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| Accreditation TEFL |
Independent of any TEFL accrediting body, the hiring environment has been on the increase. In decades past, closed borders and language differences formed huge barriers to significant movement of many groups of people. However, as understanding of the contribution of foreign immigrants to manufacturing and other arms of business has increased, the governments have been pressured to open the borders, and the motivation for foreign-born people to seek opportunities abroad has increased accordingly.
This can be considered a good situation for all, except perhaps for the children of the immigrants. Like any children, they are accustomed to their homes, and being uprooted into a new environment, and sometimes a new culture can be extremely difficult. Perhaps the most alien aspect of their new environments is the different language. Suddenly, they are strangers who are forced to remain outsiders because of the language barrier.
Regardless of these dynamics, the public school education system still marches forward with the credo of education to all. Suddenly, the burden is joined by the teachers, who must teach and communicate effectively with children who understand little or nothing of what they are saying. To their credit, these TEFL-type teachers from all over the world have responded, concocting techniques and new ways of teaching to make sure that their foreign language students are not left behind. As these student become assimilated in their schools because of their TEFL teachers, one of the significant barriers to become a part of their new community is broken down, and they begin to assimilate in all other aspects of their new lives as well. For many of these students, the ability to evolve and fit into their new society began with a teacher trained in a facility governed by a TEFL Accreditation.
Once TEFL teaching training became accepted, it was not long until it began to be embraced. The need for TEFL-trained teachers grew tremendously, and the hiring environment was wonderful for teachers who were willing and able to meet the challenges of teaching foreign language students. At the same time, the WTEFLAC (World TEFL Accrediting Commission) was established and also gained momentum. With its inception, the TEFL community wondered about the impact of the TEFL accrediting body on the community, particularly on the hiring environment.
Opinions vary, but one strong school of thought contends that a TEFL accrediting body is contributing toward the growth of the TEFL community and the amount of hiring. They believe that standards add a legitimacy to the TEFL techniques, and lower the hesitation of school administrators to invest in a standardized program.
