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When you learned English, you gained an ability much prized throughout the world. It's the principal language of commerce and technology, and it represents the capacity to move into new areas of business and earnings. In many areas overseas, studying English means moving toward a better life. But can also mean a great investment - perhaps even an investment beyond reach. Few who master English teach it to anyone other than their own children. Teaching English, or sharing your knowledge of it with others, can be profitable, or even selfless. Never fancied yourself a teacher? Have you thought it was restricted to graduates of fine colleges and specialized programs? Well, it's true that the skills of teaching can be gained and enhanced by studying, but much can also be innate or gained through experience. There are many opportunities to teach English overseas, principally in Asia and Africa. Most of these programs are voluntary, meaning that they wouldn't pay you for teaching. On the contrary, they require registration fees and travel costs. Funding, if you need it, might come from fund-raising efforts or charitable organizations. You might sponsor a school and then propose yourself as the English teacher, just to get things started. Of course you might also find a professional position teaching in an overseas school. This will almost always require some certification. There are TEFL (Teaching of English as a Foreign Language) certification programs available online. With a small monetary investment and 40-60 hours of study, you can become certified to teach English to foreign students. There are many sites offering resources to TEFL school teachers (see Iteslj.org, for example), and many describing opportunities to teach abroad (see Eslemployment.com). Still others offer certification programs (see Eurotefl.com). Consider the possibilities, and if you find you want to teach English, dig in, and don't let anything stop you.
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Teach English
