Are You a Good Candidate for a Career in TESOL?

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As a culturally and ethnically diverse nation, the United States is home to over 60 million residents who do not speak English. While it generally doesn’t present any problems when communicating with friends or family members, not knowing English can make running errands and interacting with people outside of one’s inner circle a cumbersome chore. As such, it’s no surprise that English language instructors are in consistently high demand.

Anyone who’s passionate about language studies, teaching or helping others should consider pursuing a career in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). In addition to enviable job security, a TESOL degree will provide you with abundant opportunities to work with interesting people and enjoy the satisfaction that only comes with teaching. Anyone considering a career in teaching English to non-native speakers will be well-served by the following traits.  

A Passion for Teaching

Few jobs are as rewarding as teaching. Not only do teachers get to watch their efforts take shape in real-time, many of them make positive long-term impacts on their students’ lives. Although every subject is important, language is among the most crucial. To properly communicate with others and function in society, people must be able to speak and write coherently. Being unable to communicate severely limits one’s career opportunities and social options, ultimately leaving them alienated from society as a whole. If helping people hone their communication skills is a prospect that fills you with excitement, you should consider pursuing a master’s in TESOL online. After all, the best teachers are the ones with the most passion for their work.      

Patience and Understanding

Patience is a virtue for TESOL instructors. When dealing with students, it’s important to understand that everyone learns at their own pace. While some students are able to soak up language lessons like a sponge, others require more individual attention. Additionally, since older students tend to have less aptitude for learning new languages than younger ones, you’ll need to be particularly delicate when teaching adults. For many of the people you’ll be teaching, studying English represents a sizable undertaking, so the more patience you exhibit, the better.

Becoming frustrated with students and allowing problematic members of your class to fall behind is liable to sour them on the idea of studying English, potentially causing them to withdraw even further. Living in a country whose primary language eludes you can be scary and stressful, particularly for adults, and a good teacher will understand this.

A Desire to Help People

A passion for helping people is an absolute must for a TESOL instructor. Many of the students you’ll be teaching left everything behind to come to the U.S., and by helping them learn the country’s most commonly spoken language, you’ll be providing them with an invaluable service. Your efforts will make it easier for them to find gainful employment, form new relationships and navigate everyday life in their new country.    

A Willingness to Travel

Not all TESOL instructors work in English-speaking countries. In fact, a sizable percentage of them find steady employment in foreign nations, particularly China, Japan and Mexico. Multinational companies, language schools and government institutions are always on the hunt for English teachers who are willing to travel, so if you’ve been searching for a career that will take you abroad, you needn’t look any further than TESOL. Many long-time TESOL instructors have lived and worked in a variety of countries throughout their careers. In addition to providing them with ample opportunities to teach English, TESOL has enabled these individuals to expand their cultural horizons and become true citizens of the world.     

There are tens of millions of U.S. residents who are unable to speak English. This can make conversing with native English speakers unpleasant and anxiety-inducing, ultimately causing certain individuals to withdraw and limit interactions with people they don’t know. Given the complex and ever-changing nature of the English language, it’s not surprising that so many people are apprehensive about studying it. However, with the help of the right teacher, even the most language-challenged student can learn to speak English comfortably. If this sounds like a role you’d like to step into, a career in TESOL may be right up your alley.      

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