Top 5 Myths about TEFL/TESOL

Paul watson
Posted by October 14, 2022 October 14, 2022
Photo of multinational joyful students using laptop and writing in exercise book while studying at classroom

With the ever-growing popularity of teaching English as a foreign language, there are a lot of misconceptions out there about what the job entails. In this article, we’ll dispel some of the most common myths about TEFL/TESOL. Don’t have time to read the whole thing? We’ve broken the myths down into quick, easy-to-digest nuggets so you can get the important facts fast.

  1. TEFL/TESOL is easy:

Just because you’re teaching English doesn’t mean the job is going to be a piece of cake. In fact, teaching English as a foreign language can be quite challenging at times. You need to be able to keep your students engaged and motivated, while at the same time ensuring that they’re actually learning something.

  1. You don’t need a degree to teach TEFL/TESOL:

While it’s true that you don’t need a degree to teach TEFL/TESOL, it definitely doesn’t hurt to have one. In fact, most employers prefer to hire candidates with at least a bachelor’s degree. Not to mention, a degree will give you the necessary academic background to be able to effectively teach English grammar and structure.

  1. 3. TEFL/TESOL teachers are just native English speakers:

Just because you’re a native English speaker doesn’t mean you’ll make a good TEFL/TESOL teacher. In order to be an effective teacher, you need to have a good understanding of the English language, as well as the ability to communicate effectively.

  1. TEFL/TESOL is only for people who want to travel:

While many people choose to teach English as a foreign language in order to travel the world, that’s not the only reason to do it. There are plenty of people who teach TEFL who don’t have any desire to travel. They just enjoy teaching and working with students from different cultures.

  1. TEFL/TESOL teachers are underpaid:

This is a common misconception, but it’s simply not true. While it’s true that some TEFL/TESOL teachers are paid less than they could be, there are also many who are paid very well. It all depends on the employer, the location, and the type of job.

There are some teachers who do quite well in the Philippines. A quick Google search will show you a list of salaries. If you’re looking for a job with good pay, you should check out the different regions to see where the jobs are. For example, in the south, there are very few jobs. In fact, most of the jobs are government jobs. In the north, there are lots of teaching jobs. It’s the same everywhere. You can expect a high pay grade if you’re working in a private school.

Conclusion:

There are a lot of misconceptions about what it means to be a TEFL/TESOL teacher. In this article, we dispel some of the most common myths.