How TEFL jobs are more in demand than ever?
English is a language used and spoken by natives and non-natives all over the globe. It’s the international language of the world, and the go-to language used in communication between two people who don’t speak the same language. It’s the most learned language in the world. This is why teaching English as a foreign language has always been a popular job, and TEFL teachers have had their hands full. But, today more than ever, TEFL jobs are in high demand.
This article breaks down the main reasons behind such high demand for TEFL jobs and explains why it escalated in 2021. Here's what makes TEFL jobs more in demand than ever.
1.The COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic took us by surprise at first, but we’ve already started to accept living with it differently. For students, and working professionals, the pandemic meant switching to the online world and embracing the remote way of studying and working.
Without the ability to network, live and use the resources available in their own countries, people decided to turn to online resources that can help them learn, gain new skills, and work on self-improvement.
But, the best available resources are in English.
You need English to:
- take high-quality online courses
- apply for freelance jobs on popular platforms
- apply for scholarships
- attend internationally recognized classes and seminars
With the world being physically fragmented by the pandemic, we’ve all become increasingly connected online. And that’s what makes TEFL jobs more in demand than ever. English has become an essential skill for anyone trying to do more for themselves, and achieve their professional or personal goals.
TEFL jobs, thus, grew in popularity especially for:
- high school and college students
- young professionals
So, the pandemic is one of the factors that makes TEFL jobs in demand and the trend continues.
2.Remote Education
Remote education has been around for years, and students have learned languages online even before the pandemic. But, once the pandemic happened, remote learning simply exploded.
More and more people started to realize just how easy and accessible it is to learn anything from the comfort of their homes, including English as a foreign language.
Also, more TEFL courses and learning opportunities are still being developed, to meet the increased need for online training and learning opportunities.
All of this brings us to this simple math:
- more learning opportunities
- more students
- more teachers needed
The remote education phenomenon, which grew in size and power so quickly, built a new world of opportunities for TEFL teachers.
3.Constant Shift
Teaching English as a foreign language allows teachers to travel the world and share their knowledge with young students. But, rarely does it happen that TEFL teachers move to another country indefinitely.
Instead, they usually stay for a couple of years, switching schools and countries in the meantime.
Why?
Because TEFL jobs are the perfect combination of professional and personal development. You get to teach, travel, meet new cultures, and explore.
All of this means the following:
- there are countries that constantly need a lot of TEFL teachers (China, Spain, Taiwan, etc.)
- the teachers come and go, making room for new ones
- the constant shift leaves doors for new TEFL teachers wide open at all times
TEFL teachers are in high demand since they're constantly changing locations, and switching schools.
4.Recognizing English as Mandatory
English is already a part of the main learning curriculum in many schools all over the globe. But, there are still those schools that don't offer English classes to all of their students and treat English learning as a matter of choice.
However, this is changing as well.
With the face of the world changing so quickly, educational institutions all over the globe started to realize just how in-demand English is a skill. This made them start thinking about introducing English as a mandatory language for all their students.
College students even need English to find resources for writing a paper or doing a presentation at school. This is because the best scholarly articles and resources are mostly just available in English. And, those who struggle with writing can type "write my research paper for me” in their Google search box, and find custom paper writing services.
Thus, English is being introduced to more and more schools all over the globe, as an essential part of the main students' curriculum.
5.English as A Core Business Skill
Gone are the times when English was considered a great additional skill in your resume and something you can list to impress future employees. Today, English is seen as a core business skill and a mandatory point in everyone's resume.
That’s another factor that makes TEFL jobs more in demand than ever. The need for a high level of English skills in the corporate world makes TEFL teachers highly appreciated and greatly needed.
More and more people want to:
- add English to their list of skills
- boost their resumes
- impress future and current employers
With English becoming such a valuable and essential skill, TEFL jobs are growing in demand and becoming even more popular than before.
Final Thoughts
Being a TEFL teacher today means being a part of a fast-growing sector of language learning. And, it's only going to continue to develop. The high demand for TEFL jobs is a result of the combination of many factors.
The pandemic, the remote education, and the global acceptance of English as mandatory are what make TEFL jobs more in-demand than ever.
Author’s bio. Jessica Fender is a professional writer and educational blogger at Writeload. Jessica enjoys sharing her ideas to make writing and learning fun.
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