Do qualified teachers need a TESOL certification?
Qualified teachers may find that while their existing certifications enable them to teach domestically, a TESOL certification can be a valuable asset for teaching English abroad. Though not always mandatory, it provides specialized training in teaching English to non-native speakers, which can be critical for effective instruction in diverse international classrooms. It also enhances employability and global mobility, offering educators professional development and the chance to face new challenges abroad. Consequently, even seasoned teachers may pursue TESOL certification to broaden their career opportunities and enrich their teaching experiences while discovering different cultures and countries.
Table of Contents
Do qualified teachers need a TESOL certificate?
What are the benefits of having a TESOL certificate?
Will a TESOL certificate get my CV/resume to the top of the pile?
Do qualified teachers need a TESOL certificate?
If you start searching online for English teaching jobs around the world you will quickly see that many employers expect their job applicants to possess a TESOL certificate. This applies to all applicants, including those who are fully qualified teachers in their home country. Although you might think that having spent several years studying and working as a teacher means you shouldn't need any more qualifications to teach English abroad, in reality there are many differences between teaching English overseas and the type of teaching you are used to. Gaining a TESOL certificate will provide many benefits for you as a teacher and for the student's you end up teaching.
What are the benefits of having a TESOL certificate?
If you are teaching in an international school that only caters to native or fluent English speakers, then a TESOL course will probably be of little benefit. However, this particular scenario is quite unusual and is unlikely to apply to many teachers who head overseas. Most international teaching jobs are in schools that contain non-native English speakers with varying language abilities, many of whom are likely to be at the beginner stage.
As a trained teacher you are probably fully aware of how difficult the job can be at times, and trying to teach English without the specific skills required is only going to make it more difficult. Also, you need to consider it from the perspective of your students. If the teacher is not fully prepared for the job that they are employed to do, it will make the process of improving their language skills more difficult than it should be.
Will a TESOL certificate get my CV/resume to the top of the pile?
Qualified teachers have great potential for landing the very best jobs available around the world, however, many of the top schools only interview applicants who also have a TESOL certification on their CV/resume. With the addition of an internationally recognized TESOL qualification to your credentials there is nothing to stop you getting a prime teaching job in the country of your choosing. If you already have plenty of classroom experience, an online TESOL course will probably be accepted by most employers, as long as it is of at least 100 hours in length.
During job interviews you should notice the benefits of having completed a TESOL course. The interviewer will generally want to find out about your own approach to teaching in an international environment, which is something you might struggle to answer sufficiently without any TESOL training. Often an inexperienced TESOL teacher can feel more confident in these situations than an experienced teacher without a TESOL course under their belt. By completing a good quality training course you will have no problems demonstrating to employers that you are a highly skilled teacher who is fully prepared to teach in the unique setting of an international classroom.
