Start & Run an ESL Teaching Business. T. Nicole Pankratz - Bodner

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СКАЧАТЬ and friendlier environment in which to learn English. In small towns, there are fewer opportunities to meet people who speak Hindi, Korean, Chinese, or Japanese. Students are, therefore, forced to use English more often.

      It can be a hard sell getting students to accept the idea of going to a small town. But it is possible, if you can find out what the larger centers are lacking and capitalize on it. Vancouver-based students, for instance, complain that there are too many opportunities to use their native language outside of school. They also complain about not being able to make Canadian friends and about being homesick. All three complaints are related, and so is the solution. If students live in a small town where no one speaks their native tongue, they are forced to use English to communicate and, in turn, pick up the language faster. And by being more communicative and confident in their skills, they are more likely to make connections with native English speakers (who sometimes do not have the patience for or interest in befriending people who can barely speak the language and frequently ask for information to be repeated). In the end, the students are more likely to make English-speaking friends and, presumably, have less reason to be homesick.

      Small-town schools that market the English-only, family-focused environment of both the school and the community are able to win over students who want a change from the city scene. Also, some parents of younger students are interested in sending their children to smaller, safer communities.

      Peak seasons

      Many ESL schools offer vacation study programs for school-age children during the summer months. Most often, the programs are four weeks in length and involve both classroom study and outdoor activities.

      Many international college and university students choose to study during their vacations too. However, not all school vacations occur at the same time. In South Korea, for example, the post-secondary school year runs from March to December, meaning that students are on vacation in January and February.

      Tuition fees

      While tuition fees vary from school to school, a typical full-time language program in a well-established institute costs about $1,300 USD per month, plus registration fees (approximately $100 USD). There may also be material fees to consider, as well as extra costs for airport pickup, activities, and health insurance.

      ESL Products

      ESL schools and tutorial services require ESL products in order to conduct business. They not only need textbooks but also a wide variety of learning materials and resources, such as maps, picture dictionaries, books, flash cards, props, CDs, videotapes and DVDs, and computer programs. Schools and tutorial services may also be in the market for premade curriculum materials, particularly if they are in the early stages of business development. Or they may be looking for everyday items they can use to market their business, such as pens and writing paper printed with the school’s logo and contact information.

      Once your school or tutorial service is stable, you may want to consider venturing into other industry-related areas. You might decide to create your own textbooks, which will ultimately save your business money on resources. Or you might create, patent, and sell one-month programs to schools overseas. Here are some other cool and unusual products you could use yourself and sell to others.

      Classroom props for role plays could include —

      • costumes that represent different social or economic roles (e.g., a nurse, a server in a restaurant, a police officer),

      • household items in exaggerated sizes made out of cardboard or foam,

      • backdrops for skits, and

      • traffic signs.

      How-to videos and documentaries that demonstrate important aspects of the international-student experience and that are helpful to ESL teachers include —

      • how to stay safe in the city,

      • student biographies,

      • homestay problems and solutions,

      • tips on classroom management, and

      • ideas for working with students with disabilities.

      Promotional materials include —

      • calendars featuring pictures of and/or artwork by students,

      • clothing and accessories with pictures of and/or artwork by students, and

      • video clips of students demonstrating various speaking abilities (to be posted on the school’s website).

      ESL-related publications include —

      • short stories and novels written at levels appropriate to ESL students,

      • stories and poems written by ESL students, and

      • a newspaper for ESL students.

      English-on-the-Go

      A portable ESL business or “English-on-the-go” is another way of developing your ESL business.

      With a portable ESL service, you can offer lesson packages to companies, rather than individuals. Industry-specific, onsite English classes may be attractive to business owners who hire foreign-born employees. English classes designed to help staff overcome pronunciation difficulties or better understand customer-service language are a benefit to both the employees and the company.

      Teacher Training

      Teacher-training programs are not all created equal. Some are comprehensive university-based programs that last two years. Others run for a week and are designed to quickly prepare “teachers” for work overseas at English institutes. Still others are offered online, allowing prospective teachers to work at their own pace, even in remote places.

      There are three main teacher-training courses:

      • Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL)

      • Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

      • Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)

      For the most part, TESL, TESOL, and TEFL amount to the same thing. The difference is in the content they prepare you to teach. For example, TEFL focuses on teaching content designed for students living in their home country, rather than for students who are living and studying in an English-speaking country. Students studying English in their home country are less likely to need help with practical everyday conversation and more likely to need academic or workplace English for the purpose of test preparation.

      Teacher training is becoming increasingly competitive. Already, many North American ESL schools have regulations regarding teacher qualifications, making it difficult for new teacher-training organizations to establish credibility. However, there is room for teacher training designed for specific types of people planning to travel and teach overseas.

      In recent years, there has been a push from industry leaders to create ESL associations that adhere to guidelines and restrictions about teaching credentials. The consensus seems to be that СКАЧАТЬ