i-to-i is 29 years old today!! We’re so happy to have reach this amazing milestone and to have been able to share our passion for teaching with so many of you over the years. We proud to have over 210,000 TEFL graduates worldwide, and we look forward to helping more of you achieve your teaching dreams in the future!
In celebration of our birthday, we’ve pulled together a list of fabulous reasons to TEFL – one for each year of our existence! Enjoy!
1. Boost your confidence
You’ll learn more about your strengths and abilities when you become a teacher, as reflection is encouraged as part of the role. This will boost your confidence, both in the classroom and in your everyday life! As a TEFL teacher you’ll also meet lots of new people, whether you’re teaching online or abroad, so you’ll get more confident speaking to strangers or in front of groups of people. And, by extension, more confident in your ability to make new friends wherever you go!
2. Overseas travel opportunities
TEFL is an easy way to fund your travels or get yourself a stable job overseas. It can be difficult to find roles in other industries if you’re dying to live abroad, but TEFL is a really dependable career that will help you to achieve your travelling dreams! It’s also really flexible and you’ll also be able to fit it around your lifestyle, as you change your priorities or travelling goals. For example, you can start off in a year-long teaching position in a school if you’re looking to settle in one place but then, if you get itchy feet and want to explore, you can become a digital nomad, teaching online while you travel from country to country! The opportunities are endless!
3. Work from home
With post-pandemic life moving away from the office and into the home, online TEFL is a great way to be able to work from the comfort of your own living space, while still enjoying your job! (Because let’s face it, some roles can get a bit boring without the buzz of office life…Not TEFL!)
4. Top up your existing income
TEFL is a great way to earn some extra money on the side, so you can meet those rising costs of living without having to dip into your savings or alter your lifestyle.
5. Build your CV/Resume for your future
Even if you don’t see yourself teaching long-term, TEFL is a great way to get work experience on your CV (especially if you’re straight out of 6th form, college, or university). TEFL will give you the opportunity to demonstrate loads of transferrable skills that you can apply to all sorts of future careers, from PR to hairdressing!
6. Qualified for life
If you get a TEFL qualification from an accredited and reputable provider, that qualification will be valid FOR LIFE. So, you can use it whenever you need it, throughout your working life – amazing right?!
7. Make a difference
By choosing teaching as your profession, you’ll get job satisfaction like no other because you’ll be really making a difference to your students lives. You’re giving them the opportunity to access more, from education to job roles, and helping them to achieve their goals, which is so rewarding and makes any difficult days well worth it!
8. Experience the fun side of teaching
As well as having a big impact, you’ll also get to experience the more creative and ‘fun’ side of teaching. Although you might still have to prep, lesson plan, mark homework, and achieve goals in the same way as a mainstream teacher, you’ll find that employers aren’t as strict on TEFL teachers. For example, you won’t be drowned in paperwork the same way they are, and you’ll have more freedom with your class content. You’ll also often find that your students are more motivated and engaged, so you can really enjoy the teaching experience.
9. Learn about other cultures and traditions
Whether you’re a culture-vulture or just an adventure-hungry traveller, experiencing new ways of living and celebrating is always a bonus and promotes better understanding and cooperation between people. And with TEFL you’ll be able to live like a local, because you’ll be working there, getting to sample local delicacies, take part in events and festivals, and even celebrate traditional holidays.
10. Get qualified quickly
Unlike lots of other teaching qualifications, such as the PGCE, a TEFL qualification can be completed in a little as 6 weeks (depending on the level of training you choose). So, you can get teaching and earning more quickly!
11. Earn good money
Whether you’re teaching in your home country, abroad, or online, your earning potential can be huge. We’re talking up to £45 an hour for specialised positions and £25 an hour for general EFL, with the right qualifications and experience, or up to US$5000 per month in lucrative TEFL locations (like the UAE). Sign us up! Plus, many teaching positions abroad will come with additional benefits such as accommodation, flights, medical insurance and paid visas, meaning more money left over for exploring!
12. Try out teaching before you commit
Not sure if teaching is right for you? No worries! TEFL qualifications are a lot cheaper than most other teaching qualifications, so you’ll be able to try out your future career option without breaking the bank!
