An ESL Teacher — Who is and How to Become?

Now more and more, we see various job offers for teachers who obtain the knowledge of modern methodology, some teaching experience, and a desire to work with people who need help with learning English. Globalization and COVID have already made the field even more flexible and accessible by introducing online teaching platforms and tools. Naturally, the demand for ESL teachers is also exceptionally high now. 

So, the question is how to become one and what skills and qualifications you need. We have collected some important information for everyone who is thinking about proceeding with the career of an ESL specialist in the new blog on Grade University.

First things first, what is an ESL teacher? ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher is a person who conducts English language lessons for non-native speakers. Sounds easy, however, there are a lot of term questions within the topic. For example, EFL and ESL are thought to be interchangeable while in reality, it’s not. So, who is an ESL teacher? The table below will help us draw the line.

As an ESL teacher, you are responsible for organizing coursework, preparing learning materials, assessing students’ progress, and following certain policies and methodologies for ESL teaching. So, it means that usually, an ESL teacher has to:

This list may go on and vary depending on the goals of students, the teacher’s speciality, etc. However, one thing is certain: the quality of the class fully depends on the proficiency and inspiration of the teacher. It means that the teacher has to be flexible and attentive to accommodate different needs, learning styles, schedules, ages, and learning backgrounds. 

Teaching English as a second language requires ESL qualification which is based on lots of skills and knowledge and the ability to use different approaches (like guided discovery, communicative approach, lexical approach, task-based learning) and methods (CLT, PPP, TRP — yes, there are lots of abbreviations to learn!). So, before applying for an ESL teacher position, it is better to deep into some theory, or take one of such ESL teaching courses for teachers as TEFL, or TESL.

As for the requirements for an ESL teacher, they may differ from place to place, and a lot of things depend on the candidate's experience and performance. Sometimes even language proficiency and a great deal of enthusiasm are enough to start working in the field. However, we are going to talk about the most common requirements which are likely to help you with getting a position as an ESL teacher.

Degree

Typically, schools prefer people who hold a four-year degree in education, writing, linguistics, English, or other language and literature. The process of getting a university degree is often perceived not only as proof of your knowledge but more as some experience in the school of life where you get a chance to communicate with different people, work on some projects, develop crucial soft skills, and so forth. So, no wonder that such kind of experience is often an advantage for a potential ESL specialist.

Certification

However, a university degree is not a deal-breaker in this case. A much more important thing to consider is gaining an appropriate certification that proves your ability to teach English. There are a few types of certifications you can get:

All of these teaching qualifications are internationally accepted, so by completing ESL training for teachers you broaden your horizons and get yourself a chance to work in the country of your dream or an opportunity to change countries and travel. Combining traveling and ESL teaching is a whole new world to discover which you can read about in our other materials.

Computer literacy

Nowadays, in the era of digitalization, with all available resources for online and offline teachers, it is a must to be computer literate. Knowing the basics of managing the educational process and preparing the materials with the help of various gadgets really eases the life of any language teacher, especially if you are thinking of taking up teaching online too.

As any professional, the teacher also has to obtain certain characteristics to be successful at their position. We have already talked about education and some hard skills. But what about the soft skills you require to become an ESL teacher?

Good Communication Skills

First and foremost, an ESL teacher usually works with absolutely different people. They are people of different ages, jobs, worldviews, and educational backgrounds. Some of them have been less exposed to the language than others. Some of them have stronger motivation. Some of them may have a tendency to lose hope after making mistakes. Some of them are eager to study English with the help of literature, others are focused on business vocabulary. 

The list of cases you may face goes on and on. That is why an ESL teacher should be the person who finds the right approach to every single student and situation, who can solve any problem, or give support with any difficulty. 

Cultural Sensitivity, Patience, and Empathy

As we have already mentioned, you are likely to face different people, so it is crucial to stay culturally sensitive. 

That allows building a strong and trustful relationship between the teacher and the students.

Of course, being culturally sensitive also requires being patient and empathetic which goes without saying when it comes to teaching and working with people.

Flexibility and adaptability

ESL teaching also requires a great deal of flexibility as quite often things may go against the plan. Eventually, you will have to adapt your plans to every specific need, so it is important to understand that it is almost impossible to stick to one way of doing your job and use it for years.

A love for life-long learning

Last but not least, an ESL teacher and, frankly speaking, any true professional should have a strong desire for self-development and understanding that their studying will never be over. The world is changing too fast, so to remain a person who is not afraid of any challenges it is important to develop a habit of studying every single day, discovering new approaches, new apps, and new materials, and using them to make good lessons even better than they are. 

There are a lot of job opportunities all over the world waiting for aspiring ESL teachers. Among the places where ESL teachers are constantly needed are language, public, international, or summer schools, universities, or even some private business companies, not to mention the possibility of teaching online as a part of a company or individual tutoring. 

According to GetEducated, ESL teachers usually work as:

• elementary, middle, high school, or college English teachers, 
• English language assistants, 
• online ESL teachers, 
• private tutors, 
• literary translators, 
• and interpreters. 

ESL writers, ESL instructors, and consultants, ESL managers can also be added to the list. As you can see, there are a lot of options to choose from.

Naturally, salary varies and depends on your working place, the number of lessons you conduct, and the country you live in. However, ESL teachers tend to earn from $9 to $27 per hour. In addition, according to PayScale, as for Match of 2023, an average ESL teacher in the USA earns $49 000 per year. Zippia, on the other hand, presents even fresher information, according to which an average salary of an ESL teacher reaches almost $53 000 a year. The salary also depends on your working experience in the following way:

At the same time, your salary may look absolutely different due to many factors. However, ESL teachers for sure make enough to lead a comfortable lifestyle whenever they are.

Finally, here are some essential steps to take if you have already decided to take up ESL teaching.

As we have already mentioned, certification is an extremely important addition to a future ESL teacher’s university degree. Getting certification requires taking courses, completing student-teaching requirements, and passing state certification exams.

Undoubtedly, it is great to have a degree and certification, however, practice is a much more important thing. Develop your teaching skills, collect feedback, take it into account, change, and grow. If you are planning to look for your first job and feel nervous about lacking experience, try participating in some volunteering events or tutoring. Even the smallest piece of experience is valuable to make your resume attractive to potential employers.

While getting some valuable experience, don’t forget to take care of your portfolio which may include your lesson plans, certificates, students’ feedback, students’ work samples, articles, blogs, etc. All of that makes you special as a professional and shows the result of your work that can be overlooked and assessed by future employers or students.

It may sound obvious, but the world is changing every day and so is teaching. It is crucial to stay updated about new trends and approaches, digital opportunities, and books. That is as important as working with your own language level: take courses, read, listen to podcasts, research, and write. 

All in all, language proficiency is a neverending journey of self-development, and that is a thing that primarily the teachers should be aware of. 

Another key to success in any field is networking, and teaching is no an exception. Try visiting different events and workshops not only for gaining knowledge but also for meeting new people and getting acquainted with your colleagues both online and offline. Networking is a truly great and underestimated way to get to know about exciting opportunities or achieve some support and understanding when you really need it.

To conclude

Summing up, as with any job, there are some peculiarities and requirements for an ESL teacher that you need to fit in. However, ESL teaching is worth being paid an effort for as it gives a whole new experience of teaching, communicating with people, and seeing yourself as a specialist. So, maybe, this article is your sign to start the journey in ESL teaching.

And if you want to improve your level of knowledge and teaching skills, take a course at Grade University.