Becoming an ESL Teacher

You are probably connected to someone in the field of English language teaching. As English becomes more and more popular because business and education is now intertwined with many other countries, the demand for English teachers continues to grow year by year both locally and abroad.

Although English teaching is often seen as a rite of passage for new university grads who still are not sure as to what direction to take or how they will pay off their debt, there are many other reasons for English speakers to get involved in this ever growing industry.

Our graduates have taken the program to:

• gain valuable experience before going to Teacher’s College
• travel and really understand a culture, not just stay at a resort with other foreigners
• relocate for a loved one or for the love of a particular country
• do something productive during a gap year or retirement
• give back to our community
• work during summer months
• begin a new, flexible and rewarding career

As the demand for English teachers increases, the industry has created standards for schools, accreditation bodies and teachers to follow. This is to assure that both the employer and employee have a good idea as to what is expected.

National and international standards require that English teachers have 100 hours of training in addition to a 20 hour practicum; which includes observation and actual teaching. Teachers who are certified with less than these hours will have a hard time finding employment locally and overseas.

Although there will always be some schools who will hire anyone who can speak English; put yourself in the shoes of your future students and think of how you would feel if you had an unqualified language teacher whom you were paying hundreds of dollars to each week.

Getting properly certified is not only important when applying for jobs, but even more important to keep your job!

International House Toronto and Calgary

Following in the footsteps of the International House World Organization, International House Toronto and Calgary provides teacher training for people of various backgrounds and goals. We are also able to guide all of our potential students to the correct program and after graduation, to the right job.

Because International House in Toronto and Calgary are predominant ESL schools, TESL and TESOL students are constantly immersed with ESL learners throughout the day to give a real sense of what it is like in a school that teaches English as a second language.

Because our qualified and experienced staff knows just how broad the ESL and EFL industry is, we are able to provide you with one to one employment assistance any time after graduation.

Having connections with over 150 schools worldwide and by graduating from an institution that shaped the English Teacher Training world makes finding employment very easy!