TEFL CAREER

DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

READ ABOUT WAYS TO PROGRESS YOUR CAREER

AND REACH YOUR FULL POTENTIAL
Find out what opportunities are out there, which
roles you're suited to, and how to get where you
want to be.

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MANAGEMENT ROLES
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Management Roles

Non-Teaching Roles

Professional Development

Professional Organisations

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Senior Teacher

Assistant Director of Studies

Director of Studies (DOS)

Head of Department

One of the most obvious career options is to progress up the management chain.
This is generally as follows:

T HE
AR

TEFL
TEACHER

WELCOME TO THE GUIDE TO TEFL CAREER DEVELOPMENT

OTIO
OM

SENIOR
TEACHER

PR

Specialist Teacher Roles

RE

Introduction

ST

CONTENTS

TEFL Career Development Guide

It is estimated that over 1 billion people are currently learning English worldwide
so you can understand why Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) is
such a growing industry.

PR

ASSISTANT

DIRECTOR
OF STUDIES

OTIO
M
O

This guide sets out the main opportunities ahead, and provides some pointers to
help with your professional development.

OTIO
M
O

Regardless of the path you choose, it is worth investing in your own professional
development. Gaining extra skills makes you more valuable and employable and
will also help you to teach more effectively.

PR

Many people have an amazing experience teaching and travelling for a year or
two, before returning to the UK. For others however, TEFL is a career that lasts a
lifetime.

DIRECTOR
OF STUDIES

To take on a management role, you will normally need to:

Have a CELTA (Certificate in Language Teaching to Adults) qualification
At least 3 years experience in TEFL
Have suitable skills for the specific post.
For some roles, you are likely to need a DELTA (Diploma in Language Teaching
to Adults) level qualification.

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SENIOR TEACHER
A senior teacher is an experienced and motivated member of staff. In
a large school, a senior teacher may work within a particular level (eg
as the senior teacher for advanced level classes). In a small school, the
senior teacher may be a resource to assist all teachers.
This is usually an unpaid title, though some schools will pay an extra
bonus to senior teachers.
TYPICAL DUTIES INCLUDE:

Lesson planning
Classroom management
Problems with materials or students
Workshops and professional development.

THIS ROLE COULD BE FOR YOU, IF YOU:

Want to build up your experience

Have excellent teaching skills
Can incorporate your extra duties into your daily routine, alongside
full-time teaching.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF STUDIES

The Assistant Director of Studies (ADoS) usually teaches three or four
days a week and has one or two days for administrative duties assigned
by the Director of Studies. They fill in when the DoS is absent.
TYPICAL DUTIES INCLUDE:

Teaching
Curriculum design
Timetabling
Administrative duties, such as writing attendance warning letters
and photocopying materials.

DIRECTOR OF STUDIES (DOS)

The Director of Studies (DoS) is the head of the academic team. The
position provides a direct link between the business and the academic
sides of the school.
TYPICAL DUTIES INCLUDE:

Recruiting, observing and aiding new teachers

Testing, interviewing and orientation of new students
Room allocation and teacher timetabling
Supervision of all new courses and programmes
Choosing materials and resources
Attending or running school meetings
Academic budgeting
Arranging relief teachers and, occasionally, teaching.

The DoS position is a non-teaching role yet, ironically, most people in

this role are excellent teachers.
THIS ROLE COULD BE FOR YOU, IF YOU:

Are extremely organised

Have excellent people skills (including diplomacy!)
Are very versatile and flexible, as you are likely to move between
many different aspects of the role within a single day.

HEAD OF DEPARTMENT
In addition to the roles outlined above, some schools appoint a Head of
Department. This is essentially a mini-DoS role, focussing on a specific area,
such as exam courses or training courses.
The Head of Department will manage the needs of their particular department,
usually reporting to the DoS.

THIS ROLE COULD BE FOR YOU, IF YOU:

Very organised
Able to slip easily between your roles as a teacher and
administrator.
4

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TEFL Career Development Guide

NON-TEACHING ROLES
The wonderful world of TEFL is not just about teaching. There are many roles that
require an English language teacher expert in other capacities.
Once you have taught for several years and have experience, knowledge and
insight then you can consider non-teaching roles, such as those set out below.
EXAMINER
Becoming an examiner is an excellent way of adding an extra string to your bow,
as well being a great means of supplementing a teaching salary.
You can be an examiner for a range of different courses, such as IELTS (the
International English Testing System), Cambridge ESOL (English for Speakers of
Other Languages) and Trinity College. Most examiners enjoy the variety examining
brings to their teaching schedules, so this can be a great opportunity.
To become an examiner, you will usually need to go through examiner training
plus have at least three years experience of TEFL.

SPECIALIST TEACHER ROLES

CONFERENCE SPEAKER

Another method of progressing in your career is to become a specialist teacher.

This means dedicating time and effort into becoming an expert in a particular
area.

TEFL conferences are the perfect place to network with fellow professionals
and can provide valuable insight into career options that you may not have
considered.

Specialist teachers are often in great demand for teaching courses. In addition,
specialising can open doors into writing and teacher training.

Giving a conference talk is an excellent way of gaining confidence and

professional respect, as well as creating further experience to add to your CV.

SOME OF THE MAIN AREAS IN WHICH TEACHERS SPECIALISE ARE:

Once you have gained some TEFL experience, try attending a conference and
consider what you could offer as a speaker. Key conferences include: IATEFL
International Conference and Exhibition, the IATEL BESIG Annual Conference and
the TESOL International Convention.

