While it seems that this topic is more opinion than research, I would argue that it is a research-supportable fact that completing a TESOL course is a good idea for anyone who is interested in a wide variety of things, including travel, teaching, volunteering, experiencing cultures different from one’s own, and gaining insight into one’s native culture. Besides all of these interest areas, there is the obvious connection to language and linguistics that appeals to many. By teaching a language, or indeed any subject, one consequently learns a great deal more about it. TESOL is a job opportunity in itself, but has the added appeal of enhancing any number of related subjects and careers.

The most obvious benefit of TESOL is the chance to spend one’s time in personal interactions, mutually beneficial for teacher and student, which produce tangible successes and results. Teaching is an immensely gratifying experience, no matter how difficult or frustrating the environment. Students are generally grateful for the instruction, and in many experiences, teachers can see their work changing peoples lives for the better. It is a hard pursuit, but the satisfaction is equally great.

Secondly, and perhaps more commonly attributed to the benefit of taking a TESOL course, are the immensely varied job opportunities that result. From a relatively small amount of preparatory effort (one twenty unit course, as opposed to three years of law school or eight years of medical school) one will see a huge world of opportunities open up. There is a substantial demand for EFL teachers in the majority of the countries around the world, and in some, a severe shortage of applicants for these positions, creating competitive salaries and desirable employment situations. If it seems too difficult to find a teaching position, a multitude of placement organizations exist to fulfill that need. Organizations like Peace Corps, Global Volunteers and the Fulbright Teaching Fellowship Program are available at the click of a mouse-button. Taking a TESOL course is a passport to anywhere in the world.

The global aspect of this qualification carries additional variables that can be tailored to one’s desired situation; location, student age and skill level, length and intensity of teaching position, and local language. For this latter element, there is a huge appeal for most people interested in TESOL, as people who teach often have a parallel desire to continue gaining knowledge in their field.

Continuing education is another opportunity associated with a TESOL qualification. There are unending opportunities to constantly improve one’s teaching ability, learn about the culture one is teaching in, and even a possibility of researching and eventually teaching TESOL courses! With the head start in teaching experience that TESOL certification provides, one might end up teaching any number of subjects, from environmental education to specially designed International Economics courses.

Taking a TESOL course is a good idea for almost anyone who wants to contribute to the world at large, their own lives and that of many individual others. It is a great opportunity to travel and explore, in the truest sense of cultural immersion and interaction. In the age of instant information and fast living, language still requires interpersonal contact; it is an artistic necessity for a globalized world.

Holly Carpenter