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Why take a TESOL specialisation?

Why take a TESOL specialisation?

Whether it is a specialisation in young learners, business, grammar, phonetics or teaching practice, adding a specialist qualification to your core TESOL certificate can make the world of difference to your teaching prospects and earning potential.  In this article I've outlined four key reasons why such a course can be so valuable for your teaching career.

1. A TESOL specialist course shows you are keen on Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
A specialisation tells your employer that you see EFL as a profession rather than just a job, showing that you believe a TEFL career is worth investing in as you seek to become even more knowledgeable. Particularly consider adding a specialism if you took your initial TESOL course a few years ago and have not since updated your skills. Either way, an extra TESOL specialisation can make the difference between an ordinary CV and an extraordinary one.

2. A TESOL specialist course helps you stand out from the crowd
This is because most of those in the profession take only an initial TESOL and teach off the back of this for years. There is nothing wrong with this of course, and once qualified, nobody can take it away from you. However, imagine you are applying for a dream TESOL job along with 50 other degree-educated, TEFL qualified native English-speaking applicants. What is likely to set you apart from the rest? This is where a specialisation can really help give you the edge.  A specialism can help you stand out from the crowd and help you get your dream job.

3. It can help you earn more
Business English in particular can pay more than general English teaching. Some of our TESOL graduates have found lucrative teaching work in-company in France and Japan on the strength of their business English qualification. It’s often sought after in Germany and becoming more popular around the world as well.  Global English TESOL graduate Matthew Bruce managed to secure a prestigious teaching post with a major electronics company in Tokyo because of his business English qualification: 

''Over 150 applicants applied and just 10 were interviewed, and I was selected. They asked various questions with regards to I.T. and teaching English. I was able to present some good ideas due to the fact that I had learnt many valuable points through the Global English Business English course.''

At our sister organisation Phone English, teachers delivering online business English classes are paid at a higher rate than for general English classes, a common trend in the industry.

4. A specialisation can give you the confidence to go it alone
A lot of our TESOL trainees teach privately. But since freelance teachers often have to generate their own lessons and material, they can shy away from teaching business students, grammar lessons or even children, since they feel ill-equipped to create and deliver such bespoke lessons. This really narrows their options in the private teaching sector.

However, learning new teaching skills through a specialism can give you enormous confidence and the courage to take on more bespoke work. This means a TESOL specialism can enlarge your potential pool of students as well as your earning capacity. This is especially the case with our 20 hour Teaching English Online course. 

The good news is most specialisms are not arduous to complete. They build on your existing knowledge and are generally very manageable at around 20 or 30 hours per course.  Yet, as we have outlined, the value of such a qualification can be felt for years afterwards.


Interested in adding a short specialist qualification?
Then check out our range of TESOL specialisms. They range from £45 to £75, and you can get get 10% off the total for enrolling on 2 or more courses…

Updated November 2018



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Alison Salmon, English World, Italy

Why take a TESOL specialisation?