Do You Need A Masters To Teach In California

San Francisco is one of the most instantly recognizable cities in the world due to its role as the backdrop to so many movies and television shows. Sights such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the famous hairpin turns of Lombard Street on Russian Hill are instantly recognizable as San Franciscan, even to those who have never visited the city. The city also has a long history of diversity and inclusivity and became a magnet for American counterculture drawing the Beat writers in the 1950’s followed by the hippies in the 1960’s, and San Francisco’s laid back attitude and welcoming atmosphere are still a major draw for visitors today. Although originally founded in 1776, San Francisco was a relatively small town until the California Gold Rush nearly seventy-five years later. In...  [Read more]

San Diego is a city that benefits from astounding natural attractions such as the beautiful Californian coast with miles of sandy beaches, magnificent mountains and lush valleys, not to mention a climate that is warm throughout the year. It is also a city that has many man-made attractions such as Mission Bay and Balboa Park that provide a wide range of entertainment options including amusement parks, museums, galleries, theaters and music venues. When you add all the other activities that the city has to offer such as sunset cruises and whale watching trips, it is easy to see why so many choose San Diego, California as the place to take their TEFL/tesol course. Once a small backwater town living in the shadow of its more illustrious neighbors, it was the arrival of the railroad that...  [Read more]

There are many reasons to choose Orange County as the place to take your TEFL/tesol course. The pleasant Mediterranean style climate, over forty miles of beautiful coastline and the convenient proximity to Los Angeles in the north and San Diego to the south are just a few. Any first-time visitor soon realizes why this collection of small well-designed cities is a great place to live, work and study. The county was initially a sparsely populated region where cattle ranches and other farming pursuits were the main industries. However, the beginning of the 20th century saw the arrival of road and rail networks, and this link to Los Angeles put Orange County on the map as an easy weekend get-away for the new stars of the early Hollywood. Continued improvements to the road infrastructure...  [Read more]

You are prepared to start teaching ESL online, but is a TESOL certification necessary to get a successful online teaching job? In general, a TESOL certificate is required if you want to earn good money teaching online. Even if it might not be necessary for all online teaching platforms, having TESOL certification will increase your salary and attract more students. The confidence and skills required to teach someone a foreign language, which is no easy task, come from completing a TESOL course. We will go over a few other prerequisites for teaching English online, other than a TESOL certificate. To teach English online, you will often need to fulfill the following requirements: Even without a university degree, there are various platforms where you can work as an English instructor....  [Read more]

If you want to teach English in any country outside of your own, you are certain to need a valid passport. In most cases, you will need at least six months left on your passport to gain entry to a foreign country so it is essential that you check it before you plan to leave. To make sure you have no hassles while overseas, we highly recommend that you have a passport with at least two years validity. If you have any doubts regarding entry regulations you should contact the relevant embassy or visit the immigrartion website of your host country. From within the U.S. you can apply via the State Department's web page. From outside the country, you should contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. British citizens should visit the U.K. Government's Services website for full details...  [Read more]

In the vast majority of cases, ESL teachers will need to obtain some form of visa to enter their destination country. What specific visa you need is wholly dependent on the rules and regulations of your host country, so you should contact the relevant embassy or take a look at their website to make sure you have all the correct information. Below we outline the most common forms of visa you are likely to come across. Tourist visas are typically issued to people who only plan on a short visit and do not intend to work or study. This type of visa comes in many different forms depending on the host country and your own country of origin. The 'upon entry' tourist visa is the most common and this is issued upon arrival at the airport immigration desk. For example, US citizens arriving in...  [Read more]

  Strictly speaking the answer is no, you do not have to possess a TEFL certificate in order to find work as an English language teacher. In some countries around the world it is still possible to secure employment simply by being a native English speaker. However, there are several reasons why we would strongly recommend that you complete a TEFL training course before you set off to teach English abroad. In recent years many popular destinations for EFL teachers have begun to tighten the requirements necessary for teaching English in schools and language centers. A recognized TEFL certificate is now required in order to secure a work permit in many countries, whilst the ever growing number of teachers with a TEFL qualification means that employers in the majority of countries...  [Read more]

