A new year, a new adventure! TEFL is waiting for you in 2024, so let this year be the year you take the plunge and go for it! It can be a big decision to make a career change, learn a new skill or move to a new country, but a big decision brings big personal (and professional) rewards. You might even discover benefits you never knew you could find in TEFL. If you’re still waivering about whether or not you should become a TEFL teacher this year, check out our 10 reasons to TEFL in 2024! 

See the world!

Having a TEFL certificate can be your passport to the world. Your opportunities are endless and incredibly exciting. If you’ve always dreamed of seeing it, then this is an excellent chance for you to do so. If you’d like the extra security of working while travelling, TEFL is the ideal industry. In 2024, you can find TEFL opportunities in a lot of countries, so you really can make a dent in your travel bucket list.

Whether your dream is to tick off different places or get to know a new place in a more in-depth way, both are possible with a TEFL qualification. The beauty of it is, that you can take a TEFL course without having an particular plan and then see what opportunities come your way later! Book that flight and figure the rest out later!

Do something different 

The past few years haven’t been easy for everyone with covid, war and cost of living struggles affecting a lot of people, some of which will unfortunately still continue in 2024. If you feel like you need a change and to get out there and do something different, then TEFL could be the answer for you! Now is the time to make a change if you want to break out of your comfort zone and have a new experience.

TEFL jobs can come in shorter contracts of 6 or 9 months or longer ones up to 1-2 years. You might want to escape for a year and then settle back home – there’s nothing wrong with this at all. TEFL can be convenient for those who don’t want to move away permanently, but want to gain experience of living abroad and shaking up the routine. Lots of people do this wish also helps with the demand of TEFL teachers worldwide.

Demand 

The demand for English language teachers still continues to grow. If you have the skills to be able to contribute, then go for it! Students around the world need English to communicate at work, to be able to travel or to study a degree. With this demand, there are lots of opportunities waiting for TEFL teachers. English is very important on a global scale, so you can use your skills to meet this demand.

The beauty of TEFL is that you might end up in a country you never imagined you would as there are job offers in so many different places. Popular destinations include Spain, Italy, Thailand and Ecuador – you can cover the globe with your TEFL skills!

Easier than ever 

The online world has made it easier than it’s ever been to get qualified. You can take an online TEFL course and be qualified in under a month! You can imagine yourself teaching in Thailand within 3 months and, thanks to our convenient courses, make that happen.

All without having to attend any face-to-face classes. If you don’t want to travel abroad to teach, you can become an online TEFL teacher. There are many opportunities for online teachers now so you can find work in a more flexible way and still be able to honour any commitments or responslibilties you have in your home country.

Get to know a new culture 

They say that travel broads the mind, and it is absolutely true. While going on holiday to places can be enriching, there’s no better way to get to know a new country, culture and local people than by spending an extended period of time in that country. With time, you can get to know the local customs and traditions on a deeper level and take the time to learn how the locals live. Even if you experience a bit of culture shock at first, you can end up falling in love with a country and its culture. You’ll never know until you try and make an effort.

Meet people 

The people you meet in the world of TEFL can be like no others. You can meet like-minded people who are also passionate about teaching, travelling and exploring. You can share your experiences and doubts with them as you are all going through similar experiences. Forming your community of friends is important when you live abroad and they can become your family away from family.

Meeting your fellow TEFL teachers and students from all over the world can allow you to get new know people from all backgrounds and open your mind. The friendships you make during these unique adventures often last a lifetime as it really does create a special bond between people. You will find yourself keeping in touch and even planning future adventures with your new friends.

Not just a gap year 

If you want to take a year away from your 9-5 job, then TEFL could be a great idea. People often take gap years/ sabbiticals but don’t do a lot with them. With TEFL, you can take the year (or more) and teach. When (or if) you return to your home country, you’ll have spent the year continuing to learn skills and gaining useful professional and person experience. This looks great on your CV if you want to get a job in a different field in the future as you will learn transferable skills. You’ll also be earning money during your time away, so you don’t need to worry as much about your finances as you will have some income.

Learn a language 

Immersion is the best way to learn a language. If you’d like to pick up a new lingo and put it into practice. You should take the opportunity to take classes or practise with locals at language meet-ups. You’ll pick up a very marketable new skill by learning another language. You will pick up some good pronunciation learning in a local environment.

You’d be surprised how much you can pick up from your students in the classroom, even if you don’t use that language with them. You might hear new phrases or learn something from translations with your students. You might even feel more curious to explore their language to learn more about the common mistakes they make, so that you can understand them better in the classroom and on their learning journey.

A range of opportunities 

Not only can you find exciting work all over the world, but there is also a great variety of work that you can get into. Most teachers start out by teaching adult learners and young learners. As you gain experience, you can also branch out into Business English, Exam English or private lessons. If you want to further your TEFL career, you can also eventually move into materials development or teacher training. Your TEFL experience doesn’t have to stop at spending a year away, it can be a rewarding career that your first flight is only the beginning of!

If you’re interested in expanding your TEFL skills in 2024, you should check out our specialist courses. They can give your CV that extra boost as well as give you confidence to explore a new TEFL area outside of General Engish. Many countries look for teachers for young learners so having this qualification will help your application. If you’re hesitant to teach online, then perhaps one of our Teaching English Online courses will be exactly what you need to get going!

Make an impact 

With English being one of the world’s most in-demand languages, you can really see how your work makes an impact on your students’ lives. The feeling of helping a student pass an exam or gain employment gives you a sense of accomplishment in your work. In today’s climate, knowing English can change someone’s life, and you can be a big part of that by giving them the tools and knowledge to progress in a new language.

You can also use your skills to volunteer to teach refugees and migrants who need English to help them settle into English-speaking countries such as the UK or Ireland. Being displaced due to war, poverty, or religious persecution is all too common these days. You can help make the world a little bit better by lending your teaching skills to an organisation that provides English lessons to refugees. 

So, there we go. If you only needed one reason to take a TEFL course, you’ve got plenty to choose from. The benefits of TEFL can be endless, and there are truly positive things that it can bring to your life. There may even be things you didn’t consider before, which will become your biggest advantage.

If you’re still not sold on TEFL in 2024, then we might have to present to you the top 20 reasons – there are that many positive things about taking the TEFL plunge! Make 2024 your TEFL year and sign up for one of our online TEFL courses today. You never know where this will lead you. Just think, in a year’s time you could be in a completely different place and living a whole new adventure.