Academic writing
Young learners
Business English
Online English
Pronunciation
Accent reduction
Exam preparation classes
English as an International language
English for communication purposes.

THIS COULD BE FOR YOU IF YOU:

MATERIAL WRITER
Many TEFL teachers decide to write material, after a few years of teaching. This
can be as simple as creating lessons or courses for your school or as ambitious
as writing your own TEFL book.
Once you have the knowledge and experience all you need is the time to commit
to it. You can even advertise your skills internationally.

Have a particular interest in an area of teaching

Want to focus on developing as a teacher rather than as a manager.
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TEFL Career Development Guide

ATTEND CONFERENCES

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Regardless of your preferred career path, it is always worth looking out for
opportunities for professional development. Experienced teachers are often
paid more and schools tend to look for teachers who can handle most, if not all,
teaching situations. Gaining extra skills makes you more valuable and employable
as your career continues.
Once you have completed your teaching course, it is up to you to further your
skills and abilities. Creating a professional development plan can be a good way
to focus your planning, monitor your progress and stay motivated. It is useful to
think about both short and long term aims, and then set out specific steps that you
will take, plus timescales.
Additional training and qualifications can often be a useful way to move forward.
For example, you could consider IELTS training, or taking a DELTA. However, you
wont necessarily need to take another course in order to progress. Here are some
other ideas to help develop your career.

TAKE ADVANTAGES OF OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH YOUR SCHOOL

Inform your Director that you are keen to participate in professional development
and discuss the opportunities that are available. These may include observing
a more experienced teacher, delivering a lesson with another teacher and / or
consulting a senior teacher about your lesson plans and materials.

Conferences are an excellent way of learning about new ideas and networking
with experts. Find out if there are any conferences run near you and ask to attend
them. Alternatively, combine a conference with a holiday in a new part of the
world.

WRITE BOOK REVIEWS AND JOURNAL ARTICLES

Many TEFL journals ask for contributions from readers in the form of book reviews.
Volunteer your time to do this.

SHARE IDEAS
You can share ideas with teachers in your own school or go online to access
multiple TEFL forums across the world. For example, get the teachers together to
share ideas on topics such as successful warm-ups, the best way to teach a certain
grammar point, or the most successful lesson they have taught that month.

Finally, remember that your ideas and experience can also be of benefit to
other teachers: offer to run a workshop on something you learnt while you were
studying or whilst attending a conference. Your colleagues will appreciate it
and it will contribute to a respectful and professional workplace.

BE A GOOD EMPLOYEE
Teachers who go out of their way to help their colleagues and / or school do get
noticed and can be rewarded with additional responsibilities. Make sure you keep
good records of lesson plans and registers, be punctual to meetings and events,
share ideas and materials and attend extra-curricular staff functions.

ASK YOUR SCHOOL TO DELIVER WORKSHOPS

If they already do then make sure you attend as many as possible. You could
also explore opportunities to have joint workshops with teachers from other
neighbouring schools.
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ONLINE TEFL COURSE

PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATIONS
Joining a professional association can be a great way of keeping up to date with
new developments and ideas within the world of TEFL, and help you to create new
contacts.
There are numerous professional organisations. Some require a monthly or yearly
subscription so shop around and see which one is best for you. A few you might
want to consider are:
IATEFL

TESOL

IATEFL stands for the International

Association for Teachers of English
as a Foreign Language and is one of
the most thriving communities of EFL
teachers in the world. Their mission is
to link, develop and support teachers
worldwide. www.iatefl.org

TESOL stands for Teachers of English to

Speakers of Other Languages and is a
US based global education association.
Its mission is to ensure excellence in
English language teaching to speakers
of other languages. www.tesol.org

Our online TEFL training course is everything you need to start your adventure
abroad! With international accreditation and our access to valuable TEFL contacts
across the globe, youll be on your way to earning and living abroad before you
know it.

ELTECS
ELTeCS stands for English Language Teaching Contacts Scheme. Its website
connects a global network of over 15,000 professionals who share experiences,
collaborate on projects and try out ideas. www.teachingenglish.org.uk/eltecs

TEFL INTERNSHIPS
TEFL internships are a way to gain unique teaching experience whilst immersing
yourself within an extraordinary new culture.
Youll be fully TEFL trained before you venture to your host country where youll
be supported as you teach English to local students. With in-country orientations
and fantastic opportunities for exploring, these programmes are the perfect teach
and travel experience.

CAMBODIA

THAILAND

S. AFRICA

COLOMBIA
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How to teach young learners,

teenagers, adults and one-to-one

Reading and writing instruction

Full grammar training

Lesson plan guidance

Evaluation and examination

Using technology and multimedia in

the classroom

Teaching pronunciation, vocabulary

and listening skills

The International Phonetic Alphabet

(IPA)

Finding a job, how to structure your

TEFL CV/resume and advice about
finding employment

Activities and resources to use in the

classroom

Detailed feedback and support from a

personal tutor

5 REASONS TO CHOOSE THIS COURSE

WE CURRENTLY HAVE SOME AMAZING PROGRAMMES IN:

CHINA

The essential requirement for TEFL work abroad

Accessible from desktop, mobile and tablets

Study from anywhere in the world

Full support from your dedicated tutor

Your ticket to thousands of jobs worldwide

11

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