TEFL or TESOL?
If you want to teach English overseas, then getting the right qualification can seem a bit of a minefield. Whether it’s TEFL, TESOL or TESL or any other teaching acronym, it can be difficult to decipher exactly which course you’ll need to teach English to speakers of other languages.
TEFL: Teaching English as a Foreign Language
TESOL: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
TESL: Teaching English as a Second Language
If you are looking to teach English as a foreign language in a non-native English speaking country such as China, Thailand, Mexico, Japan or the UAE, then you’ll need a TEFL qualification. This is an option taken by many travelers looking to earn money while traveling, career-breakers looking for a way to fund a year out overseas, or simply a way to start a new life in a country overseas.
i-to-i hold short weekend TEFL courses across Australia in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. You can combine these short TEFL courses with Online TEFL components to bulk up your knowledge and credentials, meaning you can do just 20 hours training or take the daddy of i-to-i TEFL courses, our new 100-hour TEFL course!
If want to stay in Australia and teach English to new immigrants and foreign students in a private language institute, then you will need to consider a high-level TESOL qualification. This is also the case if you want to teach in other native English speaking countries such as New Zealand, the UK, USA or Canada. You can take a high-level TESOL course at institutes around Australia simply check your local university or college.
i-to-i's TEFL courses are perfect if you want to teach in Australia on a voluntary or private basis, but not if you want to make a career out of English language teaching within Australia. You will find in many circumstances that those with a TEFL qualification can apply for a TESOL job, and vice-versa. If you are looking to teach in Australia it is more likely that you will be judged on the number of hours training you have taken rather than the acronym. In this case it is best to do as many hours TEFL training as possible!
