TEFL Ireland
TEFL Ireland (Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Ireland) is growing rapidly as Ireland is an internationally recognised destination for learning and teaching English. TEFL teachers who are trained in Ireland, with recognised qualifications, have very good chances of getting teaching jobs in Ireland and overseas.
TEFL Ireland Training Courses
There are a number of excellent TEFL training schools, colleges and online courses throughout Ireland to help you get a recognised qualification to teach in Ireland or overseas. Many of these do not have entry requirements apart from a good command of English (for example, Cambridge CAE) if you are not a native English language speaker.
TEFL training courses range from 20 hours to 120+ hours. There are many ways these courses are offered:
* Part-time
* Full-time
* Intensive weekend courses
* Online
A combination of two or more of the above are also offered and there can be a lot of flexibility to suit you if you are already working or need a course in the fastest time possible. You can search online to see which training course is most suitable for your needs.
If you just want a taster of a TEFL course to see if it is right for you then a short 20 hour course would be the quickest and cheapest option for you. If you then decide to go further you will certainly benefit from this initial course to help you with more intensive courses. If you want to have a TEFL career you will need to get an internationally recognised TEFL qualification.
TEFL Ireland Qualifications
TEFL qualifications in Ireland are administered by “ACELS” (the Accreditation and Co-ordination of English Language Services), Department of Education & Science, Ireland.
There are two TEFL qualifications offered in Ireland:
1 Certificate in English Language Teaching (CELT)
All successful trainees who are awarded this certificate are eligible to work in all Department of Education & Science recognised English language (ELT) schools in Ireland.
2 Preparatory TEFL Qualification
Certificate for the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language to Secondary Level Students (State Qualified Teachers). This course is open to state-qualified teachers (and those in their final year of training). All successful trainees who are awarded this certificate are eligible to work in the Junior EFL sector in all Department of Education & Science recognised schools in Ireland.
These qualifications are offered in recognised schools and colleges in Ireland and in some countries overseas. A list of these can be found in the ACELS website (see below)
TEFL Ireland Resources
Every teacher needs books and materials to teach English and there are numerous to choose from. Most of these are published by British or American writers and publishers.
It can be difficult and time consuming to find TEFL resources to teach English in Ireland or overseas that have an Irish theme. However, there is now a website aimed at just that! The “Learning English in Ireland” website has many books, worksheets and CDs, printed and downloadable, to help you with your TEFL Ireland courses and also if you want to teach some TEFL classes overseas with an Irish theme.