How to become a teacher of english as a foreign language
Official title: Teachers of english as a foreign language
Also called: Teacher, Efl teacher, Esl teacher, Esp teacher, Esol teacher, Tefl teacher, English teacher, Language teacher, English language teacher, English as a second language teacher, English for specific purposes teacher, Teacher of english as a foreign language
Teachers of English as a foreign language teach students to speak and write the English language, either for the first time or building on their existing knowledge.
Main tasks
- Teaches English as a foreign language and assists in the tuition of foreign languages
- Plans and prepares language lessons and materials
- Encourages conversations in English to improve students confidence and understanding
- Sets and marks tests and gives feedback on student's performance
- Organises students' participation in cultural activities and social events
How to become one
There are no pre-set academic entry requirements, however, many employers may require you to have a Teaching English as a Foreign Language course. TEFL courses require students to be 18 and to have a good level of English. A DBS check may be required.
Ways in
- University: Arts & Humanities degrees, Offered by 27 universities in the UK
- University: Education & Teaching degrees, Offered by 25 universities in the UK
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £37,514 a year
- About 31,900 people work in this job now, and about 34,800 are projected by 2035. (+9%)
Related jobs
- Secondary education teaching professionals
- Higher education teaching professionals
- Further education teaching professionals
- Primary education teaching professionals
- Nursery education teaching professionals
- Special and additional needs education teaching professionals
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Questions people ask
How do I become a teacher of english as a foreign language?
There are no pre-set academic entry requirements, however, many employers may require you to have a Teaching English as a Foreign Language course. TEFL courses require students to be 18 and to have a good level of English. A DBS check may be required.
How much does a teacher of english as a foreign language earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £37,514 a year (Office for National Statistics).
Is a teacher of english as a foreign language a growing career in the UK?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 9% by 2035, from about 31,900 to about 34,800 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a teacher of english as a foreign language?
Usually. 91% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.