United States
US
What Is ESL & How to Become a ESL Teacher
September 20, 2023
Table of Contents
- What is ESL & an ESL teacher
- ESOL, TEFL, TESOL, TESL, ESL
- What is an ESL program
- How to become an ESL teacher
- Can I teach English online with an ESL certification
- Can I teach English abroad with an ESL certification
- Can I teach in my home country with an ESL teacher certification
- Start your ESL journey
- Summary
- ESL is English as a Second Language. It refers to non-native English speakers who are learning English as a second or foreign language.
- An ESL program is a program which teaches non-English-speaking learners how to use and understand English.
- Earning an ESL certification is one of the easiest qualifications to do!
ESL is English as a Second Language. It refers to non-native English speakers who are learning English as a second or foreign language. An ESL teacher is a teacher who teaches these learners.
An ESL teacher is a qualified teacher who teaches English as a second or foreign language to learners who speak another language as their first language. They can be English teachers or subject teachers in a mainstream school, a teaching assistant, an independent freelance teacher, a language teacher in a private institution, or an online teacher.
ESL teachers can:
- Teach English to Chinese kindergarteners in Beijing.
- Italian teens in a language school in London,
- German CEO’s in a workplace in Berlin,
- Saudi Arabian university students in Cape Town, and a range of other teaching scenarios.
These learners need to learn English for a variety of reasons:
- To pass a test of English proficiency to study in an English-medium institution
- To pass a test of English proficiency for visa regulations to immigrate
- To enable them to communicate in an international workplace
- For travel purposes
- For their own enjoyment
What about ESOL, TEFL, TESOL, TESL, ESL? Do they all mean the same thing?
While they don’t strictly mean the same thing, these terms relate to the same general field of learning and teaching English as a second or foreign language.
ESOL – English for 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
ESL – English as a Second Language
These terms are generally used interchangeably. They are used differently depending where in the world you are.
If you are in the US, for example, you are likely to hear of ESL and TESOL. Outside of the US it’s likely to be called TEFL.
What is an ESL program?
An ESL program is a program which teaches non-English-speaking learners how to use and understand English. Learners are taught how to read, write, listen and speak in English.
If the learners already have a level of ability in English, ESL programs work with these students to improve their English skills. The ultimate goal of ESL programs is proficiency in English, but many students have ESL lessons to achieve a certain level for a specific purpose.
This means that ESL students can be on an ESL programme for many years, while others may take lessons for only a few weeks or months.
Many schools require their students to have ESL lessons with qualified ESL teachers. And that’s where you come in.
How to become an ESL teacher?
Earning an ESL certification is one of the easiest qualifications to do!
1. Decide where & who you want to teach
The great thing about ESL is that no matter what teaching situation you want to be in, you only need one qualification. Do you want to teach ESL in your home country? Or maybe you want to teach English abroad? How about teaching online? Ankle biters? Moody teens? Business professionals? Any good ESL course will prepare you for any possible ESL teaching situation.
2. Choose the right certification
Sign up for an ESL course or a TEFL course which is at least 120 hours. It should be from a reputable and accredited ESL course provider. This course will teach everything you need to know about teaching English as a second or foreign language – from the fundamentals of English grammar to lesson planning to assessment.
3. Meet the minimum requirements
You don’t need a degree or teaching experience to qualify to do an ESL certification. And the ESL qualification is the only thing you need to teach English as a second or foreign language. The only requirements will be a minimum age and an English level of at least C1 on the CEFR (Advanced).
4. Enroll in an accredited course
Choose your course and sign up! Complete the course at your own pace and in your own time. Don’t forget to ask your tutors for help if you need it!
Our accredited TEFL courses are also good for those wishing to qualify as ESL teachers.
5. Earn your certification
Once you have an ESL certification under your belt, you can start looking for and applying for teaching jobs online, at home or abroad.
Can I teach English online with an ESL certification?
Absolutely!
An ESL certification can be used to teach in any number of different ESL/EFL situations. You can teach English in a language school in Lima, a private school in Portugal, or online from your (home) office.
