Hands-on Teacher Training at Greystone College
Fewer employment opportunities for teachers in the public school system has led many to refocus in on the ever-strengthening English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching market. By adding a TESL Canada (Teachers of English as a Second Language in Canada) approved teaching certificate to their teaching arsenal, or to their undergraduate degree, these new teachers will find themselves leapfrogging to the front of the classroom much more quickly.
One only needs to look at the demand for ESL teachers abroad; postings promoting opportunities to teach abroad extend from Craigslist to University Employment Fairs to traditional Job Boards and newspaper classifieds. New teachers wanting to see the world and teach English are finding a pathway to pay down those student loans, see the world and live their passion for teaching.
Closer to home, Vancouver is an ESL hub with international students arriving here from all four corners of the planet. Language schools are constantly looking for qualified instructors and go into a virtual hiring frenzy for the summer months when international student numbers balloon. Linda Moore, Academic Director for ILSC-Vancouver commented, “Our need for teachers has reached epic proportions and there is no end in sight. It is no longer just a summer phenomenon, the need is year round.”
Getting a TESL Canada approved teaching certificate can take as little as one month fulltime plus practicum or can be done part time in the evening over as few as 3 months. A recent graduate from the Greystone College TESOL 130 Program, Evan Pierre Daigle, described his experience, “I found the teachers to be knowledgeable and the curriculum appeared very well planned. It was a really positive experience. The college helped me apply to some language schools, and I had a job less than a week after I graduated.”
