Teaching+English+as+a+Second+Language

//**TESL **//

First of all, TESL has many different acronyms associated with it, such as:

 * ESL--English as a Second Language
 * EFL--English as a Foreign Language
 * TEFL--Teaching English as a Foreign Language
 * TESOL--Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
 * TESL--Teaching English as a Second Language, which usually refers to when students come to learn the language in a country where English is the main language.
 * ELT--English Language Training

All of these, basically, mean the same thing:
//learning or teaching the language of English when the student's first language isn't English.// This teaching or learning can occur anywhere in the world--for example, with the right credentials I could teach both in the US and in other countries.

What qualifications does one need to be able to teach ESL?
Actually, qualifications for teaching English vary around the world. To teach ESL in the, you must:
 * take a Master of Arts (MA) in TESL;
 * have at least a Bachelor's degree in education (some states require that you have a higher degree);
 * and if one wants to specifically teach adults, some states require that one has a certification to do so, along with an MA in TESL as mentioned above.

Where can one acquire a background in teaching ESL?
The first is the Trinity College of London, which provides the Trinity CertTESOL (Certificate in TESOL). The website for this school can be found here: []

Before you panic and think that this course is only offered in London, England, rest assured that this is world-renowned and therefore offered all over the world.

A PDF leaflet from Trinity on choosing your first TESL course can be found here: http://www.trinitycollege.co.uk/resource/?id=3388

Another way to get a background needed to teach is by taking the Cambridge CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) course. This course provides much of the same education as the Trinity CertTESOL program, although this five-week course aims more at teaching adults the art of the English language.

The JET Program:
While an ESL teacher can choose wherever in the world to teach (at least, wherever they can apply for a job), the place where I would want to go to the most would be Japan. The JET Program is one of the largest teaching programs in the world, and offers a unique experience by bringing applicants to live in Japan to become Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs).

JET Application Requirements:
Applicants must:
 * 1) have a Bachelor's degree.
 * 2) be a citizen of the country where recruitment takes place.
 * 3) have an outstanding understanding of the language they will applying to teach.
 * 4) be interested in Japan.
 * 5) be under 40 years old.
 * 6) "have not lived in Japan for 6 or more years after 2000, nor be a former participant in the [program] after 2007."
 * 7) be a language teacher or be very interested in teaching a language.

Application process:

 * 1) At least one year before it is scheduled for chosen applicants to depart for Japan, submit an application.
 * 2) The applicant is interviewed, and is either accepted, rejected, or chosen to be an alternate.
 * 3) The applicant must then fill out a few health forms before they travel to Japan.

Something that would be useful for an applicant to know would be some useful teaching techniques.

Blogs and Useful Tips for Teaching:
I have found several blogs which relate to either teaching or, specifically, TESL.


 * [|__http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/__] // “Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL...” -- //The websites given here by Larry Ferlazzo are useful for both TESL and general teaching.


 * [|__http://tesolatrennertnyc.wordpress.com/__] // “Triumphs, trials, and tips from the perspective of a teacher trainer and her colleagues” //-- This blog gives useful tips for teachers of ESL in ways to conduct classes.
 * **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|__http://lunainternational.blogspot.com/__] **//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> “Luna students’ room” -- //This blog is run by several people and gives many tips for how to teach English to younger people.

My quick video on TESL.

Here are word clouds that I created to illustrate my particular interests in this subject, using my notes: