Tuesday 23 April 2013

Why TEFL Teaching is a Profession of the Future in Latin America


Despite not having the most native speakers in the world, English is still the international language of business, and in non-English speaking countries, dominance of it is considered vital to increasing future opportunities. Spanish and Mandarin Chinese may be the most spoken native languages in the world, however in an international setting, it is English that is the main form of communication. This means that being a TEFL qualified English teacher is a smart career move for anyone with a desire to travel, live and work abroad and enrich the lives of their students through teaching.

Latin America offers more and more opportunities in terms of TEFL Certificate courses and teaching positions; countries such as Peru are modelling themselves off Brazil's booming economy and their models for social development and English is seen as key.
For those seeking a suitable place to study their TEFL course, countries within Latin America offer many advantages; on average the cost of the TEFL courses are lower, the cost of living is significantly cheaper compared to their Western counterparts and these countries are rich in culture, diversity and history. Also, due to the growth of mining, foreign investment and general economic development, there are now many diverse teaching opportunities available for TEFL graduates.

If we take Peru as an example, TEFL Certificate courses are offered predominantly in the major cities of Arequipa and Cuzco, both of which enjoy international and local tourists all year round. Graduates can then choose to work in either of these cities, or in the capital Lima, or they can step off the beaten track a little and explore the opportunities in rural Peru. In some of these rural areas the demand for native, TEFL qualified English teachers is even higher due to their scarcity and students who are lucky enough to have one of these teachers are grateful for the opportunity. So whilst a simpler life outside of the classroom may be part of teaching in a rural area, the rewards from teaching students who truly appreciate having a native, qualified English teacher to learn from are significant.

Whilst making the choice of where to study your TEFL Certificate course may be a challenge due to the abundance of options, a country in Latin America should be at the top of any aspiring teacher's list. Not only can its countries offer a unique place to study TEFL, thanks to continuing economic development, they can now also offer interesting teaching opportunities.


No comments:

Post a Comment