New ESL teachers think it is enough to speak English to begin a new career, but there is a lot of important information about becoming teacher certified.
New Teachers looking for an employment opportunity teaching ESL think that it is really easy finding a job especially now in Korea due to the impending summer Olympics. While it is true that there is no standarized national policy regarding hiring ESL teachers in countries such as Korea with a huge lack of ESL teachers, you are actually doing your students a disservice by not getting certified.
Many students think that speaking English on a native level is enough, but it really isn't. You need to know that what it takes to be a good teacher is to not only know English but to know how to teach it.This involves intelligences and knowledge all across the boards. The first place to obviously start is to begin your formal training by educating yourself with various practices of methodology, and there are various places where you can get a head start on your online teacher certification.
Then, there is the interpersnal communication and how well you can build a relationship with your students. I find this area to be most undefined and raw territory, which has lots of potential for spontaneity. New teachers often find it hard to free themselves of the methodoogy and earlier training they have received as preservice students. But the truth is that once you close the classroom doors, you can let your hair down. I mean, you can (and should) find your own balance of your personality and methodology.
But before you go ahead and have a few good laughs with your students, pursue professional training. Oh and I forgot... don't forget the important classroom management 101. You never know what kind of classroom will put you to the test.