Teaching English online is fast becoming the most popular way to become a digital nomad. An ESL certification allows you to live wherever you choose.
Can I teach English abroad with an ESL certification?
Yes you can!
Many ESL teachers choose to leave home and live and work abroad in foreign countries. Generous packages, low costs of living and the adventure of a lifetime are all reasons to get an ESL certification and move abroad.
Can I teach in my home country with an ESL teacher certification?
Probably, yes. Teaching English as a second or foreign language is possible in the majority of countries around the world. If there are ESL students in your home country, then you can teach them with an ESL certification.
Remember, ESL learners might not be citizens of your country. They might be visiting for a short time or be there for a job or education.
Start your ESL journey
Sign up with The TEFL Academy and get started on your ESL journey today.
Choose between:
- a Level 3 120-hour TEFL Online Course,
- a Level 5 168-hour Online Course,
- and a Level 5 168-hour Combined Course (with 10 hours of in-class teaching).
If you’d like to experience the thrill of a teaching practicum but you’re unable to attend a course at one of our 96 course locations, you can opt for the Level 5 40-hour Observed Teaching Practice Course. This course gives you observed teaching practice from the comfort of your home to complement your Level 5 course.
Plus by signing up for a TEFL course with The TEFL Academy, you are given for FREE:
- a specialist grammar unit,
- THREE Top-Up Courses: Teaching Young Learners, Teaching Business English, and Teaching Online and 1:1,
- access to 24 weekly one-hour webinars,
- The TEFL Handbook e-book,
- The TEFL Resource Pack e-book, and
- access to our Jobs Board.
Whether you’re an ESL teacher for life, or just for a season, you can shape your career to suit your lifestyle.
Contact The TEFL Academy today to find out which of our TEFL courses is best for you.
Meet The Author
Kirsten Colquhoun is the Content Manager for The TEFL Academy. A graduate of Cambridge University and DELTA-qualified, she first started teaching kindergarten in Thailand in 2003. A South African, she has also taught in China, the UK, Spain, Qatar and South Africa, but these days she is a teacher trainer and freelance writer and editor.Table of Contents
- What is ESL & an ESL teacher
- ESOL, TEFL, TESOL, TESL, ESL
- What is an ESL program
- How to become an ESL teacher
- Can I teach English online with an ESL certification
- Can I teach English abroad with an ESL certification
- Can I teach in my home country with an ESL teacher certification
- Start your ESL journey
- Summary
- ESL is English as a Second Language. It refers to non-native English speakers who are learning English as a second or foreign language.
- An ESL program is a program which teaches non-English-speaking learners how to use and understand English.
- Earning an ESL certification is one of the easiest qualifications to do!
ESL is English as a Second Language. It refers to non-native English speakers who are learning English as a second or foreign language. An ESL teacher is a teacher who teaches these learners.
An ESL teacher is a qualified teacher who teaches English as a second or foreign language to learners who speak another language as their first language. They can be English teachers or subject teachers in a mainstream school, a teaching assistant, an independent freelance teacher, a language teacher in a private institution, or an online teacher.
ESL teachers can:
- Teach English to Chinese kindergarteners in Beijing.
- Italian teens in a language school in London,
- German CEO’s in a workplace in Berlin,
- Saudi Arabian university students in Cape Town, and a range of other teaching scenarios.
These learners need to learn English for a variety of reasons:
- To pass a test of English proficiency to study in an English-medium institution
- To pass a test of English proficiency for visa regulations to immigrate
- To enable them to communicate in an international workplace
- For travel purposes
- For their own enjoyment
What about ESOL, TEFL, TESOL, TESL, ESL? Do they all mean the same thing?
While they don’t strictly mean the same thing, these terms relate to the same general field of learning and teaching English as a second or foreign language.
ESOL – English for 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
ESL – English as a Second Language
These terms are generally used interchangeably. They are used differently depending where in the world you are.
If you are in the US, for example, you are likely to hear of ESL and TESOL. Outside of the US it’s likely to be called TEFL.
What is an ESL program?
