Qualified for professional life

The teaching of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) industry has exploded over recent years and English has become one of the most common spoken languages in the world.

For this reason, many people want to learn English to find employment and success, which means English teachers are in demand all over the world. As a result of this demand, every year more people choose to take up teaching EFL.

EFL teaching offers a unique multi-cultural opportunity. The benefits of being qualified to teach English include travel opportunities, multi-cultural education and job satisfaction.

Teachers give many reasons for getting into EFL teaching, including career decision, gap-year occupation, opportunity to live and work abroad, flexibility, a new lifestyle, and being occupied during retirement. Above all, most will testify that it is a highly rewarding career.

Like any other career, training is vital. According to the Cambridge website, www.cambridgeesol.org, over 10,000 people successfully complete a CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) course each year, which proves the profession is competitive.

One of the most valuable assets to gain from TEFL training is confidence. Knowing you are officially qualified makes a world of difference in performance and success.

The right courses offer opportunity to learn what teaching really is in a professional but friendly atmosphere. Recognised qualifications also open doors that might otherwise be shut.

There are a number of course options available, from a part-time 60-hour TEFL induction course, to a four-week intensive course or a Master's degree.

Probably the most internationally recognised and highly regarded TEFL qualification is the Cambridge CELTA, along with the Trinity Certificate.

These courses are taken by new teachers and teachers who have experience but want to expand their opportunities and improve themselves professionally.

Most people who have successfully completed such courses agree that the qualification makes a teacher's professional life more enjoyable and rewarding through development of awareness of the principles and skills of effective teaching.

Participants also feel prepared for most jobs where presentation skills and dealing with groups of people are involved, such as management, training, publishing, theatre, marketing, advertising.

Through the well-structured syllabus, the courses also open one's professional eyes to the broader spectrum behind EFL and teaching in general.

The 100-plus hours' training consist of a good balance between theory and practice and include teaching practice sessions as well as the opportunity to observe experienced teachers at work.

This, together with a number of seminars and workshops, in addition to expert guidance, means participants are furnished with a wealth of ideas and tools to be able to teach learners from all nationalities and in most parts of the world.

Of course, taking a course is only the beginning of professionalism, but trainees are supplied with the necessary basics to allow teachers to plan lessons, experiment and be creative to gain experience and develop into the best teacher they could possibly be.

Many teachers who have completed such courses have not only found a place for professional development, but have also felt the benefit of personal development.

In 2007 IELS underwent the rigorous vetting required to become an approved Cambridge teacher training centre. Since then it has been the only approved Cambridge DELTA (Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults) centre in Malta. The school will now extend its teacher training programme to include CELTA from October this year.

No prior qualifications are necessary to follow these training courses, but participants do need to have a good level of education and an excellent command of English.

And one of the best things about it is that, having successfully completed CELTA, within four weeks you will have a world-recognised qualification for life.

Ms Conti is academic manager at the Institute of English Language Studies.