I have been working in France for three years now, currently as an English Language assistant teacher or lectrice at a University in France and previously as an English Language Assistant at a Secondary School, helping students prepare for their oral English Baccalaureate. My work consists mainly of preparing and delivering oral lessons and exams but also this year helping students with writing their CVS and applications in English.

I completed the English Language Centre TEFL diploma in 2012 after gratefully receiving a partial scholarship and after finishing my English degree in Scotland. I have always had a very keen interest in how the English language works and learning about other cultures and languages (I was brought up bilingual). I feel that learning other languages helps us understand our own language better, especially with French, arguably a language close to our own. By living and working in another country, we are able to achieve this more easily.

I originally applied for the course when I found out I would be possibly going to France to teach English through the British Council's Language Assistant Scheme. This is something I always dreamed of doing but I knew I would be teaching a wide range of young adult students from all levels of English and personally felt the need to have a thorough understanding of the TEFL world and teaching strategies to feel confident in the classroom (though not necessary) and to be able to continue teaching English longer in France past the language assistantship. This is what attracted me to the English Language Centre's Diploma: the variety of the course content and the amount of detail it provided. I also found many other courses to be too expensive at a time of high graduate unemployment and was thrilled to see that the English Language Centre offered scholarships. I then applied for the programme and scholarship and was fortunate enough to be offered a partial scholarship.

By doing the course, I feel more confident in approaching different teaching situations and of course have been able to nurture this by working in two very different classroom and work environments. The first where students were less confident and enthusiastic- not always easy I have to say- and the second where students were quite opposite. I also had the challenge of teaching students of my own age this year which has been trying but also a very rewarding experience. I had to always be prepared for the unexpected and that's my top advice for anyone considering a career in TEFL.

My love of English and of course France and the French language has naturally grown further and I now wish to travel and work in other French speaking countries and possibly move to a German or Spanish speaking country for a while too. Teaching abroad has opened up so many doors for me, professionally and personally and it is definitely a part of my life I do not wish to forget in a hurry. There is so much in our world and being open to other ways of life and other workplaces, however cliched it may sound, is so incredibly important. TEFL literally opens up the world to you and enriches your life no other way can, even with the frustration the administration and another way of life can flood you with. It outweighs the negatives beyond reason. Now I wish to include this experience into my future career plans by working at an International Office at a university either abroad or in the UK while preparing for a masters in Literature. That way I can both include my love of TEFL, other cultures and languages with my love of Literature and English.

For now, I say à bientot et bon courage for all those thinking of teaching abroad! I am sure you will have a very rewarding time. 

Henrietta

I gained a great deal from the course and the assignments encouraged me to creatively utilise the knowledge and theories learnt in each module. Despite learning remotely I was provided with a deeper insight into practical tasks such as lesson and course planning. I was also able to explore concepts of communicative learning approaches, which are increasingly in demand from schools and students all over the world. 

I am currently volunteering in India where there is not a high demand for English teaching lessons but in two months I will be winging my way to Vietnam to apply for teaching jobs.

I am very excited to be starting a new adventure and having a TEFL qualification will help me no end in finding a fulfilling teaching position!

Lisa

Hello, my name is Mike, a graduate of the Open University with a BA in English Language and Literature. Having moved to France last year, I found myself eager to share my passion for English through teaching and set about researching the requirements. I soon became aware of the necessity of a TEFL qualification and saw that the ELC offered a scholarship programme. I quickly submitted an application and was very lucky to be chosen. Having just recently completed my final essay and been awarded my diploma, I can only recommend the programme to others.

I’ve also studied, amongst many other things, how to create and implement an effective lesson plan, various methods to encourage and motivate students effectively, a wide range of theories of language learning and acquisition, and even a look at the current research being done into language study and the ways it could shape the future of teaching.

Put simply, the course certainly covers far more than I expected, and from a personal point of view, this made it wonderfully engaging as I became more and more interested in the field of languages, and was even motivated to do a little of my own independent research. As I finished each module I remained eager to begin the next, and feel that I’ve learnt a great deal of practical skills to help when I teach, along with developing a far richer understanding of the rich subject of language learning.

Another advantage of the course is that you’re free to work at your own pace. Being able to set your own deadlines, your own targets, and motivate yourself to work may seem more daunting to some, but these are all valuable life skills to learn, particularly for a teacher, and helped me a great deal. The personal tutor I had was also very helpful; she offered constructive feedback and was both friendly and rapid in her replies to any queries I had, along with the rest of the team at the English Language Centre.

Whilst studying for the diploma, I began working voluntarily for an association teaching English to young children and adolescents. I found the material in the course to be an invaluable aid at this time, and have been successful enough for the association to recently offer me a permanent position with them. I’ve also received plenty of positive feedback from parents and students and feel I am already reaping the rewards of a TEFL career. Many of the skills I have employed in this work, along with the newfound confidence with which I’m able to approach the job, are all thanks to the work I’ve done on the programme.

Now that I have completed the diploma, I feel well-prepared to teach English in the future, and the fact that I have very recently been offered a job serves as testament to the fact that a qualification in TEFL is both valuable and vital for anyone looking to pursue the exciting life of teaching abroad. I’ve greatly enjoyed my study and I am already enjoying teaching itself, and so I wish both luck and encouragement to anyone who’s thinking of following the same path.

Mike