Whether you need a TESOL certificate to teach English online will depend on the platform you choose to work for. Some online teaching employers expect their recruits to be TESOL certified and will reject unqualified teachers under the assumption that they lack the necessary skills and knowledge. There are a few employers out there who will take on teachers without any qualifications or you can choose to set up your own online teaching business which also doesn’t require any certification. However, in reality, the majority of students looking for online English lessons typically prefer a teacher who has some relevant qualifications. The worldwide demand for online education programs has gone through the roof in recent years and it is only set to get stronger. As a consequence,...  [Read more]

To teach English abroad, you typically need a combination of qualifications, which may vary depending on the country and institution where you plan to teach. The most common requirements include a bachelor's degree in any field, a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification, and proficiency in the English language. A bachelor's degree is often a basic requirement to secure a teaching position abroad. While it doesn't necessarily have to be in English or education, having a degree demonstrates your ability to commit to a long-term goal and shows a level of academic proficiency that many schools and language centers look for in their teachers. Obtaining a TEFL certification is highly recommended and sometimes mandatory. This certification equips you with the necessary skills...  [Read more]

If you are TESOL qualified and you have a university degree you will have a huge choice of options for teaching English all over the world. For those without a degree, the options are more limited but still plentiful. Recently, some of the more popular countries for teaching English abroad have begun to demand that teachers have a degree in order to qualify for a work visa. In particular, some of the big Asian markets for teachers such as South Korea, Japan and Taiwan now require a degree to obtain the necessary paperwork to stay and work long-term. Most of the high-salary Middle East countries are also difficult to crack without a certain level of formal qualifications. Despite these examples, there are still many options open for non-degree holders if you are flexible in where you...  [Read more]

As an ESL teacher you are likely to apply for multiple jobs and in most cases head overseas, both of which require a variety of documentation. Some things cannot be sorted out until you are actually in your country of choice, however, it is essential that you organize all the documents you can in advance so you have them to hand whenever they are needed during a job interview or when applying for a visa. In most cases, anyone traveling outside of their home country will need a passport that is valid for a minimum of six months or even a year. To avoid any problems while you are overseas the best advice is to make sure you have at least two years left on your passport before you head off. In some countries you also need to apply for an entry visa before leaving home, while some will...  [Read more]

Across the world there are millions of people working as teachers in a wide variety of environments, all of which require certain knowledge, skills, and personal qualities to be successful. This is certainly the case when it comes to teaching English to non-native speakers. Many teachers fail to provide the high level of instruction that their students deserve for a wide range of different reasons, such as not listening to feedback, being overly strict, or simply not having the enthusiasm required. But what are the qualities that are most important for an ESL teacher if we want to produce the best results for all our students? Communication is certainly key in any teaching environment, but when teaching a foreign language it is even more crucial as the teacher often doesn’t speak...  [Read more]

Spain attracts a large number of ESL teachers from all over the world due to the culture and healthy job market. The type of visa you require varies depending on your nationality, so we recommend that you check with the Spanish embassy website before making any plans to ensure you have the most up-to-date information. Spain is a long-standing member of the European Union so anyone with an EU passport can live and work freely in the country without a visa. However, EU citizens still need to apply for a residency permit and a tax number as soon as they arrive. The application process for this is generally very straightforward and your employer will normally help you with it. The most common route for non-EU citizens is to enter Spain on a 90-day tourist visa that is issued on arrival...  [Read more]

