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The Best Online Guide to ESL Reference Materials

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Dec 27, 2012 Eve Hullett, Distance-Education.org Columnist | 0 Comments

ESL is the abbreviation for “English as a Second Language”. It refers to the teaching of the English language to individuals whose native language is not English. In this sense, English is the learners’ second language though in cases where the learners speak more than one language, it can be their third or fourth language, and so on. Millions of people around the world are interested to learn English because it’s one of the most widely used languages in the world. There are some 375 million native English speakers and anywhere from half a billion to one billion people who speak English as a second language.

For people who are thinking of becoming an ESL teacher, there are plenty of opportunities. According to a report by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2010, approximately 20 percent of the country’s 281 million people aged 5 and above spoke a language other than English in their homes. For a time period of 27 years from 1980 to 2007, the overall growth of the U.S. population was 34 percent but the growth of non-English speaking population was a staggering 140 percent. This means that the demand for ESL teachers in America is very high and the job outlook is bright with a forecasted growth rate of 15 percent through 2018. As more immigrants arrive in America, there will be even a greater demand for ESL teachers in the future.

In most states, the minimum educational requirement for ESL teachers is a bachelor’s degree in English or Education. People with degrees in other disciplines may enroll in a Teaching English as a Foreign Language certification program. Once these educational requirements are fulfilled, ESL teachers are required to obtain their license from the state where they will be teaching. It’s best to check with the specific state because each state has its own licensing prerequisites. ESL teachers are required to have a great command of the language so that they can instruct the students in speaking, reading, and writing English. In some cases, ESL teachers may be teaching at the elementary level but in other cases, they may be teaching in adult education programs.

ESL teachers enjoy a great number of benefits including a comfortable mean annual salary of $51,000 to $55,000, high employment growth, choice of various settings, and so on. Some ESL teachers love the idea of being able to learn more about different cultures but at the same time, it can be quite a challenge to teach individuals of some vastly different cultures where they have no prior exposure to the English language at all. As the ESL teachers have to ensure that the students improve in their English skills, the job can be quite pressurizing and emotionally draining.

In this modern age, ESL teachers can take advantage of the vast treasure trove of resources on the Internet to make their job and life much easier. There are printable handouts, awesome lesson plans, webquests, quizzes, multimedia resources, online lessons, games, tests, and more for all levels. Here, you will find the best online guide to ESL reference materials on the Internet.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eve Hullett

With years of experience in the field of non-profit education, Eve has done it all. From teaching to tutoring, Eve has worked with hundreds of students to help them succeed in their pursuit of a college education. Today, when Eve is not enjoying a day of hiking, she spends her time writing articles on the strategies and methods of being a good student and fulfilling your goals for a college education.

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