13. Meet like-minded people and make friends for life!
Choosing to teach English as a profession will give you the opportunity to work in a super sociable atmosphere. Not only will you work as part of a close-knit team with your colleagues, all of whom will have similar goals to you, you’ll also interact with students and parents every single day. This is great if you’ve moved to another country to teach, as you’ll be given plenty of opportunities to meet tons of new people and make friends for life!
14. Widen your horizons
Whether you opt to teach English online or abroad, TEFL will easily broaden your horizons. From diving into a brand-new culture when you hop off the plane in your chosen TEFL destination to meeting heaps of new people from all over the world through your online lessons, you’ll see and learn things you never knew existed. And you’ll be a better person for it!
15. No two days are the same
As we briefly alluded in Point 2, TEFL is a really interesting job to have and, whether you’re teaching online or abroad, no two days will be the same. So, you’ll never be bored!
16. Job for life
Unlike some jobs that can be replaced by technology, teaching definitely can’t be. There may be language teaching apps out there but they rarely produce good results and the majority of students still prefer a teacher they can actually talk to! So, you’ll have a job for life and a super secure one at that!
17. Opportunity to get creative
As we mentioned in Point 8, you should have a bit more freedom with your class content. This gives you the opportunity to get really creative and make it your own! Having fun and incorporating games is always encouraged!
18. Learn as well as teach
You’ll often find that you learn so much as a TEFL teacher, and it could be anything from learning about an important celebration for a different culture to learning a brand-new language. Keeps life interesting!
19. Get UCAS points for university
If you take our Level 3 TEFL course, you’ll be able to accumulate some UCAS points for university – great news!
20. Career progression
Decided you like teaching but not sure you want to teach English forever? No worries! TEFL will set you up brilliantly with the skills and experience you need to be an excellent candidate for a number of different teaching careers.
21. Opportunity to be your own boss
If you choose to become a freelance TEFL teacher, you’ll be your own boss. So, you’ll be able to set your own working hours, decide your own rates, and pick what type of classes you want to teach. Sounds good to us!
22. Personal growth
When we speak to our TEFL graduates, the feedback we often get is that becoming a TEFL teacher will help you realise who you are and what’s important. You’ll learn so much about yourself and what you’re capable of by TEFLing your way around the world!
23. You’ll be in demand
The demand for TEFL teachers worldwide is only growing and TEFL positions are constantly opening up, as there are always more and more people who want to learn English! So, you’ll be able to pick the roles that are right for you when you’re looking for a TEFL job, rather than having to settle (which you might have to if jobs were rare).
24. Make amazing memories
TEFL provides the opportunity for you to experience endless adventures, which will leave you with some amazing memories and stories to tell. Remember the saying “you only regret the things you don’t do”? Well, that’s because when you’re older and have time to reflect, you want to have some great things to reflect on! And you won’t be able to do that if you don’t do anything…
25. More sun!
For those of you that come from gloomier parts of the world (UK residents we’re looking at you…), TEFL provides the opportunity to live in sunnier climes and soak in that Vitamin D all year round. There’s a reason some of the friendliest people on earth live in countries that receive the most sun – it definitely makes you nicer!
26. Flexible working
We’ve touched on this in Point 21, but flexible working doesn’t just apply to those working as Freelance teachers. If you’re an online teacher, you’ll often be able to set your own hours of working with your employer (as long as you meet their minimum requirements, which are usually pretty low), so you can fit TEFL around your existing lifestyle.
27. Longer holidays
If you’re teaching in a school, you’ll have more holidays than most other jobs! Think at least 6 weeks in summer, and 1–2 week long half-terms, where you’ll have to time to relax and explore to your heart’s content!
28. Inspire the next generation
If you’re teaching young learners, you’ll be shaping the minds of the next generation. That means you can have a positive impact and influence on the people they are going to become, which is an important and really rewarding role to have.
29. Learn more about your own language
If English is your mother tongue, you probably take it for granted. You might even make mistakes that you aren’t aware of! Training to TEFL takes you back to the building blocks of English, teaching you all about the structure and shape of the language. This can actually help to improve your abilities in your own language, so you’ll see the benefits in your own life as well as the lives of your students!
Already TEFL qualified and ready to find your perfect role? Head to the LoveTEFL jobs board for all the latest vacancies!
