TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language and refers to teaching English to students whose first language is not English. It usually happens in the student’s own country, either within the school system, or privately, e.g., in an evening class or with a tutor.

Anyone. Once you can speak English, you can teach English. In fact, it doesn’t even need to be your first language, as long as you have a good level of English and feel confident and comfortable enough to teach it,  you can! You don’t even need previous experience or any other degrees or qualifications. However, it is recommended to complete a TEFL course in order to secure the best TEFL job that you can. Find out more about the different types of TEFL courses here.

Nope. The only requirements needed to complete a TEFL course is enthusiasm, a willingness to learn and an open mind. Oh, and of course, the ability to speak English. But don't worry, English does not need to be your first language in order for you to teach it. However, if you feel like you would like to brush up on your English before taking a TEFL course, we recommend a Cambridge CAE (Certificate in Advanced English) qualification or equivalent.

In a word - Yes. It is possible to attain a job as an English teacher without having completed a TEFL course. However, in order to get the best job possible with the best pay, it is recommended to have a TEFL qualification. By completing a TEFL course, you will ensure that you have prepared yourself for all teaching situations and will open yourself up to a whole lot more possibilities.

No. In fact, while within the classroom, it is encouraged that you do not speak any of the local language as the aim is to immerse your students in an English-speaking environment. And don't worry about not being able to communicate with your fellow colleagues as it is more than likely that you will be working in a language school or institute surrounded by many other English speakers.

Of course, it's fine to say you won't need to understand the native language while in school, but what about outside of school hours? Well, sure, it would be useful to be able to ask for something in the local shop or market or to order a meal but don't worry, in time, you will begin to pick up local phrases and words, just as you would when visiting any foreign country. Before you know it, you'll be a fluent speaker of the native language just as your students will be fluent in English!

TEFL?! TESL?! TESOL?! There's an awful lot of acronyms in the world of TEFL but, basically, they all mean the same thing!

As mentioned before, TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language and usually refers to the teaching of English in countries where English is not the native language.

TESL stands for Teaching English as a Second Language and refers to teaching English to a non-english speaker in an English speaking country, for example, a Japanese student studying English in Ireland. Similiar to this is TESOL, which stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. However, this term is more commonly used in the US, Canada and Australasia.

Although slightly different, basically, all these terms refer to the same thing. Whether a job requires a TEFL qualification or a TESL/TESOL qualification, you will be able to cover all three with any one of these courses.

CELTA stands for Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults. This is an internationally recognized residential course which is designed for people who want to make a full career out of Teaching English as oppose to a TEFL course which is designed for people who want to teach for a shorter period of time such as a year or two.

CELTA courses can be completed as an intensive full time course that last approx 4-5 weeks or as a part time 12 week course over a few months or a year. These courses provide much more indepth training and a more prestigious qualification than a TEFL course and therefore are a lot more expensive - a typical CELTA course usually costs in and around €1500.