5 reasons becoming a TEFL teacher is useful, even if you don’t teach

Who would have thought that simply becoming a TEFL teacher can be a fruitful process, even if you opt not to hit the classrooms and teach once you’ve got that all-important certificate? Yep, from transferable skills that other employers simply adore to adventurous dispositions that are great for would-be travelers, there are oodles of unseen benefits. Check them out…

You’ll get to grips with grammar you never knew

Whether it’s gerunds of past participles, the ins and outs of the passive voice, the intricacies of pronoun choices, the dreaded likes of compound verbs, English sentence structures, or the nature of the forward-looking future tense, there are oodles of areas of grammar that come into play when your becoming a TEFL teacher. For many folk, this sort of close-up study of language will be completely new. Many schools across the US, Canada, and the United Kingdom simply won’t have touched on them during their normal curriculums, meaning that a TEFL course offers a valuable opportunity to get to grips with the deeper secrets of your own vernacular. Take that opportunity and you won’t be disappointed, trust us!

It will make you more confident

Becoming a TEFL teacher isn’t just about learning the facts of what language is, how grammar works, and the rest. It’s also about finding your teaching voice. And that can mean developing a whole host of different skills. For many it will mean gaining the confidence to stand up in front of a class of strangers and deliver a lesson – yep, that’s a real skill in itself, believe it or not! Modules on classroom management and exercises that get you mock teaching with fellow students on the course are both great ways to find that inner self, while some students find that simply the process of gaining knowledge about their language makes them more confident when it comes to teaching it. You can find out for yourself.

It will give you transferable skills

The challenges of becoming a TEFL teacher are varied. You’ll need a good understanding of your language, yes. You’ll need to be confident too (see above). But you’ll also need to develop a whole range of other professional skills that are sure to be valuable in a whole range of other circumstances and situations. We’re talking about the organizational ability to plan lessons in advance, to mark homework on time, and get exam results and reports filed before the deadline. We’re talking about the social skills needed to mingle with your co-workers. We’re talking about the sense of adventure and boldness that’s nurtured by a job that lets you travel the globe. These are all valuable transferable skills that other employers are sure to love.

It will give you a back-up career for life

Granted, TEFL teaching sure doesn’t promise millions. You’re not likely to be kicking-back on the top of your own yacht, or chilling with jet setters at the poolside of your private infinity pool in a jiffy. But that doesn’t mean that the career of classroom hopping isn’t a good one. In fact, with more and more countries opting to add English tuition to their national program, the industry has boomed and boomed. There are now more opportunities for TEFL teachers out there than ever before, which makes this one a perfect backup career no matter what your goals in life. By all means get that TEFL qualification under the belt and then head off to try your hand at coffee roasting or entrepreneurship. You can rest assured that the English schools of Thailand and China will still be hiring when you return!

You might just get to travel

For many folk becoming a TEFL teacher, the process of building a career in the language sector is just half the story. Many will also be excited about the prospect of exploring the globe and getting out there. And you won’t even have to take a job for the adventure to start either. From the beaches of the Thai Gulf to the throbbing cityscapes of Vietnam, the savannahs of South Africa to the tropical jungles of South America, there are oodles of places that offer on-location TEFL courses; ones that get you qualified and on the road in one fell swoop. Sounds good? Check out myTEFL’s own line-up of options.

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Can you think of any other benefits that the budding TEFL teacher who doesn’t teach will enjoy? We’d love to hear about them in comments below. And if you’re considering becoming a TEFL teacher, then be sure to head over and check out all the courses on offer at myTEFL.