Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) is a rewarding and fulfilling career. As you teach your students about the English language, they’ll teach you about their own cultures and languages. You’ll also find that there are plenty of opportunities to teach English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) at home and abroad – and many schools, especially those abroad, are desperate for trained and qualified TESOL professionals.

Whether you want to break into a TEFL/TESOL career or you’ve already started one, earning your Master’s in TESOL can help you command a better salary, qualify for more opportunities at home and abroad, and leave you with a better understanding of the TEFL/TESOL environment. You’ll have the confidence to be more assertive in the way you manage your classes, and the experience and education to make TEFL/TESOL a lasting career.

Gain a Deeper Understanding of the TEFL/TESOL Environment

One of the biggest benefits of earning a master’s degree in any field is that it leaves you with a much more thorough understanding of the historical progression of the field, including the most important issues in the field. A Master’s in TESOL or TEFL is no exception.

Many of your classes will emphasize TESOL teaching theory, and this will leave you with a better understanding of the pedagogical underpinnings of what you may already be doing in class. You’ll learn to look more closely at what you’re doing as a teacher. You’ll get a feel for some of the past and current problems in TEFL/TESOL teaching, and you’ll leave the program prepared to follow along with advancements in your field as theories about English language teaching evolve. You’ll be able to start preparing lessons and using techniques because you understand and believe in the research that proves their efficacy, not just because other teachers are doing it that way or because someone in a training workshop told you to do it that way. You’ll become an expert in the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages.

Earn More Money and Qualify for More Opportunities

Earning your Master’s in TESOL online will open up a whole new world of professional opportunities to you. Many English teacher jobs, especially abroad, still don’t require applicants to have a Master’s in TESOL or TEFL; they’re just looking for people who have a bachelor’s degree in any subject, speak English natively, and are currently alive. But, as the TEFL/ TESOL environment gets more competitive, that could change. In five or ten, English-language schools abroad could require applicants to have a Master’s in TEFL or TESOL as a minimum qualification. If you want to make your career in TESOL or TEFL, it’s a good idea to go ahead and get the Master’s in TESOL now, so you won’t have to worry about it later.

Besides, while you might be able to get an entry-level English teaching job without a Master’s in TESOL/TEFL or an MEd or any other kind of graduate degree, you may not be able to advance any further than an entry level position. The job you could get now without a Master’s in TESOL may not be the job you’ll want as you grow older and grow into your career. A Master’s in TESOL can help you qualify for the really plum jobs with great salaries and benefits, such as those in international schools, especially if you can pair it with expertise in an additional subject or some experience teaching in your home country. If you want to teach TEFL/TESOL in the United States, a Master’s in TESOL is absolutely a requirement. You may even be able to teach at the university level someday with a master’s degree under your belt.

Get Your Degree in Your Own Time

If you’re already teaching abroad or at home and looking for a way to earn your master’s without putting your career on hold, online education is for you. You can earn your Master’s in TESOL online in your own time, by taking courses at the time of day that works best for you. And since you’ll be taking classes over the Internet, you don’t need to worry about being in the same city – or even the same country – as your school and professors. Online Master’s in TESOLs programs are designed to cater to cohorts made up of working adults in far-flung places.

Many young people seek out English teaching jobs abroad as a sort of youthful adventure or an escape from a bad job market at home. But if you want to make teaching English to speakers of other languages your lifelong career, you need to prepare yourself for the challenges ahead by earning a Master’s in TESOL now. Become an expert in your field, and qualify for the teaching jobs of your dreams with online education.