Yes, you can start a new career teaching English abroad without any form of teaching experience. Due to a huge demand for English language teachers in countries all over the world, tens of thousands of English speakers head overseas every year to work in a variety of different classrooms. Of this number, approximately 90% will have never worked in any kind of teaching role before.
How do I teach English without knowing my student's language?
Wherever you find yourself living and working as an English language teacher, you will most likely teach your students using a method known as total immersion, whereby no other language is used in the classroom besides English. As most learners are not in a position to move to an English speaking country in order to be surrounded by the language, it is the teacher's job to bring this immersion to the student in the classroom.
How will a TEFL certificate help me in the classroom?
Although experience is not necessary, it is not the case that simply being an English speaker qualifies you to become a language teacher. To be successful in the classroom, a teacher needs to possess a range of specific skills and knowledge that need to be learnt and practiced. By completing a high-quality TEFL/TESOL certification course before you start your first teaching job, you will gain all the specialist skills you need, such as lesson planning, grammar awareness and classroom management. Once TEFL certified, you will be able to confidently apply for a wide range of jobs in countries all over the world.