Costa Rica has much to offer those who choose to teach ESL in this part of Central America. A tropical climate, picturesque beaches, exotic wildlife and pristine rainforest are just some of its many attractions. But what visa do you need to live and work in the country? Unlike many other popular teaching destinations, it is technically legal for foreign teachers to work in Costa Rica on a standard tourist visa. Most nationalities, including Americans, Canadians and Western European citizens, are given a 90 day visa on arrival at the airport. Once the visa expires you can simply cross into a neighboring country and then get a new one on your way back into the country. When you first arrive in Costa Rica you are not legally allowed to work until you have registered for a tax number...  [Read more]

Most English language teaching jobs that come up, whether online or overseas, will require a TESOL certification on the part of the applicants. More responsibility and a higher salary can often be gained by completing a more advanced qualification such as a Diploma in TESOL. However, if you want unlimited opportunities in the job market and access to all the very best positions in the most lucrative countries for ESL teachers, then a Master’s Degree in TESOL will certainly make it happen. Although we do not provide our own Master’s Degree in TESOL, we are happy to recommend a course through our own website. The Master of Education in TESOL (MEd in TESOL) from the Paris College of International Education is a highly practical, affordable, and internationally recognized...  [Read more]

A TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate can definitely be beneficial when teaching English to special needs students. While TESOL primarily focuses on teaching English as a foreign language to non-native speakers, the skills and knowledge gained from a TESOL course can be applied to teaching English to students with special needs as well. One of the key components of a TESOL certificate is learning effective teaching methodologies and strategies. These methodologies can be adapted to meet the specific needs of special needs students, such as using visual aids, incorporating hands-on activities, and providing additional support and scaffolding. Understanding how to differentiate instruction and cater to individual learning styles is crucial when teaching...  [Read more]

For many ESL teachers a standard-level course such as the 120-hour TESOL certification course from ITTT is the only official teaching qualification they ever take. This level of certification will allow you to apply for a wide range of teaching jobs in countries worldwide. Some teachers also add one or more specialized TESOL qualifications to their portfolio in order to further their own understanding and to add more options to their job search. The next step up is an advanced-level certificate such as the Diploma in TESOL that takes an in-depth look at the theory side of teaching. Finally, teachers who want to rise to the very top of the ESL industry often sign up for university-level courses such as a Degree or even a Master’s in TESOL. Depending on the country you are in, there...  [Read more]

If you do a Google search for ESL teaching jobs, many that come up will include a TESOL certification of at least 100 hours among the criteria expected by the employer. This level of qualification is typically enough for first-time teachers to get on the job ladder in most countries around the world. If you then add a higher level qualification such as a Diploma in TESOL to your portfolio you will have even more options to choose from, including many management level positions. However, if you then go on to complete a Master’s in TESOL, there are very few jobs that will be off limits, including the highest paid jobs in the most sought after locations. At ITTT the highest level of qualification we currently provide is the Diploma in TESOL. However, we are more than happy to...  [Read more]

  Sign up for our in-class TEFL/TESOL training course at our California location and spend four action-packed weeks in one of America’s most exciting destinations. Ever since the famous Gold Rush, California has seen mass waves of immigration from all directions. “The Golden State” is one of America’s most ethnically diverse areas and also the most populous state in the country. Its long history and beautiful natural scenery with stunning beaches, bays, mountains and even deserts make California a splendid destination for your TEFL/TESOL course. Northern California is home to the state’s capital of Sacramento. It is also ideal for wine making and has some of the best wine producers in the country. On top of that, San Francisco is also located in northern California in the...  [Read more]

Due to the ever-increasing numbers of people learning English throughout the world there is now a global shortage of ESL qualified teachers. This is true in most parts of the world, including in the US where sustained levels of high immigration have caused a shortage of trained and experienced ESL teachers. This shortage is particularly acute in states with especially high levels of immigrants and refugees. One report by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) suggests that around one-third of all schools in the US offering bilingual or ESL teaching have trouble filling their vacant positions. The overall demand for TESOL qualified teachers is only likely to increase in the coming years, which is great news for teachers but not so great for schools. There is a shortage...  [Read more]