7 Reasons Why a TEFL Course Is a Great Investment
Many people who are planning to move abroad to teach English debate whether or not they should take a TEFL course. Besides the fact that the majority of EFL employers around the world already require their teachers to possess a TEFL certification, there are many other reasons why a TEFL course is a great investment.
1 Billion People Are Learning English Worldwide
According to recent research from the British Council, there are currently over 1 billion people learning English around the world – and this number is expected to double in the next five years. This created thousands of new job opportunities for English teachers around the world and with a TEFL certificate in hand, you can take a piece of the pie!
You Gain Valuable Skills and Confidence
Taking a TEFL certification is so much more than just a piece of paper in your hand. Working through the units of your TEFL course, you will learn a lot of useful skills, including classroom management, lesson planning, testing and evaluating students, as well as gain a deeper insight into English grammar and what it’s like learning English when it’s not your native language.
These skills will make you confident and ready to step into your own classroom and lead your class to success. These skills are not only necessary in a school setting, but can also be applied in a corporate environment at a company or even in your personal life regarding planning and organizing daily tasks.
You Are Open To Location Independent Opportunities
Because of the high demand for TEFL qualified teachers worldwide, a TEFL certificate allows you to choose where you want to work and move where the jobs are aplenty. Whether you are planning to move abroad and teach in the near future or not, having a TEFL certificate in your portfolio gives you the freedom to move to a better job market when you need to.
On top of that, online teaching is getting more and more popular these days giving qualified teachers even more freedom as they can teach from anywhere in the world using their laptop and a stable Internet connection. This has led to many people traveling the world and living in exotic places for a few weeks or months while earning a competitive income through online teaching.
You Get The Chance To Explore Other Countries and Cultures Like a Local
A TEFL certificate doesn’t restrict you to one location but it opens doors to the whole world. If you feel like living on a tropical island in southeast Asia, a TEFL certificate enables you to do so. If you are looking to improve your Spanish language skills while living and exploring Peru, a TEFL certificate makes it possible.
These are just two of endless possibilities of how you can explore other countries and cultures with a TEFL certificate. Popular regions for teaching English as a foreign language include Asia, South America, Europe and the Middle East but you can also find teaching positions in Africa and even other English-speaking countries!
You Can Earn a Competitive Salary, Possibly Tax-free!
Fact is, teachers with a TEFL certificate earn higher salaries compared to those without a qualification. While teacher salaries highly depend on the country you are teaching in, they usually are very competitive, allow you to live a comfortable lifestyle and even save a substantial amount of money after each paycheck.
Especially countries such as South Korea, China, Japan, and Taiwan in Asia offer high salaries and have a relatively low cost of living compared to Western nations. Middle Eastern nations, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are known for their tax-free salaries and pay some of the highest teaching salaries in the world of around $4,000 USD.
On top of that, a lot of employers provide free housing, paid roundtrip airfare and provide health insurance for their teachers in these regions.
You Become More Valuable in the Marketplace
A TEFL certificate also opens doors to more opportunities in the worldwide marketplace. After teaching for a year or two abroad, many return home as highly sought-after candidates for a variety of jobs. Having a year or two of teaching experience abroad on your resume will distinguish you from other applicants and give you an edge during job interviews. 
Spending time abroad also shows that you are not afraid of new challenges and like taking risks, which is something any employer loves to see from their potential staff. Having a TEFL certificate doesn’t mean you need to pack your bags and leave, though. Many teachers take a TEFL course for personal development for their career back home.
You Can Change Your Career – At any age!
A lot of times a TEFL course offers people the chance to completely restart their life and change their careers. They are unhappy working long hours for low pay or are looking for a change in scenery and want to move abroad.
A TEFL course allows anyone aged 18 and older to do exactly that. Whether you are a fresh college graduate looking for a fun adventure abroad before entering the workforce back home or a retiree wanting to supplement their income and travel to places they’ve always dreamed about but never had the time because of work or children, a TEFL certificate enables you to completely change your life, move abroad and explore the world – all while earning a decent salary!
Author bio: This article was written by Linda, a TEFL/TESOL counselor at International TEFL and TESOL Training. Linda has been working in the EFL field for several years and taught English in China and South Korea. She’s been permanently based in South Korea since 2015 and also shares her stories on her own blog Linda Goes East.
