Pedagogy: the profession, art or science of teaching. (Referring to yourself as a “pedagogue” might impress your friends, but it’s still just a fancy word for teacher.)

TEFL: Teaching English as a Foreign Language. This involves teaching people (usually while in their own countries) who wish to acquire English skills for business purposes, travel or other personal interest.

TESOL: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

So, now you’ve memorized a few of the industry terms. But you say you’ve got a few more questions? Then by all means, let’s continue.

So, Must I be multi-lingual?

The short answer is “no”. Certainly, having a mastery over multiple languages will assist your interaction with the natives when you are outside of the classroom. However, the good news is that most TEFL programs require only that you are a CELTA certified instructor and a native speaker of English. (Note that some students prefer to learn the American brand of English, while others are satisfied with British-dialect English.)

How is it possible to teach in, say, Japan or Mexico if I only speak English?

Good question. Here’s the answer: experts and veteran foreign language teachers have developed different teaching methods. One widely-used approach is called the Direct Approach, aptly named because it stipulates that students may not use their lingua franca (mother tongue) while in class. This creates a very challenging but effective learning environment. Of late, the Direct Approach has been combined with other methods, but it still holds true that teachers can find many jobs for which they need no foreign languages skills.

You might be interested to know that US government language camps, which specialize in foreign language instruction for ambassadors and military personnel, regularly employ this approach. Total immersion in a new language environment forces students to rely on their aural comprehension skills to adapt to the vastly different learning environment.