What the work is
An English teacher helps children or adults understand, speak, read and write English. They work in a school, a university, a language centre or online, prepare students for exams such as IELTS and CEFR, choose materials to fit learners’ levels and goals, mark work and give feedback that helps people improve rather than scaring them with mistakes.
A typical day
Planning a lesson: the aim, a warm-up, new vocabulary, pair practice. Three or four classes with groups at different levels. A one-to-one session with a student preparing for IELTS, going through an essay against the criteria. Marking homework. Choosing authentic material — podcasts, articles, videos — for next week.
How to start
- Prove your own level with an international exam.
- Study teaching methodology: the communicative approach, error correction, assessment.
- Try tutoring or volunteer classes.
- Consider an international teaching certificate — language centres value it.
Related professions
School teacher, methodologist, tour guide, preschool teacher.