Perhaps you are at career crossroads, and you are looking for a

more fulfilling and interesting way to utilize your skills. If

you are interested in teaching and traveling to exciting and

interesting destinations, then you might want to consider

teaching English as a foreign language abroad. English is the

most commonly spoken language in the world today, and desire of

those in other countries to learn the English language is

growing at a steady rate. Therefore, there is a demand for

bright and motivated individuals to teach conversational and

written English to those abroad, both young and old.

The benefits of teaching English as a foreign language in

another country are numerous. Not only are you providing a

service to those who desire it, but you will benefit from those

you teach as well. In choosing to teach the English language in

one of several locales such as Southeast Asia, South America,

Western Europe, and the Middle East, you will learn about new

cultures and traditions. You will have the opportunity to

shatter stereotypes regarding our own American culture. You

will have the opportunity to do a large amount of traveling to

neighboring nations. You will become self-reliant and

self-assured on your journeys, and you will certainly make many

new friends.

Teaching English as a foreign language can have many benefits

for your career as well. Your exposure to new surroundings and

your experience teaching will garner you excellent

communication skills. You might find that your prior work

experience coupled with your new teaching venture will provide

you with a considerable amount of career options when you have

completed your teaching duties. You will have opportunities to

change your life and career on a global scale.

Because the demand for instructors to teach the English

language abroad has increased, so has the demand for more

qualified individuals to apply. Language schools are highly

discriminating when it comes to hiring new instructors. That is

why it is important to get your certification in TEFL/TESOL

(Teaching English as a foreign language/Teaching English as a

second language) if you intend to apply for a position with a

language school. Certification demonstrates to potential

employers that you are serious in taking on this challenging

new career. Certification can be achieved by taking courses at

a number of campuses nationwide, and there are even

certification course programs available online. Receiving your

certification for teaching English as a foreign language will

certainly prepare you to be a more effective and successful

teacher by instructing you on how to teach grammar, how to

teach vocabulary, how to teach speaking, how to teach writing,

how to motivate your students, how to manage a classroom, and

how to construct lesson plans. Receiving your certification

will also better prepare you for a move abroad, which can be

daunting and stressful. Having the peace of mind in knowing

that you are fully qualified to perform your new job will help

to alleviate some of the stress in throwing yourself into an

entirely new country and culture.

Teaching the English language to students in foreign nations

can be exciting, fulfilling, and highly enjoyable. It is a

mutually beneficial experience for you and your students. Not

only are you representing your own country and culture, and

imparting your personal knowledge of the English language and

your culture onto others, but you are also learning about other

individuals and their various experiences and traditions. While

broadening your mind and experiencing something totally unique,

you are also embarking on an exciting new career, one that has

the opportunity to open many new doors for you professionally.