What is TEFL?
“TEFL” is the acronym for Teaching English as a Foreign Language, or simply, English language instruction for non-native speakers. Also known as Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) or English Language Teaching (ELT), the field of TEFL/TESOL is one of the fastest growing educational fields in the world, presenting thousands of excellent professional opportunities in all corners of the globe to native and fluent English speakers who achieve their TEFL/TESOL certification. These terms are essentially interchangeable in the international English teaching market, at ITTILAGOS our certifications list both terms.


How big is the job market for teaching English abroad?

 According to the British Council, approximately 1.5 billion non-native English speakers take some form of English class each year, including more than 300 million in China alone.

 An estimated 250,000 English speakers work abroad as English teachers in more than 40,000 schools and language institutes around the world.

 Eighty percent of English teachers in non-native English speaking countries – particularly in public schools – are not native English speakers themselves because there are simply not enough native English speaking teachers to meet demand.

 In each major European city like Prague, Madrid and Milan, approximately 3,000 – 5,000 English teachers are working at any given time; each of these cities host 100-250 private language institutes with each school typically employing between 5-20 teachers at a time. These numbers typically double in major Asian cities like Tokyo and Shanghai.

 An estimated 20,000 native English speakers work as English teachers each year inSeoul, South Korea alone.