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Because England is a native English speaking country, there is a significantly smaller demand for English teachers in this country than in other European countries. As a result, the competition for these jobs is fairly fierce in the UK. However, if you are really serious about obtaining one of these positions, it is definitely feasible to do so. What qualifications do I need? In order to be eligible to teach English in the UK, you need to have official TEFL certification. You need to have at least 120 hours of TEFL training to be qualified for a teacher position. To have the best chance of actually obtaining work, you should be a native English speaker with an official TEFL certificate. In many cases, you need to go through a TEFL/TESOL course and earn an official certificate. Many employers will specifically requires this; the certification is internationally accredited. There are many different course programs to choose from; you can opt for classroom learning or take online courses. When are the most opportunities available, and what are these opportunities? Generally speaking, there are more foreign visitors in England during the summer months. As a result, there is a significant increase in the demand for English teachers during this time. There are many different ways that you can teach English in the UK, if this is what you would like to do. If you have a hard time finding a formal job in the UK, it is likely that you can actually get business by simply advertising locally and finding your own group of students to teach as a freelancer. Otherwise you can find English jobs in the UK on many websites. There are also positions where you would be able to teach English as a second language to Asian students online, using specialized software. Another option is referred to as one to one teaching, where you would be able to host and teach French students in their vacation homes. There are even positions where you can volunteer; you can teach English to refugees in London. There are also jobs where you would specifically be focusing on teaching elementary school children. A simple opportunity for many would involve simply working from home. In this case, language trainers would prepare and provide lessons for students, as well as assign homework and provide informal grades. What kind of work will the traditional classroom teachers be doing? The students that you'd be working with will, on average, be between the ages of 10 and 16. The students will be of many different nationalities, and there will be adults who opt to take the class as well. Many students will only be there for one or two weeks, as students tend to visit the UK and take these language lessons during holidays from school. Most of the time, if you end up working for a private institution, you will be teaching three hours of classes every morning. There will also be day trips in the afternoons, and teachers are sometimes asked to chaperone students on these day trips. When they do this, they are paid at a slightly lower rate for this time than they are for their teaching. Are there any visa requirements? If you live in the UK, you do not need any sort of visa to teach in the UK. Some of your students, as well as other teachers from other countries, will need visas. Where can I look for more information on teaching? Positions in UK private language schools appear in periodicals very often. For example, advertisements appear every week in the UK Guardian on Tuesdays and the Times Educational Supplement on Fridays. TESOL websites also frequently contain advertisements. Also, you can try looking through your phone book for schools that you can contact. Even if you opt to work as a freelancer, you could potentially use school classrooms for space. There are several employers in the UK that have open summer schools and hire English teachers. These include Plus English Schools and Courses, OISE Language Coaching, and SUL Language Schools. What are some things I can do to increase my chances of being offered a position? In addition to your official certification, most employers in the UK will require that you have a degree in English or teaching. Your resume should also specifically emphasize any teaching experience you have, as this is the most relevant experience for the type of job you are pursuing. Also, also highlight any experience with children that you have or experience with finance and business. Hi I'm Vickie Talsma and I'm a travel-addict turned English teacher and social marketing maven. I teach in the UK and enjoys sharing tips & tricks to follow in a similar teaching - traveling lifestyle. Learn more about how to teach English in the UK.
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