A glance at a clothing boutique, a brisk walk down city streets, or an earful of automated customer service messages is proof positive that we live in an ethnic melting pot.
Our world has
stretched its borders and every person wanting to take advantage of that shift
needs to know how to speak English. If you want to be the person that teaches
them, you need the TESOL.
Knowing how to
read, write, and speak another language is no longer a trend of the future but
a way of life for the present. The
knowledge of another language and culture is a powerful leveraging tool in
every sector of society, and that means there are huge opportunities for
English teachers overseas. But even beyond the career potential, the TESOL can
open your eyes to other cultures. Studies show that children who are
multilingual grasp concepts more quickly, and even the elderly are increasing
their very quality and span of life by using natural forms of medicine that
hail from continents beyond North America.
Given the impact
that world customs are making within our borders, the TESOL exam comes to the
fore in preparing for a career teaching English overseas, locally, or just to
retain a global outlook on life. While foreign speakers can access self-help
curricula, it is helpful to have an instructor, because a person-to-person
guide makes the language come to life in a way that far exceeds the textbook
experience.
The question arises
about the need to take the TESOL exam.
Here are some things to ponder:
To Thine Own Self
Be True. Taking the test is a sound tool
to assess your actual level of linguistic competency. Once you have this knowledge, you will know
your strengths and weaknesses with respect to the language.
Talk the Talk, make
the coin. Taking the TESOL will equip
you to effectively teach a world that wants to speak English, leading you to a
career that can take you through Asia, the Middle East, Europe and beyond. Many
of these nations can be places you earn a lot more money than you’re used to at
home.
Taking Care of
Business! Gone are the days of only conducting business on the West Coast and
East Coast. The real movers and shakers see as many possibilities in India as
they do in Indiana. Making a mark in the marketplace can be done as people
expand the scope and breadth of their linguistic skills.
While training
others to speak a native language and embracing world culture is favourable,
there is another consideration to be made. As the test is administered and the
vast majority becomes multilingual, more competition may arise in the
marketplace. Those who were once seen as a “cut above the rest” – based on
their command of several languages – may now be deemed average. There is also
the possibility that the mixing of ethnicities may cause the discrete
differences to be lost in a sea of cultural compromise.
Nonetheless, it is
difficult to ignore the truth that stares us square in the face. This truth is
that our world has now become our next-door neighbour. The choice is up to us.
Only we can decide whether to open the door or to remain behind closed doors. It’s
that decision that will dictate whether we make the grade and ultimately pass
the test.
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