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Employment Opportunities

Teachers looking for ESL employment will find many opportunities, both in the United States and around the world. Instructors in the U.S. teach children and adults who immigrate into the country from other areas of the world. Other instructors travel to countries around the world to help English students perfect their conversational language in preparation for international employment or sometimes in preparation for attendance at an English-speaking university.
ESL employment in the united states

ESL employment is a growing field within the variety of subjects taught in the U.S. This is especially true in states with large numbers of immigrants from Spanish speaking countries, such as Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, and from countries in Central America and South America. States that have a high demand for ESL teachers are Texas, New York, Illinois, California, and Florida, but there are ESL teachers in most states in the U.S. ESL teachers are often bi-lingual and are fluent in both languages. Some come from families who spoke a second language in their home as they grew up, so they are as fluent in a language, such as Spanish or another language, just as they are in English.
ESL employment in the U.S.

Each state in the U.S. has laws requiring the education and training that a teacher needs to be certified, or licensed in ESL. Teachers must be licensed to teach the subject and age group that they are trained to instruct. For example, a teacher licensed in elementary education can teach grades one through six in many states, while a high school teacher is usually licensed to teach only grades seven through twelve. A prospective teacher looking for ESL employment in the U.S. needs to contact the State Board of Education in which they hope to teach, and then they will need to complete courses that lead to licensing.

Preparing for employment
If a teacher candidate has a bachelor’s degree from another country, they will usually need to complete courses to earn a Master’s Degree in TESOL or a Master’s Degree in Linguistics, which is accepted by some states. Most master’s programs take students about two years as they complete linguistics courses in English as well as in language acquisition, and studies in literacy and culture. The ESL student teacher also learns many details about the culture in which they hope to teach since language and culture are closely related. For example, teachers must know how to address students and parents, and to observe the customs of those who enter their classrooms. When this respect is established, the teacher’s relationship with the students and their parents is reinforced, making instruction much easier to accomplish. Some courses may be completed online, while others require classroom hours while the teacher works directly with ESL students.

Teaching English overseas
There are many opportunities for those who want to teach English overseas in any English-speaking country or English as a second language country. These include countries in China, Japan, India, Thailand, Korea, Europe, and other locations. Those who teach in these countries do not only teach elementary English – they also work with teens and adult students who want to learn conversational English that is best taught by a native English-speaking teacher. There are long-term and short-term assignments for teachers since some regular American instructors travel overseas for short-term assignments only in the summer months when their schools are closed.

Volunteer and paid esl employment
Although some teachers take paid positions to teach in Asia, Africa, or in other areas, many of them volunteer to teach in other countries. They do this for many reasons, including the chance to experience another culture. Another reason many do this is to make a contribution to the world community.

International Student Exchanges

There are various online international student exchanges that place students in schools in other countries. They also arrange for guests to live with a host family while they are living away from home.

International student exchanges worldwide
It is possible for students to travel overseas from the United States to attend schools all around the world to participate in international student exchanges. A foreign exchange program trades a student from another area of the world with one from the United States for a predetermined amount of time, such as a semester or school year. Programs can be for high school or college learners, and some are work programs that require a learner to have a potential job in the U.S. before they can enter the U.S. Schools that are interested in hosting exchange students contact organizations who accept applications from those who are interested in attending school in another area of the world.

Benefits of attending school in another country
There are many benefits of attending school in another country. It is a good way to experience the everyday culture of the area by actually living there. It provides experience that cannot be found by simply touring as a guest. Another benefit is that they can hear the language as it is spoken by those native to the area. This provides the benefit of hearing real language that is spoken with the proper accent and pronunciation. Additionally, students get a wider view of the world as they live and attend school in a foreign region. They can experience the similarities of others who live in there, and they can see how much they are similar to those students. They may even develop a better appreciation for their own country if they are involved in international student exchanges in a country that limits the freedoms of its citizens.

Families who host students
International student exchanges need families to host students from ages 15 through 18 as they attend school while they are visiting. Those who come to the U.S. to attend school stay with a family, and though this experience they learn a lot about the American culture. They are expected to be active members of the family which includes eating meals with them. For the most part, they go where the family goes, such as shopping and visiting family and friends. Students bring their own money for their personal expenses, such as school supplies and lunches. The responsibility of the family is to ensure the student’s well-being and safety. Most organizations require that the learner be given a separate bedroom in which to stay. Learners must be able to speak and understand the language used in the family they are staying with. They must also have proven ability of success in the academic program in their home town, and they must have the flexibility and adaptability to live away from their family for a semester or year.

Schools who act as hosts
High schools recognize the benefits of having foreign learners attend their schools. These guests offer unique perspectives to class discussions and group work. They give students in their host school a wider view of their home country, and they act as ambassadors for their countries. Learners in a hosting school often remark that their impression of those from the home region of the young person is positively affected after seeing how much they and the student have in common.

U.S. department of homeland security monitoring
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security screens students before they enter the U.S. as international guests. One of its departments, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) provides Homeland Security with any requested information on a student. Visas for those participating in international student exchanges are also issued through SEVP.
How exchanges place learners

International student exchanges act as the intermediary between those who want to study in another region of the world, schools looking for these learners, and families who are interested and qualified to host these young people. First of all, learners must be good students who have an excellent chance of success in the region they are visiting. The school must be receptive of hosting a young person from another area of the world. Finally, families must be emotionally healthy and able to provide a good experience for the visitor that represents typical American life.