Volunteer Advisor preparing you to volunteer with a guide on TEFL courses

TEFL Courses and teaching English abroad

There are a large number of volunteer projects around the world which include or focus on teaching English as a foreign language to children, and sometimes adults, in areas of the world where thye do not ordinarily have access to such language tuition. As a global language, English is seen as an important part of helping impoverished communities and locations develop and improve. If you are going to be an English teacher abroad then, unless this is only a very insignificant part of your volunteer project, you will most likely be expected to undertake a TEFL course of a specified duration and/or level before you are able to take up your volunteer placement. Such courses are often, but not always, part of the whole volunteer package you sign up for, and are usually very enjoyable to do. Besides which, a TEFL qualification or skill can open up avenues of work and travel that you may be very happy to explore.

Which TEFL course?

A TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course is an invaluable tool which can give you lots of ideas about teaching methods and how to teachh different audiences and keep them interested. There are a variety of TEFL courses of different lengths and which give different qualifications. Ultimately you will have to decide which is most relevant to you, your plans as a volunteer, and any plans you may have for the future in terms of teaching English. If it is something that interests you as a career then a full TEFL certification is certainly something you should ultimately aim towards. If you are just intending to teach English as a volunteer for the short term then a shorter TEFL course geared towards that purpose would be far more relevant.

Short TEFL Courses

i-to-i are an established provider of both online and weekend TEFL courses and their courses are certainly worth looking at, especially if you are considering undertaking a volunteer placement with them. They run courses of different lengths depending on what exactly you are intending to do with the qualification. They do not only offer unpaid and important volunteer work as an English teacher abroad, but also list a good number of locations where you may be able to earn a salary by teaching English as a foreign language. This is perfect for exploring some of the more exotic and interesting parts of the world whilst working at the same time.

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