What is TEFL?

TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language and as the name suggests, it involves teaching English to those whose first language is not English. The demand for English speakers is at an all-time high, as well as the demand for English teachers and TEFL programs.

You may also come across alternative names such as TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), ELT (English Language Teaching), ESL (English as a Second Language) and others. There’s not a lot of difference between them all with TEFL being most commonly recognized.

In Spain, all employers request candidates to have an accredited TEFL certificate. At TtMadrid we have an excellent relationship with the top English language agencies in Madrid, who all recognize the quality of our course and prefer to hire our graduates.

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TEFL Certificate

A TEFL certificate is accepted by the majority of the academies around the world and demonstrates that you’ve covered all the material needed to teach English, not just being a fluent speaker. After just a short course you can get a profession for life or a means to earn money while traveling the world. Even if the job offer doesn’t specify a TEFL certification as a requirement, it is always noticed during the recruitment process and could be the distinguishing factor between you and another candidate. It is especially true for the TEFL certificates from the training centers with a proven reputation in the local Teaching English market like TtMadrid, when just having the name of the institution on your CV can open a lot of possibilities.

TEFL certification is often a minimum requirement (as well as a bachelor’s degree) for most English language teaching positions. Taking a Teaching English course allows you to work in language schools with childrem and adults, state schools, and in companies. Some teachers are on contracts, whilst others are self-employed and enjoy the freedom of setting up their own schedules. It can also be done online and therefore allows people to make money while working remotely!

TtMadrid’s TEFL course includes special classes that give you an edge on the teaching market, including teaching young learners and exam preparation.

What does a typical TEFL course include?

As mentioned before, there are quite a few different certification programs, but all of them cover certain requirements that will ensure trainee’s level of preparation at the time of entering the job market.

The TEFL certificate requires you to study the principles, theories and methodologies of teaching English to the non-native speakers and it can be taken in person, online, or hybrid (mix of both). It is always preferable to ensure that the course you choose includes in-person teaching practices observed by the trainers with the extensive experience in a field (make sure you take this into account when choosing the course). It is also important to look at the length of the course, as there are some that give only 40 hours, while most of the teaching positions will require a mínimum of 120 hours.

Interested in learning more about TEFL Accreditation?

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A good TEFL course will give you the following skills:

Teaching English Language
It’s not enough to be a native or fluent English speaker if you’re not able to explain its usage to the others (often to the people whose English level is limited to ordering a cup of coffee or asking for a bill). During the TEFL course you’ll be explained and demonstrated how to teach each of the five major elements of language learning: reading, writing, speaking, listening and pronunciation.
Teaching complete beginners
This might be one of the biggest challenges that you as an English teacher will have at the beginning. Simplifying complex English grammar for language learners of each level isn’t as easy, but during the course you get numerous examples on how to do it.
Lesson planning and building learning materials, based on it
Every language class is based on a specific plan with its objectives and tools. It is true, that with experience you won’t need to plan every single detail, but knowing how to do it and sticking to the plan will be a huge help during the first year as a teacher. This is especially true if you work for a language or state school, where lesson planning is required.
Classroom management
It’s almost certain that during your time in classes you’ve noticed how different students are and how sometimes even the most interesting questions can direct the conversation in a completely different topic. As a teacher you’ll learn how to manage students’ behavior during the class and how to be able to go back to your lesson plan and objectives at the same time creating a welcoming and safe learning environment.
Identify learning styles and student’s needs
This one might be one of the most important skills you’ll learn, as it caters directly to the student’s demands. Being able to identify the methods that’ll transfer the information best to one or another student is what makes for a great teacher. One of the biggest projects you’ll do at TtMadrid is dedicated specifically to this.

Besides that, as we’ve mentioned before, reputable programs will teach specialized teaching strategies for teachers to tailor their TEFL certification to their desired teaching position. This could include teaching kids, teaching business English, teaching online or doing the exam preparation with your students.

You can check this page to get more detailed information on all the segments of the TtMadrid’s TEFL course.