety of activities and resources. Variety aids learning and ensures that teachers can meet the needs of learners with differing learning styles. Teachers might have to adapt resources to make them more appropriate to the language level and cultural sensitivities of the class.

Teaching involves getting the balance right between “fluency” (the learner’s ability to make themselves understood, although perhaps with some grammatical mistakes) and “accuracy” (choosing the correct “form” of the tense, phrase, etc). If the lesson is about asking for help in a medical emergency, for example, then fluency will be more important. However, if the lesson is concentrating on, say, the present perfect tense, then the teacher will be looking for accuracy. Wherever possible, teachers aim to reduce the amount of time they spend explaining things (“teacher talking time”), giving learners more time to speak, write, listen and read.

One-to-one lessons are more common for teachers delivering TEFL in other countries. Some teachers work only with adults, and some only with children. TEFL teachers in private language centres might be expected to teach all ages.

Personal qualities and skills

In this job, you’ll need:

Sound knowledge of English grammar and punctuation and some knowledge of phonology.
The ability to encourage, motivate and support learners.
Patience, tact and sensitivity.
Organisational and time-management skills.
Confidence to stand and teach in front of a class.
Imagination and creativity to develop and adapt lesson resources.
Good listening and observation skills.

Knowledge of a foreign language can be useful but isn’t essential because English is usually spoken at all times during lessons. Foreign language knowledge can help you to anticipate problems that learners from particular backgrounds tend to experience in English, for example, because a tense in English doesn’t exist in their first language. When teaching English to people who are working in commerce or industry, it can be useful to have some knowledge of business, medical, legal or technological terminology.

Pay and opportunities

Pay rates vary depending on whether you are employed or self-employed, your role, responsibilities, qualifications and experience, and whether you teach in the UK or in another country. The pay rates given are approximate. Average salaries start at around £21,000, all the way up to £32,000 for those in senior positions. Many teachers are paid on a weekly basis, sometimes on short contracts. Overseas salaries may be tax free and might include supplements. Other benefits might include free accommodation and flights, and other allowances.

Teaching (or “contact”) hours vary widely, depending on the number of classes the teacher has and whether their position is full- or part-time. For example, teachers might have 26-30 teaching hours a week (but will also need to spend time preparing lessons and marking work). Total hours may be between 30 and 37 hours.

What’s happening in this work area?

Demand for TEFL teachers varies from country to country. There is strong demand in Asian and Middle Eastern countries such as Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with increasing demand in China. There is a strong demand for English language classes in the UK. Demand can be affected by any changes in government policy towards the funding of classes.

There are a variety of employers and working environments. In the UK, employers include universities, colleges of further and higher education, adult education centres, local authorities and private language schools. In other countries, most opportunities are with private language schools and organisations such as the British Council. You can volunteer to teach English in developing countries through organisations such as Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised in the local press and national titles such as The Guardian and The Times Educational Supplement (TES), and on job boards such as Tefl.com and Dave’s ESL Cafe.

Entry routes and training

You can study courses on a full- or part-time basis. Courses can last from four weeks (intensive, full-time) to a year part-time (for example, one day a week). It is also possible to study for these qualifications in another country. Courses involve observed, assessed teaching practice and written assignments.

Experienced teachers can take further qualifications such as the Cambridge Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults (DELTA). Teachers can move into management roles such as heads of department or director of studies (for example, with responsibility for recruiting new teachers and organising their timetables). There are also opportunities to move into the English language teaching publishing sector.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act: In the UK, this career can be an exception to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 if you’re working with children or vulnerable adults or on the site of a further education college where there are learners aged under 18. This means that you must supply information to an employer about any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings, if they ask you to. This is different from other careers, where you only have to reveal information on unspent convictions if you are asked to.

Qualifications

Entry requirements vary, although you’ll usually need qualifications for entry into higher education, such as two A-levels or equivalent. You might need to pass a written English grammar test for entry to courses.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: In the UK, it is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits. However, the situation outside the UK will vary from country to country. Some countries will not have laws against age discrimination, meaning that some employers can set upper age limits for recruiting teachers. Some countries set age limits for working visas.

Some entrants are already qualified and experienced teachers in another area. Knowledge and skills gained through working with children will be useful if you plan to teach to this age group.

A number of centres offer qualifications by distance learning. However, observed teaching practice is very important and therefore a distance learning course without this is likely to be unacceptable to most employers.

Related careers

Lecturer
Teacher