The Benefits of a TEFL Qualification in the Classroom
Six years ago, I began my journey travelling through South East Asia. At this point in my life, I had become disillusioned with my previous career, desperate for a change, desperate to move into something fulfilling, meaningful. What about teaching? my family and friends seemed to say on repeat. It was a compelling thought, but daunting. How would I even start? How would I have the confidence to walk into a classroom full of expectant children, ready to deliver a meaningful lesson? These questions plagued me as I began my travels. The key worry that kept revealing itself was ‘confidence’, or lack thereof.
After some discussion with other travellers, I was introduced to the prospect of a TEFL course. This was something I had deliberated, but never put any serious thought into it. However, given more space to think, I realised this was the perfect opportunity to dip my toes in, even just to get a feel of teaching culture. So, I found a course and, little did I know at the time, this would be my introduction into a prolonged career in education.
How does a TEFL qualification help in the classroom?
It gives you more confidence
As I said before, the word ‘confidence’ never strayed far from my mind when considering a career in education. For potential educators with limited experience in the classroom, a TEFL course provides a solid introduction to the fundamentals of teaching. Online TEFL courses cover the basics of teaching English, breaking down the language in a very specific and thorough manner. Such an understanding will help establish and define your pedagogy.
Classroom TEFL courses provide the opportunity to see what teaching is really like. After all, with teaching, the learning really takes place in the classroom, through practical experience. From my own experience, the opportunity to simply be present in a classroom full of students, being able to immerse myself in the environment, was the perfect starting point. From this, I gained valuable experience that I was able to draw from once given my first class later on down the road.
It provides a broader perspective of language development
Being open-minded and adaptable are key skills which all teachers should have in their arsenal. When given my first class, I was a new teacher at a multicultural, iverse school. Some children spoke English as a second language, while others could not speak English at all. The prospect of having my own class, or teaching at all, was intimidating enough as a student-teacher, let alone having to prepare for such language barriers. Fortunately, I was able to recall the experience I had gained from my TEFL course. My knowledge of language development allowed me to provide for those ESL children in the most appropriate way. And these tools were not only useful for ESL children. Having a deeper understanding of language development prepared me to help those who faced barriers in their learning caused by a potential delay.
It helps you with phonology
As someone who has taught a range of ages, from 4 to 12, the importance of phonology cannot be understated. I witnessed how phonics lessons such as Read Write Inc. could provide children with a solid grasp of language at a young age, reinforcing their understanding as they climb the academic ladder. With a TEFL course, you are introduced to phonology and the role it plays with language teaching. Phonetics and accents are vital for English language learners to understand, otherwise, despite an understanding of vocabulary and grammar, they still may find themselves misunderstood. Teaching phonology is a useful skill which can be transferred over to the classroom, whether it is for language learners, or not.
It allows you to compare classrooms across the world
Obtaining a wider perspective of different cultures and curricula will only be beneficial for your pedagogy and identity as a teacher. From my experience, being able to compare and transfer techniques I witnessed in different schools across the world, whether TEFL or otherwise, gave me access to a bigger picture of the educational sphere. Curricula and teaching methods are extremely different in Singapore, for example, compared with the UK. I found awareness of these differences to be an interesting dimension that I could introduce to any teaching team, as we could then approach complex problems from alternative angles. Ultimately, a TEFL qualification proved to be the perfect introduction into the world of teaching. Not only did it provide me with the confidence that I sought before diving into unknown waters, but it gave me a deeper understanding of techniques that I could apply in the future, when faced with my very own class. For anyone looking to get a jump-start on establishing their pedagogy, while also gaining an insight on different cultures and teaching styles, seek out a TEFL course and expand those horizons. After all, once you have it, it’s there for life.
