25 Thoughtful Questions You Need To Answer Before You TEFL
Are you patient?
One of the virtues of teaching in general, but especially of teaching ESL, is patience. There will be moments where you need to give your students time and space to think about and answer questions, without jumping in to give them answers or hurriedly move on to the next thing.
Are you approachable?
A lot of my success as an ESL teacher has come not because of my awesome lesson plans, but because of the environment I create in the classroom from day one. The students are conditioned to feel safe and encouraged to participate and make mistakes without being laughed at or embarrassed. They need to feel like they can ask questions without being subjected to ridicule.
Are you creative?
Creativity doesn’t mean that you have to be artsy. It means that you should be trying to think of different ways your students can digest your lessons. No one wants to come to a class every day where they can expect the same thing: a worksheet, some questions, and a discussion. Where’s the fun in that? Nothing about that mimics real life. Finding creative ways to help your students learn English is part of the fun of teaching this subject. You can do almost anything.
Are you flexible?
English is not rigid. It can’t be boiled down to a formula. English is a living language and should be taught as such. Sometimes you’ll find that your students haven’t grasped a certain concept they need in order to do the lesson you’ve planned. You have to be flexible enough to allow them to catch up to your expectations, sometimes there on the spot.
Are you political?
Really what I’m asking here is are you a social justice warrior? If so, you could find yourself in a lot of trouble should you bring that attitude to other countries, or even having it in your own country and teaching your students their government is wrong or bad. Students often have nothing to do with what’s going on in the government so you should leave your opinions outside of the classroom. When I was studying in France in 2006, I had a snowball thrown in my face because I was American and the French who were around had a real issue with the wars George Bush masterminded. When I told my teachers what happened, they thought it was hilarious. It made me furious. I would hate for any student to feel the rage and loneliness I’d felt.
Are you religious?
Unless you plan to teach for a religious school, do not insert your religion or religious views in the classroom - especially if you plan to work abroad. If you believe that will be difficult, find another profession. The point of teaching ESL is to open the world of English to your students - not the world of your religion. In my 10+ years of teaching, I’ve seen four colleagues sent home because they were unable to suppress their religious beliefs in the classroom. It is that serious.
Are you a team player?
Whether you’re teaching in a school or one-to-one, you will have someone other than yourself invested in the successful outcome of your student(s). Often times your ideas or expectations may not line up with the other parties’. In these instances, it pays to not be too bullheaded. TEFL teachers who are able to find solutions with other parties will always grow and be given better opportunities in this field.
Are you resourceful?
Unfair as it may seem, a lot of ESL departments and language training schools are operating on less-than-desirable budgets. This cannot deter you from being a great teacher to your students. So are you able to still deliver good lessons even if you don’t have all the resources to do it? If you want to serve your students, you’ll have to spend less energy blaming the school for what they don’t have and use your resourcefulness to overcome these obstacles.
Are you able to pick up on social subtleties?
If you’re teaching students who are from different backgrounds, the way they express fear, frustration, anger, or any other emotion could be quite different from you. It’s important as an ESL teacher to pick up on the subtleties and address them when and where appropriate. For example, my female Chinese students would laugh if I got stern with them about something they had done in class that I didn’t like. At first, it threw me off and made me even angrier. But I quickly learned this was a cultural tick that I had to navigate in order to be a more effective teacher.
Are you a good non-verbal communicator?
What do you do when you don’t have an actual language to communicate with? You have to use non-verbal communication - something we use a lot in our TEFL careers. Non-verbal communication doesn’t mean you’re the best at pantomimes, it means you’re aware of what your body and facial expressions are doing when students are communicating with you or others. Do you have an encouraging smile or a discouraging scowl?
Are you good at breaking down concepts and making them more easily understood?
I tend to think of teaching ESL like trying to explain the color red to someone who is blind. Sometimes you have nothing with which to compare the thing you’re talking about - especially if you teach young children. You will, however, be expected to find a way to make these concepts digestible for your students.
