Finding information on becoming a teacher of English as a Second Language (ESL) can be slightly confusing and a little intimidating. With so many programs and schools offering ESL teacher certification, and so many specific areas within the field, it’s important to know where to look for your information. The following is a list of five helpful sites that provide information on becoming an ESL teacher.
1. TESOL, Inc.
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Incorporated (TESOL, Inc.) is an independent professional organization that maintains an extensive database of information and resources on teaching English, and provides a wide forum for networking and outreach for professional and aspiring TESOL educators. Unlimited access to all of TESOL, Inc. features — such as their publications, forums and teacher resources — requires a paid membership, but for aspiring ESL teachers there is a lot of information about the profession, as well as a Directory of Degree and Certificate Programs.
2. Certification Map
Certificationmap.com is a very helpful guide to receiving teacher certification and outlines the steps to become a teacher. There is a lot of information on teaching ESL specifically. The home page features an interactive map where you can click to learn about the necessary qualifications to teach in each individual state. The ESL section talks about what an ESL teacher does, the differences between the acronyms (TEFL, TESL, TESOL) and what it takes to become an ESL teacher. For those looking to teach abroad, there’s a helpful International page. There’s even a complete list of ESL teacher salaries by state!
3. Dave’s ESL Café
Dave’s ESL Café is one of the most popular resources on the web for aspiring and professional ESL teachers, as well as ESL students. Noted for its user-friendliness and its constantly updated information, Dave’s ESL Café is highly interactive, welcoming and easy to use. One of the more useful pages is the Job Center, where visitors can navigate a comprehensive list of job links and a Job Discussion Forum, as well as international job posting pages. The site also offers ways for teachers to connect with each other, ask each other questions and learn more about the ESL profession.
4. American TESOL
The American TESOL Institute (ATI) offers certification and career services to aspiring ESL teachers with the goal of “standardizing an introductory English teacher training program for individuals wishing to teach English.” One of the site’s main features is the TESOL Jobs page, which posts job openings in almost every country in the world. ATI also offers TESOL certification and places their teachers in a job once they are certified.
5. Teaching House
Teaching House is an institute accredited by Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA), an internationally renowned certification in ESL teaching awarded by the University of Cambridge ESOL program. With locations in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, San Diego, Vancouver and Belfast, Teaching House trains and certifies many ESL teachers across the country. Teaching House also offers useful advice and information on finding jobs and the ESL Profession, though their extensive database of job postings is only available to participants in the CELTA TESL Training.