An ESL program is a program which teaches non-English-speaking learners how to use and understand English. Learners are taught how to read, write, listen and speak in English.
If the learners already have a level of ability in English, ESL programs work with these students to improve their English skills. The ultimate goal of ESL programs is proficiency in English, but many students have ESL lessons to achieve a certain level for a specific purpose.
This means that ESL students can be on an ESL programme for many years, while others may take lessons for only a few weeks or months.
Many schools require their students to have ESL lessons with qualified ESL teachers. And that’s where you come in.
How to become an ESL teacher?
Earning an ESL certification is one of the easiest qualifications to do!
1. Decide where & who you want to teach
The great thing about ESL is that no matter what teaching situation you want to be in, you only need one qualification. Do you want to teach ESL in your home country? Or maybe you want to teach English abroad? How about teaching online? Ankle biters? Moody teens? Business professionals? Any good ESL course will prepare you for any possible ESL teaching situation.
2. Choose the right certification
Sign up for an ESL course or a TEFL course which is at least 120 hours. It should be from a reputable and accredited ESL course provider. This course will teach everything you need to know about teaching English as a second or foreign language – from the fundamentals of English grammar to lesson planning to assessment.
3. Meet the minimum requirements
You don’t need a degree or teaching experience to qualify to do an ESL certification. And the ESL qualification is the only thing you need to teach English as a second or foreign language. The only requirements will be a minimum age and an English level of at least C1 on the CEFR (Advanced).
4. Enroll in an accredited course
Choose your course and sign up! Complete the course at your own pace and in your own time. Don’t forget to ask your tutors for help if you need it!
Our accredited TEFL courses are also good for those wishing to qualify as ESL teachers.
5. Earn your certification
Once you have an ESL certification under your belt, you can start looking for and applying for teaching jobs online, at home or abroad.
Can I teach English online with an ESL certification?
Absolutely!
An ESL certification can be used to teach in any number of different ESL/EFL situations. You can teach English in a language school in Lima, a private school in Portugal, or online from your (home) office.
Teaching English online is fast becoming the most popular way to become a digital nomad. An ESL certification allows you to live wherever you choose.
Can I teach English abroad with an ESL certification?
Yes you can!
Many ESL teachers choose to leave home and live and work abroad in foreign countries. Generous packages, low costs of living and the adventure of a lifetime are all reasons to get an ESL certification and move abroad.
Can I teach in my home country with an ESL teacher certification?
Probably, yes. Teaching English as a second or foreign language is possible in the majority of countries around the world. If there are ESL students in your home country, then you can teach them with an ESL certification.
Remember, ESL learners might not be citizens of your country. They might be visiting for a short time or be there for a job or education.
Start your ESL journey
Sign up with The TEFL Academy and get started on your ESL journey today.
Choose between:
- a Level 3 120-hour TEFL Online Course,
- a Level 5 168-hour Online Course,
- and a Level 5 168-hour Combined Course (with 10 hours of in-class teaching).
If you’d like to experience the thrill of a teaching practicum but you’re unable to attend a course at one of our 96 course locations, you can opt for the Level 5 40-hour Observed Teaching Practice Course. This course gives you observed teaching practice from the comfort of your home to complement your Level 5 course.
Plus by signing up for a TEFL course with The TEFL Academy, you are given for FREE:
- a specialist grammar unit,
- THREE Top-Up Courses: Teaching Young Learners, Teaching Business English, and Teaching Online and 1:1,
- access to 24 weekly one-hour webinars,
- The TEFL Handbook e-book,
- The TEFL Resource Pack e-book, and
- access to our Jobs Board.
Whether you’re an ESL teacher for life, or just for a season, you can shape your career to suit your lifestyle.
Contact The TEFL Academy today to find out which of our TEFL courses is best for you.
Meet The Author
Kirsten Colquhoun is the Content Manager for The TEFL Academy. A graduate of Cambridge University and DELTA-qualified, she first started teaching kindergarten in Thailand in 2003. A South African, she has also taught in China, the UK, Spain, Qatar and South Africa, but these days she is a teacher trainer and freelance writer and editor.