Do you find it easy to build a rapport with those who are different from you?
Being approachable is one thing. Building a rapport with your students is another. There will be times where you find your students behavior, attitude, or even their accent annoying. But that shouldn't keep you from establishing a bond with them. Sometimes, you may be the first foreigner they’ve ever had the pleasure of getting to know. Hold that title with honor and you’ll make lifelong friends and memories.
Do you have prejudices?
You might ask yourself why someone who carries prejudices would ever want to teach ESL in the first place. But sometimes we don’t know that we have them. It’s best to avoid making negative comparisons about your students’ culture to your own, asserting that English is superior, or making any racial, homosexual, or sexually demeaning comments - even if they’re told in jest.
Do you like challenges?
TEFL teaching has its challenges for sure. One of the biggest challenges is differentiating for classrooms of students who have various levels of English. This has been a common problem in almost every ESL class I’ve ever taught. Are you up for the challenge?
Do you like to learn?
Being a teacher means being a lifelong learner. Learning new and better ways to deliver content. Learning how to manage your classroom in more sustainable ways. Learning how to engage your students in meaningful discussions. Once you become a teacher, the learning doesn’t stop.
Do you have thick skin?
This goes for any teacher but can be especially gruesome for ESL teachers. Your students will say things that offend you. This could be because they don’t have the vocabulary to say what they want to say nicely, or that in their own culture there’s nothing wrong with saying it. In China, it’s common that your students comment on your appearance, calling you fat or old or mediocre looking, is completely normal in their culture.
Do you enjoy telling stories?
If you do, save them for the campfire. Teaching ESL isn’t about you being the sage on the stage, it’s about helping your ESL students get a strong command of the language. They can’t do that if you’re rambling on. Remember, you know how to speak English. They don’t. So who should be doing the most talking?
Do you have a solid grasp of English grammar?
If you don’t, get to studying. There’s no way to be a good ESL teacher without being able to demonstrate and explain good grammar. TESOL certifications don’t prepare you to be a grammar guru, you have to do the work on your own.
Have you ever learned another language?
You’ll have an advantage if you know what it’s like to learn another language. If you’re a non-native English speaker, you’ll have an even bigger advantage. You’ll know the students’ pain points and how to address them a lot easier than native English speakers. If you’ve never learned another language, I encourage you to start.
How do you like to learn?
Are you an audio or visual learner? Kinesthetic or mastery? Whichever way you like to learn, be conscious of it. ESL teachers tend to plan lessons that mirror the way they like to teach, rather than what’s best for their students. Be someone who is willing and open to explore different ways to learn.
How difficult is it for you to be organized?
Being organized is important for any teacher, but it’s especially important for ESL teachers because of the complexities of language learning. Your classes will be a drag for you or your students if you lack the ability to be prepared and organized.
How interested are you in other cultures?
It is human nature to want to talk about yourself, so your students will find great pleasure in your interest in their cultures. If you spend each class talking about how awesome your country is, your students may come to resent your lessons.
How willing are you to accept strange or maybe offensive cultural differences?
This isn’t a question of whether you’ll accept being called bad names or looked down upon, it’s more about your ability to brush off cultural differences that could be seen as offensive in your own country, but are normal in your students’. In Kyrgyzstan, all male students shake the hands of their male teachers in the morning. I found this offensive because it felt like I was being ignored. My students assured me it had nothing to do with demeaning women and was, in fact, a sign of respect. Many women in their culture did not like to shake the hand of men as they believed there was an unwelcomed transfer of energy.
How willing are you to embrace technology?
The world of teaching and learning is changing and so should you if you want to stay relevant in this field. I’ve encountered a surprising number of ESL teachers who were unwilling to take on technology in the classroom and were quickly replaced by those who could.
Can you handle having to repeat yourself daily?
Once, during a professional development, I was told something I’ll never forget which was, “If you don’t like repeating yourself, you shouldn’t be a teacher.”
What are some other questions you might consider? Comment below.
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