10 EFL Language Schools You Should Know

When you think of teaching English as a foreign language, you probably see yourself teaching a class of thirty ten year-olds in a Beijing primary school. 

It’s true that the majority of EFL positions are teaching English to children in a non-English speaking country, but a lot of people don’t realise there is more to TEFL than that. Many English learners are adults who turn to language schools for structured lessons that fit their needs, whether for work, travel or personal growth.

Read more: 6 Differences Between Teaching Adults And Young Learners

If you’re considering a TEFL job beyond traditional mainstream school settings, language schools offer exciting opportunities worldwide. Let’s explore some of the most popular EFL language schools for both English language learners and TEFL teachers.

Bell English

Bell English, originally established in Cambridge, has expanded with schools in London, St Albans, and several summer centres across the UK. Students are taught using The Bell Way, a method developed by its founder who was a graduate of Cambridge University. It focuses on individual development and achievement. The Bell School’s friendly atmosphere makes it an ideal place to study and teach.

Wall Street English

Wall Street English has over 450 language centres in 35 territories,  in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Some of the centres are owned by the Wall Street English company while others are franchises, so they can be run differently. 

Lesson materials and lesson plans are provided to teachers. Wall Street English integrates a natural acquisition method with a blended learning approach. They also provide a variety of class sizes to suit students’ needs including online lessons, small group instruction, conversational lessons and social activities. 

Wall Street English offers competitive packages and benefits for their staff. With a promote-from-within policy there are opportunities to progress into management positions.

English 1 

English 1 (formerly EF English First) is one of the biggest EFL language schools in the world. There are currently over 500 schools and offices across 54 countries – they are everywhere! In China alone, there are over 300 English 1 schools across 60 cities.

The different English 1 centres can be run quite differently depending on the management team, so your experiences at English 1 Shanghai could be totally different to teaching at English 1 Cape Town. Not only do teachers have the option to teach kids or adults in one of their centres, but they also operate online schools to teach from home.

English 1’s online platform offers one-to-one lessons for English language learners in China. Students are between the ages of 6 and 10. Teachers teach through an interactive learning platform and lesson plans are provided. 

To teach with English 1 you must be a native English speaker with a university degree. New teachers receive full support and training upon joining the English 1 team, as well as professional development throughout their contract. Most positions begin at entry-level, however, once teachers are part of the English 1 network they can begin to look at English 1 academic positions such as director of studies and center education manager roles, or teaching positions across the globe in other parts of their company.

 

International House

International House (IH) was founded in 1953 and has  150 language schools in over 50 countries. 

At IH students can learn English as well as a range of other languages. They provide a variety of English language courses for all ages and levels, including IELTS preparation courses, junior summer programs and English courses for adults. Classes have a maximum of 16 students and teachers receive support from academic managers. 

IH puts a strong focus on teacher development.

EC English

EC English language schools are located in Ireland, Malta, South Africa, the UK, Canada, the UAE and the US. 

It offers academic, business or general English courses. Their teaching methods focus on delivering engaging material inclusive to all students. You can teach Young Learners through EC’s summer language programmes or more mature students in their 30+ English schools. 

Teachers have access to National Geographic Learning materials to produce interactive lessons that help develop global competencies and English language skills. 

Berlitz

Berlitz offers EFL and ESL language training to children, teens, and adults, as well as Business English for corporate clients and businesses. With over 550 locations across 70 countries, Berlitz offers a vast range of teaching opportunities. For more than 140 years, it has been refining language instruction through the Berlitz Method, a total language immersion approach backed by decades of experience. 

Read more: Immersion Learning Explained

Berlitz aims at teaching skills to empower and build students’ self confidence. Their extensive portfolio of programs includes language instructions for individuals and corporations, language assessment and testing services, business communication skills and children and teenage programs. 

Their Berlitz Virtual Classroom delivers the same lessons that would be conducted in the classroom, but are held online. Teachers can utilise online features such as a dynamic whiteboard, paint and text tool boxes, and creatives to enhance their lessons. Lessons are recorded so students can review their lessons while teachers have the opportunity to replay their lessons for self-evaluation.

 

Inlingua

Inlingua is a language school which offers language training for kids, adults andbusinesses worldwide. They span four continents with over 200 inlingua centres in more than 30 countries worldwide including the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, India, Thailand and the USA. 

Over 50+ years, Inlingua has created their own teaching style called ”The Inlingua Method” supported by in-house language learning resources. Teachers receive training on this methodology and its materials before they begin teaching. The learning management system incorporates the Inlingua Method, micro-skills like reading and listening, and class activities. 

Educators are encouraged to think critically and adapt to various teaching contexts, including one-on-one lessons and Business English instruction.

Aeon

Aeon is an EFL language school chain in Japan with over 250 branches nationwide. Founded in 1973, AEON is one of the largest private school chains in Japan. AEON offers conversational English classes, Business English, and standardised test preparation for Japanese adults. Children’s classes are focused on building a strong conversational foundation. 

AEON teachers instruct both adults and children in a variety of group and private classes.  AEON has a daughter company called AEON AMITY which offers classes to children in over 85 branches.

Read more: Navigating Japan’s TEFL Scene: The 6 Biggest Conversation Schools

English Centers for Children (ECC)

ECC is a franchise of EFL language schools in South Korea and now operates in over 75 centres countrywide. 

With operations beginning in 1991, this private school chain focuses on teaching English to Young Learners offering a variety of classes from phonics to test preparation. As franchises, teachers may find the quality of one school vastly different when compared to another.

Read more: Teach English In South Korea

The British Council

No list of EFL Language schools would be complete without the British Council, one the UK’s leading organisations for cultural relations and educational opportunities. One aspect of the organisation is their language schools which are found all over the world. Their website has an astounding amount of English language learning resources for both students and teachers.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of EFL language schools. Other notable names include Embassy English and Kaplan International. Though all of these schools are chains, this doesn’t mean that you can paint them all with the same brush. Each school is different, even within their chain.

If you are considering working for a language school, don’t forget to do your due diligence for that particular branch to make sure it is a school you really want to work in. If you can find a school that suits you, working in a language school can be a very rewarding experience, especially for teachers just starting out.

Disclaimer: The TEFL Academy is not affiliated to any of these language schools. But a TEFL qualification from The TEFL Academy is the first step to securing a job in a language school!