FSU's TEFL program makes its presence felt worldwide
Four letters can open the doors to the world.TEFL—Teaching English as a Foreign Language—is a 7-week course that prepares students to do just that.The class of 15-20 students meets twice a week for three hours in the Center for Intensive English Studies, where they work closely with FSU's international students to practice their teaching skills.This emphasis on collaboration and cultural exchanges is what Program Coordinator Ramin Yazdanpanah, who created the course in 2010, finds so valuable about the experience.
"When you're working with someone from a different culture, you really see who you are as an individual and as a member of the society that you're a part of, because they're going to be asking you questions about your culture that you never thought to ask. A lot of people who teach overseas say that they learned more about themselves than they ever taught to others. There's so much value in that. You're expanding how you see the world. If you have that empathy and those intercultural skills, that's huge," Yazdanpanah said.
This worldview expansion has inspired past TEFL graduates to set off to all corners of the earth to teach—places like Chile, Japan, Czech Republic, and everywhere in between. With each destination comes each student's personal reasons for choosing that country, be it to pay off student loans or improve their own foreign language skills or simply to have an experience somewhere new. What the students share is an ability to perform in their jobs in a way that is impressive to their international employers. It is not at all uncommon for Yazdanpanah to field emails from schools in China and elsewhere singing the praises of past FSU TEFL employees and looking to recruit more.
It is no coincidence that FSU's TEFL teachers so consistently excite their employers.The TEFL certification process is an intensive one that encourages collaboration and, above all else, making mistakes during the program and learning from them so that they don't happen abroad.
"This is a very challenging course and we make it so because it needs to be quality. Teaching is hard. It's very rewarding but it's not easy. You're responsible for a group of people. It makes you grow up quickly," Yazdanpanah said.
This challenge is made worthwhile by the skill that is gained by week seven of the program: the ability to teach English to non-native speakers in a world where a mastery of the language is of increasing necessity.
"English is critical as part of professional and everyday life to many people around the world right now. English is the language of commerce, of research, of entertainment, and it often determines employability. It's hard as a native English speaker to grasp that."
Although most of the TEFL students don't make a lifelong career out of teaching English abroad, there are parts of the experience that are forever: the memories they shared and the impact they made.
Those interested in the program should attend the information session being held this Friday, May 29th from 1-2p.m. at the Center for Intensive English Studies located at 634 W. Call Street.