It is actually extremely common for TEFL course graduates without any previous experience of teaching to go on to have successful careers teaching English online. The demand for online English teachers is so high in many parts of the world that the vast majority of people working in this environment start their first online teaching job without having taught before.
Do I need to know my student's language to teach English online?
Online English teachers can find themselves working with students from a wide array of countries and there is no need to have any understanding of their native language in order to be successful. This is made possible as most virtual classrooms follow the same teaching methodology as traditional English classrooms around the world. Known as total immersion, this methodology is simply the fact that no other language is used in the classroom other than the target language. The intention of this approach is to recreate the experience a language learner would have when visiting an English speaking country. As most students are unlikely to have this option, it is up to the teacher to provide language immersion as best they can within their virtual classroom.
Will a TEFL certificate really help me to teach English online?
Although it is perfectly true that no previous experience of teaching is necessary to start a new career as an online English teacher, it is not the case that any English speaker can simply step into a classroom and instantly become a good teacher. To provide a good standard of teaching in an online or traditional classroom you need to have learnt a wide range of skills and knowledge covering many different subjects. These qualities can all be gained by completing a good quality TEFL certification course before you start your first teaching job. By learning all the basic skills needed by every teacher, such as lesson planning, grammar awareness, and classroom management you will be in a position to apply for the best online teaching jobs and to provide a high standard of instruction to your students.
