Job Discussion Forums

[curioustraveler]

I�m thinking about getting into TEFL. I�m noticing that many places will take you even if your BA isn�t in English or Education. So the million-dollar question is� How knowledgeable does a person really need to be to teach English. Does it matter???

[santi84]

Get the BA that teaches you how to explain the difference between present perfect progressive, past perfect progressive, and future perfect progressive! I'm not sure which one that is

[purple_piano]

I would say that it helps to care about how the language is constructed.

One of my tutors said to me once "You don't need to know everything, you just need to know in detail the topic that you are teaching your students that day."

Get yourself a good grammar reference book. As a native speaker you'll know what is "right" and what is "wrong" but you need to know WHY it's right/wrong.

[naturegirl321]

I found the thing that helps is the grammar explanations at the back of the books for students.

And if you don't know something, just admit it and tell the students that you'll find out the answer for the next class.

[hollysuel]

[Kaspar Hauser]

"How knowledgeable does a person really need to be to teach English. Does it matter???"

This has to be just about the most moronic thing I've ever seen in Dave's ESL Cafe. This goofball wants to teach English but wonders if it's really necessary to know anything about what you teach. Is it any wonder that other academics don't take us seriously?

[jdl]

It may be more important to have skills as a teacher; perhaps even be a certificated teacher. To use a sports analogy, 'Not all players make good coaches'. Don't get the two skill sets confused. Although knowledge of the trade is important; equally important is the ability to teach. Both come with training and experience.

[daemonic]

How can you teach something if you dont' know anything about what you are teaching, that's one. Grammar questions, other than the ones listed in your book for that particular lesson will come up, depending on weather you're teaching adults or kids, that's two. If you want to stay away from the grammar explenation part, than stick to kindergarden and elementary school teaching. Instead focus on being able to explain the difference between "a lot of" and "many", that's three. The rest will fall into place with time and experience.

[Kevin_NY]

I am half way through an MA in TESL and I find this question offensive and insulting....

[stillnosheep]

Really?

Far from being a stupid question it seems to me to be a very good one.

The vast majority of EFL teachers have neither a degree in English nor Education. Neither extensive explicit knowledge of the rules of English grammar nor of syntax is needed or expected of a tefl trainee. The ability to learn about these subjects is, as is the ability to learn how to help learners increase their ability to communicate, and perhaps even one day acquire proficiency, in the use of, English themselves.

The ability to use language well and to help others to do the same is important. The names, forms and uses of the various tenses, moods and aspects can be acquired along the way.

[fluffyhamster]

How much does an EFL/ESL teacher need to know about the language they'll be teaching? As much as possible, the object being IMHO primarily to be able to identify, marshal and organize those indispensable features of the language (it can't yet all be learnt at once, unfortunately!) that need to be included and covered if not made "obvious" (ultimately in terms of meaning and function, if not structure) in a course.* Lexicogrammars such as the COBUILD English Grammar would seem helpful in this regard.

A recent thread asking about grammar books - what constitutes a good (good enough) one for ELT purposes?
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=68841

*As opposed to the object being e.g. to "impress" (help?) students or even fellow teachers with one's grasp of terminology (assuming one could settle on some, given the complexity of language and the resulting range of analyses!).

[daemonic]

Lexicogrammars, grammar books? Jesus christ, most students really need to learn how to speak properly. A lot of teachers try to teach students grammar, but who the hell cares? Unless the students are at a very high level and ask themselves to learn the terminology and such. Do native speakers learn their English starting with grammar? Shit no, so instead of trying to teach people grammar, learn it yourself so that you can use it in teaching conersation using the grammar. Most people don't know the ins and outs behind grammar in their own language. Most ESL teachers don't. Teaching grammar is a quick and easy way of putting your students to sleep, if that is your goal in class. Give them things to do, role plays, exercises etc, grammar and that crap can stay on your desk for your own use.

[spiral78]

It seems there is a distinction between career-level teachers and those who approach the job a bit more casually in terms of the importance assigned to knowledge of the subject matter:)

I agree with fluffyhamster, and use COBUILD with many of my students - they like it

[daemonic]

Perhaps they have never studied English in a way that would actually facilitate their conversational skils in every day settings rather than staring at descriptions of grammatical rules for hours at a time.

[fluffyhamster]