TEFL Taster

Questions

TEFL Knowledge

A little TEFL knowledge goes a long way, try these questions, the answers are below.

Do you have to speak the local language to teach English?

A) Yes
B) No

How many people have qualified as teachers with INTESOL WORLDWIDE?

A) 1,000
B) thousands
C) 500

Do you need a degree to teach abroad?

A) Yes
B) No
C) It depends on the country due to visa regulations

Which of the following are the most important points to make sure of when choosing a TEFL course?

A) The course is at least 100 hours long
B) It is accredited by an independent accrediting body
C) The course can be done in a weekend
D) You can get in touch with the course provider to ask any questions you may have

What is the average TEFL contract length?

A) 6 months
B) 12 months
C) 2 months
D) Any of the above

You and your suitability as a TEFL teacher

Some people just aren't cut out for the world of TEFL - let's see if you have what it takes!

Are you a fluent English speaker?

A) Definitely!
B) I wouldn't say fluent
C) No, not at all

How much free time do you have to spend on a course?

A) Plenty
B) Not much, I'm very busy!
C) Barely any

Do you like experiencing new things and visiting new places?

A) I love it!
B) I'm not really too bothered to be honest

Are you looking for a job where it is different every single day?

A) Yes, I love new challenges
B) Not really, I like to know what I'm doing

Are you an enthusiastic person?

A) Yes!
B) Not really

How motivated are you?

A) Very motivated
B) Not very

Country knowledge

Let's see what you know about the places where you're most likely to teach, all the information can be found on the 'places' pages.

Which country has the most positions available for TEFL teachers?

A) Thailand
B) Korea
C) Turkey
D) Japan
E) China

In which countries is your accommodation most likely to be provided for you?

A) Thailand
B) Korea
C) Turkey
D) Japan
E) China

Which countries are the best to go to if you want to go and barter for various wonders at the local markets?

A) Thailand
B) Korea
C) Turkey
D) Japan
E) China

In which places are there age restrictions for TEFL teachers?

A) Thailand
B) Korea
C) Turkey
D) Japan
E) China

TEFL skills

Lastly, we're going to test you on a few skills that you will come across in the course itself. Don't worry if you don't know some of them at this stage as everything you need to know will be covered in the course. This is just a teaser!

Grammar

Stress

Speaking and Writing

TEFL Basics

What are the four skills most commonly used in TEFL?

Which two skills are most commonly used whilst having a face to face conversation?

Which two skills are most commonly used whilst having a conversation through e-mail?

Lesson Plans

How closely do you think the lesson plan should be followed and why?

Answers

TEFL Knowledge

Do you have to speak the local language to teach TEFL?

A) No you don't! In fact, most schools prefer it if you don't. Having said that, a little language knowledge may help you to get by outside of lessons. Sometimes you may be able to negotiate this into your contract or trade English lessons for language lessons.

How many people have qualified as teachers with INTESOL WORLDWIDE?

B) People have qualified as teachers with INTESOL WORLDWIDE since we started way back in 1993. Many of them have gone on to have exciting TEFL careers in various different places.

Do you need a degree to teach abroad?

C) It depends on the country. Many countries do now only employ teachers who have a degree. It will be possible to find work without one though,
it just won't be as easy. For example, some parts of China, Indonesia and Latin America don't always require a degree. Many such as Korea
and Thailand do insist on graduate status although as with anywhere, there are exceptions.

Which of the following are the most important points to make sure of when choosing a TEFL course?

A) The course is at least 100 hours long
To make sure they fit in everything that is necessary, and to comply with regulations, a good course will be at least 100 hours in length. Weekend courses may seem convenient at the time but they're too short to do a good job and won't be accepted as a valid qualification.

B) It is accredited by an independent accrediting body
To make sure that courses are standardised they must be accredited by an independent and therefore objective accrediting body. If they're not then they may just be accrediting themselves which doesn't mean anything if you think about it!

C) You can get in touch with the course provider to ask any questions you may have.
It is important that you can get in touch with the company so that they can answer any questions that you may have. How would you feel if you had an urgent problem and couldn't speak to anyone about it?

What is the average TEFL contract length?

C) Contracts can be anything from 6 to 12 months, sometimes maybe even longer. The average contract however is usually 12 months and in places such as Korea you are unlikely to find anything for a shorter period than this.

You and your suitability as a TEFL teacher

Are you a fluent English speaker?

If you answered A - Great! That's what we need. If you answered B or C - I'm afraid we do need fluent English speakers otherwise you'll have difficulty doing the course, let alone trying to find a job. If you're not quite there yet then brush up on your language skills before enrolling.

