We are living in evolving, changing times. It’s a time to look forward to new possibilities and different ways of doing things. COVID-19 has challenged many of us in many ways and we hope that we can all embrace the new normality.
Through our 100% online Trinity CertTESOL courses we can harness the best in digital technology, video conferencing software and learning management systems to make teaching and training to teach languages online a vibrant and fulfilling experience. Beyond the CertTESOL courses we are at the very centre of the TEFL Development Hub where we use online spaces to connect teachers, share insights and best practice and develop our community in these times of COVID-19 and beyond. All graduates from our courses will have access to the Hub, as well as the personalised careers advice and support. All of our courses, whether online or face-to-face here in Cádiz, will harness the best of technology to remain up-to-date with new developments and continue to provide the best experience for learners and teachers alike, no matter where you are.
Here’s a selection of questions we’ve been asked recently. I hope they help you and that we meet on our 100% online Trinity CertTESOL course soon.
What is happening in TEFL overseas?
Teaching English (outside English-speaking countries) is continuing across the world despite the challenges. Language schools, like so many other educational organisations, have adapted to the new conditions in three key ways: some teachers are teaching behind a mask in socially-distanced physical classrooms, some are working 100% online and others are working in hybrid environments with some students in the room and others joining with video-conferencing software. In addition to this there are growing numbers of online language schools opening up and new business is, in some cases, booming.
Compared to many professions and industries, we are very fortunate in that we can continue to work, technology has enabled us. There is also a continued and enormous appetite among our students to learn and many of them have also adapted to the new conditions. People throughout the world are continuing to learn English, increasingly using online and digital tools and teachers are still in high demand. Now is, in many ways, a very good time to work as an English teacher.
Can I still do a CertTESOL course?
The short answer is yes, absolutely. The Trinity CertTESOL and other courses are running smoothly across the world.
However, at the same time, governments the world over are responding to the ebbs and flows of the pandemic by limiting travel, restricting how many people can gather and changing working hours, all of which put limitations on how TEFL courses and English classes are run.
Some courses are running face-to-face, most are not. For us at Active Language, it would feel wrong to encourage international travel during a pandemic and so all of our CertTESOL courses are currently online. The quality of the qualification is exactly the same and for many the course has become more affordable as they can do it from the comfort of their own home. You can find details of our online CertTESOL courses here. Perhaps now is an ideal time to enrol on a course.
But will I find work if I get qualified now?
Again, the answer is yes. And there are a variety of options opening up.
Traditional bricks-and-mortar private language schools are advertising for teachers when they need and we are frequently contacted by schools all over the world looking for teachers, including locally in Spain and Andalucía and even in Cádiz too. Demand was down at the beginning of the academic year but people are slowly moving back into after-school or after-work English classes and so there is a gently growing demand for English teachers. It is possible to find work in a language school, it’s often a case of being persistent and being in the right place at the right time.
And there is a growing market place in online language learning provision and the possibilities are many and varied. From enormous online schools teaching hundreds and thousands of students to individual teachers offering classes online, there is something for everyone. That said, the market is largely unregulated and is something of a jungle with rates of pay offered and terms and conditions for teachers and indeed students varying hugely. Most people appreciate help navigating this landscape and our careers service is for just that, to help, guide and advise you.
The global economy seems to be in something of a melt-down. Is now a good time to take a CertTESOL course?
Now is a great time to get qualified. We need to remember that pre-COVID-19, demand for English teachers was climbing all the time and now with online teaching taking off in such a way, it’s at record levels.
Education and training, including language learning, is often regarded as being recession-proof as people invest during economic downturns to make sure that they are well-placed as things pick up. We should also add that many parents are adamant that their children will not lose out and fall behind in their studies. So many people want to carry on learning languages and progressing through the levels, arguably now more than ever.
We should look at things on an individual and human level. Perhaps the pandemic has stopped your previous plans in their tracks or you are furloughed or without work and weighing up your options. Perhaps you are thinking of venturing overseas whenever things look a bit different or it might be part of an alternative plan for a few years down the line. The Trinity CertTESOL qualification you get now is valid forever and you can use it to work online or in classrooms all over the world as soon as you graduate or at any time in the future.
However you look at it, now is a great time to take your CertTESOL.
