What inspired you to work for The TEFL Institute?
I had actually never heard of the industry until 2016. I learned of the ESL world through my sister, who is one of our academic tutors and runs the 10 hour Virtual TEFL Course. She has been an ESL teacher for years! After I had arrived home from travel, it was Kate who introduced me to the company and the industry. I instantly fell in love with the concept and even did a bit of teaching myself in between in France! I didn't stay away for long though, but the TEFL Institute is an amazing place to work - as cringe as that may sound!
Education is a huge part of society and it is great to know that there are these types of career options out there for people.
When you truly believe in your product, in this case the TEFL courses, then it is really easy to work.
Becky and a few of the TEFL Institute team
What is your favorite part of your job?
That's easy! My most favourite part of this job is definitely receiving our testimonial videos and reviews. This is a huge daily reminder of why we do what we do! To see and hear about all the fantastic work our alumni do after getting certified is just an amazing feeling. I love to hear the success stories and they are really all very different - from teaching abroad in South East Asia, to teaching English online for stay at home parents. It's so nice when our alumni call us just to thank us and catch up!
I must also mention my wonderful colleagues. Although spread across the globe as an international company, you'd be surprised how much you can get to know someone through video chat systems. We all work well as a team and maintain friendships through catch up calls and group calls. There is one rule during these calls: no work talk, just a catch up!
What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?
In the TEFL/TESOL Industry, there are a few obvious challenges that we face as a global institute. As our alumni are spread out across the globe and their goals can be so varied, it can be quite difficult to keep up-to-date with global changes. I think we all remember when Chinese online companies had to only hire TEFL certified teachers. We had a lot of teachers come to us about this. We created a solution where these teachers could become TEFL certified with us through our fast-track route- as for some, their visas and employment depended on it.
Speaking of visas, this is a big obstacle in a lot of aspiring teachers' lives. We try our best to find solutions and guide them down the right path; whether it may be teaching in a different country, or get Level 5 TEFL certified.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
Oh there is so much I would say! First and foremost, there is only so much organization you can do before you go, the rest is a leap of faith. I love to be organized to an extreme extent, but when moving to a place that you haven't been before, there are some things that you really can't do prior to the move. Sometimes you will have a job set up and organized, but sometimes you don't.
I, myself, worked temp jobs for about two months before finding permanent employment abroad. I also spent 2 weeks in an Airbnb before finding an apartment. It's amazing to get these things organized before you go, but you know what, it's not always 100% necessary (as long as you have the funds saved to support yourself for two months).
There are huge communities of travellers and teachers out there! I definitely didn't take full advantage of this. There are so many Facebook groups for every city in the world and so many people are happy to help or simply make friends. My advice is to take full advantage of today's connectivity and support system!
Pack light! We seem to forget that every country has their version of a Walmart or Primark for things like tank-tops, flip-flops, and such. You will spend more on oversized luggage at the airport than spending it in one of these shops.
What makes The TEFL Institute special?
I think our willingness to go above and beyond for our student alumni is something that really sticks out for me. Between job assistance, continuous personal development, and just genuine conversations about next steps in their career, I feel we do add that personal touch. And this is all available for any of our students. We run monthly webinars and weekly level 5 tutor sessions. We have community groups on student platforms and social media. We take feedback seriously and work towards always bettering ourselves as an Institute. There is a real sense of community in our organization!
The courses themselves are of high quality and written by educated teachers and tutors. The Level 5 TEFL Course is government regulated, which means it follows strict protocol to give teachers the best learning experience and top certification within the TEFL/TESOL industry. This is recognised globally by employers and the hiring process becomes all that bit easier with a TEFL Institute certificate.
What hopes do you have for the future for your organization?
As an institute, we are working towards introducing the Elective program in schools and colleges around the world. This is an amazing program that helps towards credits needed. This has been invaluable to schools in the past year as an online alternative has been coveted in lieu of work experience programs that could not go on this academic year due to the pandemic. The course has been fully developed and we are now working towards getting the word out there!
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
After completion of our courses, I hope that students feel confident enough to follow their dreams! A lot of teachers may not have experience, so I would recommend also completing the 10 hours of teaching practice available. There is a lot more to teaching than most people know - it is about passion and confidence. We get so many students calling up and ready to go abroad, and this to me means success on our part! TEFL/TESOL courses should make you eager to go, and this is normally the general consensus.
What questions do participants often ask you, and how do you typically respond?
The two most common questions that I receive is "Can I teach anywhere with this certificate?" and "Should I complete the level 5 certification?". These questions are very much intertwined and here's a little breakdown.
In short, yes - you can teach anywhere with a TEFL Institute certificate. They are fully accredited and internationally recognised! Whether you choose the 120 hour TEFL certificate, which is the international standard, or the 180 hour Level 5 TEFL certificate, which is government regulated, you will be a fully qualified teacher after completion! There are a few scenarios in which I would say that aspiring teachers should choose a level 5 certification. The UAE now requires it for visa purposes, so if Dubai or Abu Dhabi are on your list, definitely enroll onto the level 5 course.
Also, if you plan to teach within language centres in native English speaking countries, like the USA, Canada or UK, I would definitely recommend the level 5 course. Although not a requirement for visas, and this may even be your home country, the competition is high in these places as language centres are more sparse and there are many more teachers going for the same positions. It's also more common that the level 5 certification is a school requirement.
Why do you think learning a new language is important?
Although the local language is not required to secure employment abroad as a EFL/ESL teacher, knowing the local language will definitely help you out personally. You will enjoy your experience so much more by being able to interact with colleagues and even make new friends!
It's also polite and expected in some cultures to make an effort when in a restaurant or outing to try the local language.
Personally, before I go abroad, I will always learn the basics (hello, thank you..) and the sentence "I'm sorry, my ___ is not great!".
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel means immersing yourself in culture and experiencing the authenticity of the country - so take the bus trip to rural areas, go and try local cuisine and strike up conversations with locals! Don't make it all about work - this can easily happen as you will fall in love with your class and want the best for each and everyone of them.
Personally, I do feel that you need more than a week in countries to really enjoy yourself. For instance, if you are teaching in Thailand and would like to make a trip to, say, Laos. This is relatively inexpensive to do, and a second trip during the academic year (even a weekend) is a must! You will have the lay of the land already and be able to do things that you missed the first time.
Becky in the South of France
What qualities in program & host community relations are important to you? (And The TEFL Institute?)
Openness and honesty. We at the TEFL Institute are always upfront with our students on best places to travel and the right fit for them, as well as keeping up-to-date with current events of that host country. When aligning ourselves with programs, we look for alike in-country partners that have similar ethics. When maintaining our job assistance, we always strive to give the correct information and our honest opinions.
