A few years ago, not that many people knew what TEFL was, or how to pronounce it properly. But these days, everywhere you go it is all ‘teffle this and teffle that’. Teaching English as a Foreign Language courses have become a very popular choice for students wanting to travel after graduation, and also for those looking to take a career break, improve their own English language skills or establish themselves in another country.

TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), as you of course know by now, refers to teaching people whose first language is not English. Other acronyms to look out for in the teaching English sector include TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language).

The main reason why TEFL has become such a big deal is that there is such a huge demand for qualified teachers all over the world. Nearly a quarter of the world's population speaks some English (about 1.6 billion people), but only around 400m are native speakers. This means that there are approximately 1,200,000,000 potential students out there, just waiting for the chance to improve their grammar and pronunciation with your help.

There are many good reasons why these people want to improve their English language skills. English is the language of global trade, and also very important in worldwide scientific research and academic study. It provides the vocabulary for some specialised fields, such as air-traffic control and global politics, while many international and multinational companies use English as a working language - a major reason why so many of them have come set up operations in Ireland.

Deciding to travel to another country and teach English for a year or more is a huge decision for anyone to take, and each individual should take the time to look at all the options out there, and decide which qualification and destination suit them the best. The most popular reason for taking a TEFL course is to have an opportunity to work and live in another country. Many graduates pack a TEFL cert in their rucksack and head off for a few years to see the world. Some people use their English teaching qualification as a first step towards settling in a new country, while others are more interested in enjoying themselves while making enough money to get by. Both groups, and everyone with ambitions in between, can benefit from having a TEFL course under their belt.

Teaching in an English language school can be a very rewarding experience. Students can often be highly motivated and literate, and already have an aptitude for languages. Some classes can be made up of adults, while other teachers might prefer to work with younger children, or even on a one-to-one basis. With so many TEFL jobs available worldwide, there are plenty of options out there.

So it is no wonder that TEFL qualifications are among the most popular course options at the moment. The mix of travel opportunities, potential money making and valuable language skills mean that more and more people enrol in a TEFL programme each year; if you don't feel ready for college or don't know what you want to do yet then click here to find out if a TEFL course is for you