I’m sure you’ve already realised that getting TEFL jobs as a non-native speaker can be pretty tough… That’s why in this video I will show you 7 easy-to-follow steps that will help you get jobs as a non-native speaker teacher.
What are you going to learn in the video? Below are the 7 steps I discuss in a lot more detail in the video:
1. Step 1: Understand native speakerism to know how to fight against it
Know thy enemy as they say. Watch this video to find out more.
2. Step 2: Understand why ‘native speakers’ are not better teachers
Recruiters and potential clients will often question your ability to teach English. You’ll also frequently hear that ‘native speakers’ are better teachers. So you need to know exactly how to respond to this.
3. Step 3: Learn to market your unique strengths
It’s easy to forget that as a ‘non-native speaker’ you also have strengths. And you need to use them to convince the recruiter to hire you.
4. Improve your professional profile
Of course, there are times when you’re turned down simply because you’re a ‘non-native speaker’. And that’s clearly wrong.
But have you thought about how many times you might also have been turned out because your profile wasn’t up to scratch?
5. Apply for jobs successfully
As in step 4, clearly some recruiters are simply biased and will never hire a ‘non-native speaker’. However, It might also be the case that HOW you apply for the job just isn’t good enough.
I’ve seen lots of CVs and believe me, many of them leave a lot to be desired. So take a good hard look at yours to see how to improve it.
6. Never EVER give up
I know it’s a cliché, but Rome really wasn’t built in a day. And all successes are preceded by countless failures.
You will need the tenacity to get up and carry on.
7. Reflect, repeat and succeed
The first time you do something, you’re bound to make a good few mistakes. So once you’ve applied this process once, stop and have a think about what you did right, and what didn’t go well.
This is vital to help you succeed.
Hello Marek,
First of all I want to thank you or your 7 steps. I completely agree with you. Looking for a job indeed is a hard work. I´m a native Spanish speaker who loves speaking and teaching languages, Spanish as much as German and English. Personally, i don´t find teaching my mother language easier than a “foreigner” one.
It was a pleasure watching your video. I would like to keep in touch and learn more from you.
Kind regards,
Raquel .
Thanks for your comment, Raquel. I’m glad the video was helpful 🙂
That’s amazing you teach three languages! Wow!
I’ve once also tried teaching Spanish and Polish (my mother tongue), but in the end only continued with English. I completely agree that teaching my mother tongue was not easier than teaching a foreign language. In fact, I’d say it was much more difficult, because I couldn’t really explain anything properly or easily give examples of collocations, etc. Most likely because I had never done it. So I completely lacked the language awareness I have in Spanish and English in particular