|
1. Can the E-Guide be printed out or must I read it
on the screen?
The E-Guide has been compiled as a pdf file and is
downloaded and read with Acrobat Reader (available
free if you don’t already have it). And yes, for your convenience,
it can also be printed out.
2. Do I need any special background in education or in
teaching to become a personal ESL Trainer?
Absolutely not! The field is peopled with trainers of
very diverse backgrounds, and it is the rare few that enter
into this particular aspect of the field with academic
qualifications and/or classroom experience. You should,
however, be ‘qualified’ – as a person – in
the ways I specified in my introduction. So, if you
haven’t already read it, click on the
Introduction now
for a more comprehensive answer to your question. 3. What is the difference between an ‘ESL Trainer’
and an ‘ESL Teacher’?
The accepted definition of an ESL Teacher is
someone who is
academically trained and licensed to teach in formal settings
(for example, state schools). The definition of an ESL Trainer
is harder to pin down: He may or may not be academically trained and
licensed (many are). He may or may not be Tefl certified (most are).
The important distinction is that the trainer teaches in commercial settings,
such as language institutes, et cetera.
4. Is Tefl certification a pre-requisite to
getting a job in a language institute?
Yes and no. Some employers require it but most view it simply as
a sign of good faith. Commercial institutions hire people whom
they feel can do the job well. Since their contracts are normally
for the duration of the courses only and they don’t provide for
any benefits, they are freer to choose than, say, a high school
ESL department chairman.
5. Could the E-Guide serve as an alternative to a Tefl
training course?
The E-Guide limits itself to 1:1 instruction – which
is only one aspect of ESL Training. However, the guiding principles, basic
techniques and materials’ sources are very similar to those of
classroom instruction.
6. Is there a difference
between ESL Trainers and ESL tutors?
Absolutely! A tutor, like a personal trainer, works 1:1.
And, like the trainer, the tutor needn’t be certified in
order to find employment. However, a personal trainer
determines the course of instruction whereas a tutor works
on materials and priorities predetermined by someone or
something else (the learner’s classroom teacher or
examination requirements, for example). And, because the
personal trainer both designs and implements the course, his
fees are higher.
| 
