Chapter 3: Examining Courses, Qualifications and Jobs 35
more planning, otherwise you’ll find yourself dependent on dodgy operators
who run courses with poor facilities and ridiculously low pay. Find out too if
the schools there have a strong preference for one qualification over another.
Becoming a qualifi ed teacher
A fully qualified EFL teacher is someone who has a diploma in TEFL and has at
least two years’ full-time experience in teaching EFL.
The best-known diplomas are the Cambridge DELTA (Diploma in English
Language Teaching to Adults) and Trinity DipTESOL (Diploma in Teaching
English to Speakers of Other Languages). You may also have a master’s
degree in ELT or a similar field (such as Applied Linguistics) in addition to
teaching experience.
These qualifications are for people who want to make progress in their career
and apply for managerial positions such as Director of Studies. You need a
qualification like this if you’re interested in training roles too. The good news
is that all these positions attract higher pay and even if you’re teaching the
same courses as your less qualified colleagues, you’re likely to have a better
hourly rate than them.
Diploma and master’s-level courses are not for the faint hearted. You need to get
thorough experience in TEFL before considering a qualification at this level.
Getting on Course
After you decide that some form of training is in order, you need to find the
right course.
Doing a training course abroad may be cheaper than doing one at home.
Entering introductory courses
Various organisations offer weekend courses of about 20 hours that introduce
you to TEFL. Courses aren’t accredited by any of the best-known bodies, so
word of mouth is an important indicator of quality.
Even though the certificate may have an accreditation stamp, it may be from
an organisation most employers haven’t heard of. So it’s worth finding out
about the tutors’ qualifications and experience and of what the course con-
sists before parting with your cash.
