In my experience of 32 years in the ELT trade I have seen and worked in most sectors and I have one thing to say: it’s about time that the majority of EFL teachers who teach general English move on to develop their career in teaching ESP, Business English, modern Greek or even becoming a translator.
By Maria Alafogianni, A simple EFL teacher & co-founder of PACE
The pandemic brought on great changes overnight. Why not certify your ICT skills and become a qualified online English teacher? Sure we learned how to teach online but we need to provide proof of our skills and competences to a prospective employer not only in Greece but also in Europe and in the rest of the world. Bear in mind that C2 certificate holders with ELT training can work in many countries especially online.
Another field that shows great promise and that is always in need for qualified teachers is that of ESP and Business English. Maybe this is the time to focus on re-training yourself to teach English to entrepreneurs. The demand for qualified Business English teachers is increasing globally and online teaching has no borders.
Another area you could focus on, is ESP (English for Academic Purposes). There are courses available to train you to teach English for law, tourism and many others professions.
Taking one step further you can also move on to the translation industry. Who better to engage themselves in the field than teachers of English? There are many courses at tertiary education level –all available online.
Digital campuses are becoming the norm nowadays. If you have some experience in translating, you can even continue on to a post- graduate course. You will eventually enrich your knowledge and open new business opportunities both nationally and internationally.
Take into account that once you’ve completed your intended course, PACE will assist you in setting up your own freelance services.
Last but not least why not become a teacher of Greek for foreigners? There are so many foreign nationals who want to learn Greek either because they are living here or they love Greece or they want to visit our country. Really let’s be honest who can teach better than an EFL teacher? There are many institutions that offer this training. There are international organizations that train and certify you. All you need to do is discover what you really want to specialize in, do your market research, see what really suits you, check out prices and your own schedule and go for it.
Speaking from personal experience you won’t regret it! •
