TEFL in the long term

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alopezg1
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Posts: 2
Joined: 04 Nov 2014, 01:10
Status: Prospective Teacher

TEFL in the long term

Unread post by alopezg1 »

Hello Everyone

First post here . I starting a degree next year , studying English Literature. A fairly useless degree but one of my main motivations is the possibility of teaching English abroad. I just wanted to get some opinions from those within the industry , already working as teachers , as to whether the TEFL industry seems a healthy one, if it seems to be growing and has a future . I am just concerned that i may get my dgree and TEFL qualification in 3 or 4 years , and everyone will be speaking Mandarin , and TEFL will be a things of the past . Please help
Awalls86
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Joined: 06 Feb 2015, 03:07
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Re: TEFL in the long term

Unread post by Awalls86 »

I think that within the next 50 years the chances of everyone speaking Mandarin are very remote. English has achieved a status in the world like no other language ever has. Countries around the world are giving English an official status as a language within their country. Some cities in Asia even work entirely in English (Singapore, Incheon - Seoul). Children are often expected to learn English, and many people below 30 these days can speak some English. In fact the chances of meeting an absolute beginner as a tefl teacher these days is extremely remote. Even in my kindergarden classes, students already knew a number of words.
One possible competitor to English may be German. Many foreign students are attempting to enter German universities as they can do so for free, whilst British universities have raised fees substantially. This gives students a real incentive to learn German too, and the Goethe Institute are in many countries of the world too.
Overall though, I think that we will see an ever increasing number of bilinguists who speak English, and that the average level of English will continue to rise so that it would be extraordinarily rare to meet someone of 30 that does not speak English to at least B1 of the CEFR.
alopezg1
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Posts: 2
Joined: 04 Nov 2014, 01:10
Status: Prospective Teacher

Re: TEFL in the long term

Unread post by alopezg1 »

Awalls86 wrote:I think that within the next 50 years the chances of everyone speaking Mandarin are very remote. English has achieved a status in the world like no other language ever has. Countries around the world are giving English an official status as a language within their country. Some cities in Asia even work entirely in English (Singapore, Incheon - Seoul). Children are often expected to learn English, and many people below 30 these days can speak some English. In fact the chances of meeting an absolute beginner as a tefl teacher these days is extremely remote. Even in my kindergarden classes, students already knew a number of words.
One possible competitor to English may be German. Many foreign students are attempting to enter German universities as they can do so for free, whilst British universities have raised fees substantially. This gives students a real incentive to learn German too, and the Goethe Institute are in many countries of the world too.
Overall though, I think that we will see an ever increasing number of bilinguists who speak English, and that the average level of English will continue to rise so that it would be extraordinarily rare to meet someone of 30 that does not speak English to at least B1 of the CEFR.

Hello and thank you for your reply. Sorry for the delay in responding , the website didn't notify me that my post had received a response ..... So in your opinion , teaching English abroad is something that could be pursued long term , insofar as there will continue to be a need for it
Awalls86
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Posts: 48
Joined: 06 Feb 2015, 03:07
Status: Teacher

Re: TEFL in the long term

Unread post by Awalls86 »

I think so. Demand is still on the rise. More universities are offering courses with English as the language of instruction. More parents are sending their students to international schools. Speaking English is about as important in getting a job these days as being able to use a computer!
This demand isn't likely to drop either in the near future. Some of the poorer nations of yesterday are finding increasing wealth and will surely open up in the future.
Individual demands of countries may change, and the ability to earn a relatively high salary to cost of living may disappear. That's a realistic concern for people teaching in the middle and far east, although probably not for a while.
Also you will need to think about retirement planning from the outset. Some TEFLers come into it in their 40s, 50s, 60s after racking up a nice pension. But if you're in it from the outset, you should know that most employers will pay not pension contributions. They may pay towards the state system, but your right to claim a pension may be waived or invalid. This is probably the biggest concern, so have a plan.
kizil
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Joined: 18 Apr 2015, 23:09
Status: Teacher

Re: TEFL in the long term

Unread post by kizil »

A few thoughts:
-The TEFL industry is robust and growing, but interest among prospective teachers is also growing–in other words, there will continue to be opportunities in the field, but there will likely be more competition than there used to be.
-It is easy to get into TEFL, but much harder to advance. A degree in English Literature is a good first step, but if you want to work up to a salary that allows you to have a western standard of living, to retire securely, etc. then an education degree and teaching certification are pretty much essential.
My Blog - All Things TEFL (information on finding jobs, lesson planning, teaching resources, and more)
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