How much free time do you have to spend on a course?

If you answered A - That's great, the more time you have the quicker you are likely to finish the course and find a job.
If you answered B - That's fine. Our 100 hour courses are online, so are flexible around work etc and at only 100 hours you'll be done before you know it!
If you answered C - Again don't worry too much. You will have to commit some time to working on your chosen course but our 100 hour online course is flexible around you.

Do you like experiencing new things and visiting new places?

If you answered A - Brilliant! There's no better way of getting to know a place than by living and working there and your enthusiasm and
excitement is bound to rub off on your students.
If you answered B - Fair enough, everyone's different. Living abroad isn't for everyone! However we think you may change your mind once you get out there and explore the different cultures, taste the exciting food and take in the beautiful landscapes and vibrant cities.

Are you looking for a job where it is different every single day?

If you answered A - That's fantastic. Any teaching, including TEFL, is such a rewarding experience as every day is different. You will have to be flexible to the students' needs and 'think outside the box' sometimes to get your point across.
If you answered B - If you're the sort of person who likes to know what they're doing then you may struggle slightly as first but once you get into a routine, hopefully you will feel comfortable with what you're doing. As long as you're sure it's what you want to do and you're willing not to give up
at the first hurdle then chances are you'll be fine!

Are you an enthusiastic person?

If you answered A - Great stuff! Our teachers need to be enthusiastic so that they can get all their students excited about learning.
If you answered B - This may be something you need to work on as enthusiasm is an important quality to have when it comes to teaching.

How motivated are you?

If you answered A - That's what we like to hear! As a TEFL teacher you will need to be able to motivate yourself to make classes fun and interesting, that will be down to you! If you want to make a bit of extra money then you will need to be motivated to go and find other students for private tuition (if your contract allows it)
If you answered B - Are you sure? Some people are a lot more motivated than they give themselves credit for. If you're really not then it may be something you have to work on as motivation is important for a TEFL teacher.

Country knowledge

Which country has the most positions available for TEFL teachers?

All of the countries listed have a very high demand for TEFL teachers. China is likely to have the most jobs available as there are a whopping
300 million people estimated to be learning English right now! Thailand is another one with more than enough jobs, with more teaching positions than there are teachers to fill them.

In which countries is your accommodation most likely to be provided for you?

The countries where you'll usually be provided with somewhere to live are Turkey, Korea, Japan and China. However, it's up to your employer
and all of them are different. Accommodation isn't usually provided in Thailand but there are exceptions - we are one!

Which countries mentioned are the best to go to if you want to go and barter for various wonders at the local markets?

All of them! From the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey to Akihabara electric town in Japan there are markets galore and other amazing
attractions all over the world just waiting for you to visit!

In which places are there age restrictions for TEFL teachers?

The strictest country for age restrictions is Korea as nowhere will accept anyone who's over 35 years of age. Japan also tends to favour younger teachers, in certain regions especially, and you may have trouble if you're over 35. Most other places are fairly relaxed and as long as you're at least 18 (or 21 effectively if you need a degree) then you should be fine. As always, it's best to double check this with your employer before you accept the job.

TEFL skills

Grammar

Use an example of the following in a sentence and underline it

A) A noun
A noun is a word that is used to describe a person, place, animal, thing or abstract idea. Anything such as an apple, a boy, Susie, the zoo or a thought would count as a noun.

B) An adjective
An adjective is used to describe or identify a noun or pronoun, and usually precedes it. For example:

I have a small boat
I don't want a brown banana!
That cave looks really dark and scary.

Stress

The stress is where the emphasis is on a word, try saying the words out loud to work it out.

Arrangement

Consequence

Magazine

Speaking and writing

Write three words that contain the same sound as in the word butcher.
You could have chosen words such as crutch, much, watch etc.

TEFL Basics

What are the four skills most commonly used in TEFL?

Reading, writing, listening and speaking. Don't worry if you didn't get them first time, you will learn about what skills are needed for TEFL
during the course.

Which two skills are most commonly used whilst having a face to face conversation?

Listening and speaking

Which two skills are most commonly used whilst having a conversation through e-mail?

Reading and writing (or typing!)

Lesson Plans

How closely do you think the lesson plan should be followed and why?

It is important that the lesson plan be looked at, especially when you're starting out, but how closely you follow it is up to you. It is best to use it as a point of reference but be flexible at the same time. Some activities may not work very well or may run under or over the time allotted, which is why it's important to be able to think on your feet.

So how did you do? Well done if you did well! Don't worry if you didn�t get many right, all these types of questions and many more will be covered during your TEFL course. This is just a small taster of what's coming!