I am applying for a position as an ESL teacher thanks to my life-long interest in languages and linguistics, my passion to explore and learn about other countries, and my enjoyment of sharing knowledge with younger students. These motives have driven me to develop a number of relevant skills to the teaching profession, through my experiences over the last few years. The best example of this is undoubtedly my year (2021-22) working as an English assistant in the suburbs of Paris, which opened my eyes to the rewards of travelling, immersing yourself in another culture and language, and successfully helping young people gain a valuable skill: speaking English.
I would be a strong candidate for this role thanks to my relevant experience with both language learning and teaching, as well as with young people. As mentioned, I have already spent a year teaching English (more details in resume) and, in doing so, learnt to understand the challenges involved in the job. Furthermore, I have also worked with children of a variety of ages: while my teaching revolved around children between the ages of 14 and 18, I have also worked as a childminder with children aged 5-10, meaning that I have a good understanding of the varying needs of children of different ages.
On a personal level, I believe I am right for the job thanks to my patience, communication skills and enthusiasm, which are of particular importance when working with younger children. In teaching, patience is required to allow students time to take information onboard, with most unlikely to understand instantly. Good communication is important, especially when teaching in a foreign language, as students will likely need slow and clear speech to avoid misunderstanding and frustration. And enthusiasm is key to maintaining students’ interests in what you are trying to teach.
Finally, my skills and qualifications stand me in good stead for this role, as I not only have the experience of learning a language to fluency (French) myself, I also have a good understanding of the methodology behind language teaching. Firstly, I specialised in Linguistics in my degree, which taught me the intricacies behind second language acquisition, but more importantly, I have completed a 120-hour TEFL qualification, which has given me the necessary skills to put my knowledge into action. Furthermore, my degree taught me efficiency, managing my own time and heavy workload carefully, a skill which will be very useful for lesson planning.
Leave A Comment