Posted by Kiva Richard - 13:04 on 27 April 2012

Taking a TEFL course

For TEFL age doesn't matter, honest! Students on our TEFL courses range from 18 years old to older retirees. In the past TEFL courses were probably predominantly filled with younger people but this is certainly no longer the case. People embark on TEFL for all variety of reasons, from university students heading off on a gap year to older retirees or looking to move abroad with an extra string to their bow.
Essentially, we believe that if you can speak English you have the potential to teach it. Therefore we only ask that you are a native English speaker, enthusiastic about learning something new – no previous experience, qualifications or age specifications necessary.

Finding a TEFL Job
There are plenty of TEFL employers that will be happy to take on TEFL employers regardless of their age. However, when you start looking for a TEFL job you may see that some employers will advertise positions with age restrictions. For countries that require you to have a degree in order to obtain the correct working visa the minimum age is often set at 21. For countries where a degree is not essential it is perfectly possible to find a job if you are younger. Many TEFL jobs are for first time TEFL teachers so a lack of experience should not be held against you and even older TEFL graduates may have zero previous experience in the field of TEFL .
There is a small problem of age discrimination in the TEFL industry; some organisations may simply not hire anyone over a certain age. Don't let this put you off, the demand for qualified TEFL teachers all around the world is huge, and for this reason you should find any age discrimination just a small obstacle in securing your TEFL job.

With an official TEFL qualification there are plenty of opportunities to teach English all around the world. For those with age concerns about TEFL our advice to you is not to worry!
Start your TEFL journey with TEFL Scotland and get paid to see the world.
Check out our TEFL course options.

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TEFL Scotland is an SQA Approved Centre and accredited by ODLQC and NCFE.