International Women’s Day: Women in TEFL
Women in TEFL play an indispensable role in education. They provide students with the knowledge and skills that are necessary to communicate effectively in English, which is universal. The current state of the world definitely adds importance to the ability to communicate effectively in English. After all, the key to navigating through conflict lies in effective communication. But how can people exchange ideas and come to an agreement if they do not understand each other? How can problems be solved? How can deals be made? In order for people to understand each other better, they must meet on common ground, and the English language serves as such. Who holds the keys, then? TEFL teachers. On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the women in TEFL who work to further spread the universal “common ground” that is the English language. They play a massive role in the TEFL world, as they help shape students into people who can communicate effectively in English. These women provide them with the knowledge and the skills necessary to do so. They also help students develop their language skills while nurturing their confidence when communicating with others. Women also bring an arsenal of skills to the TEFL classroom. They hold unique perspectives to their valuable, often profound insights into the English language, culture, and even history. Paired with their enthusiasm, character, and loyalty to the profession, women in TEFL are instrumental in helping students on a global scale. Women in TEFL guide their students into gaining a better understanding not only of the language but also of the world around them. Though they do not always get the credit they deserve, it is our hope that as society grows, it learns to acknowledge and recognise women in TEFL more, because they absolutely deserve it.
International Women’s Day: Lead like Tita
Tita Ashton, EBC owner and CEO, has lived, worked studied in major cities such as New York, San Francisco, Manila, Paris, London and Madrid. She has been in the corporate business sector for the last 20 years. Not only does she have a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, but she also has a Masters Degree in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). While the most part of her career has been in Investment Banking, Finance, Business Consultancy, Information Technology and Telecommunications, she decided to branch out in 1995. Our go-getter founder identified a problem and found a solution. She saw that there was a need for a language consultancy staffed by teachers who were not just trained educators but also possessed actual corporate experience. Thus, in 1995, she founded EBC y Asociados Idiomas. In 2002, the EBC International TEFL Certificate course was launched to meet her own company’s need for qualified EFL teachers. She continues to recruit EFL teachers for her multinational clientèle, so she knows exactly what the job market requires. The EBC TEFL International Certificate was designed and developed to be an intensive, practical and hands-on programme. And our graduates agree that it is! Tita continues to invest her time and energy into the cause, as she believes in what she does. Her resolve paired with her hands-on approach make her unstoppable. On International Women’s Day, we celebrate women like Tita, who are truly making a meaningful impact on the TEFL world.
International Women’s Day: Inspire like Helga
Helga, one of our EBC Trinity CertTESOL graduates, is another woman in TEFL that we celebrate. She took the Road2Spain programme, which also allowed her to study Spanish in a language school in Madrid. In a recent interview with us, she talked about the value of being a TEFL teacher. As a cultural ambassador at an institute in Colombia, Helga said that in her classes, she focuses a lot on conversation. “In a lot of my conversation classes, we end up dealing with goal setting and motivation, which the students are very interested in,” she shared. “Most of them do have goals and a lot of people want to either migrate or study in an English-speaking country. So they are quite motivated. It is fulfilling in that sense too because I can pass on these tips that will help them not just in the class (but) in their lives.” Helga also reflected on a profound truth, saying, “The people who succeed in life are not necessarily the people who are the most talented, but they (are) the people who (stick) to it and (don’t) give up.” As such, she chose not to throw in the towel and persevere through it. Helga also recalled the Unknown Foreign Language sessions wherein she and her coursemates had to learn Polish. “It was great because it’s the best way of learning how to teach a foreign language–by having somebody teach you a foreign language using various techniques that they’re teaching, so you can emulate that.” This tenacity and determination that women possess is something to be celebrated not only on International Women’s Day but every day.
International Women’s Day: Persevere like Alycia
Alycia is another graduate of the EBC Trinity CertTESOL course. Like Helga, she took the Road2Spain programme, which allowed her to remain in Spain as she studied Spanish. Her dedication to her career as an educator is another aspect of women in TEFL that we celebrate this International Women’s Day. In a recent interview with EBC, she shared some of her insights into the course. Her group was unique, as it consisted of teacher trainees who were all women. “I had a really special group–it was all young ladies and me,” she told us. “I really enjoyed the actual class time.” She really liked her trainer too, who is also a woman in TEFL. “I liked having our trainer leading us through by modeling the lesson–by teaching us through modeling,” she said. She also talked to us about why she decided to get Trinity CertTESOL certified. “I was a teacher in the States for seven years, and then I was a school counselor for nine. So I had a lot of experience in the classroom and outside the classroom, but administratively working with kids and just the basic education communication,” she explained. “But teaching English–I actually loved the classroom because I didn’t teach English in the US. So…teaching English is a new experience for me. I took the course because I wanted to continue to pursue teaching English in some capacity. And like I said, I needed that guidance as a professional educator, I value proper training. And I think it’s really important that if you say you are a teacher…that you have been trained…if you say you’re a teacher of this specific subject area, I believe that it’s really important to say that you know what you’re doing.”International Women’s Day: Women power through
She also added what she loved a lot about the course. “The unknown language was a very cool part of the course,” she said. “It definitely was more of that internal talk in recognising the things that you can’t teach–you just really have to experience. That was a very unique part of this version of the course.” As for what she found most challenging, Alycia said, “We were told that it was going to take a lot of time. For me, personally–and maybe it’s because I’m a perfectionist–I will admit that–it took me a lot of time…there were times I wasn’t able to really focus on something with all of my effort and energy, which I guess is very realistic to the real-world experience, right? We don’t get to just have one thing at a time. That was the most challenging piece of it–the time management.” However, Alycia and her group powered through it like the superwomen that they are. “It was very much more than expected,” she said. “Like, I knew it was going to be intensive and I was ready, and it was like so much, but at the end…we talked about this in the closing conversation with my group–at the end…it was like…oh, we did that. It was doable…In the end, it worked out.” Clearly showing a dedication to her profession as an educator, Alycia is an inspiration to all women who work in education. Acknowledging the responsibility that comes with the respectable profession, she took things a step further and got proper training and certification. This perseverance and dedication showcased by Alycia is yet another reason to celebrate International Women’s Day. After all, where would the TEFL world be without the women who run it?
International Women’s Day: Dare like Tyler
Tyler is another one of our EBC Trinity CertTESOL graduates. She is now in Japan, living her TEFL dream under the highly competitive JET programme. In an interview with us, she shared her insights on stepping out of one’s comfort zone. Her bravery is yet another thing to celebrate on International Women’s Day. “Historically, we’re in one spot and that’s where we stay,” she said. “And my dad was telling me, ‘Do I wish that you just stayed here and married some guy and had kids here in the city? Yes. But I’m excited for you too…’” She also spoke about the societal pressure many people feel–especially young adults. “I think we feel a lot of pressure from everybody in the society around us cause most people around us don’t really have that drive to be like, ‘Yep, I’m going to go out and do something different.’ So for myself…like I said, I always wanted to do this thing–even when I was little,” she said. “I had a binder, from when I was like maybe in the fifth grade, talking about how I was going to go to school in Ireland. For me, I just kind of didn’t really let what other people were doing get to me.”International Women’s Day: Women are brave
Tyler shared that the key for her was learning not to let what other people think make her change her mind. “A lot of people were scared of what I was doing,” she told us. “They would even tell me ‘You’re not going to do that.’ And I was just kind of like, ‘Yeah, I really want to do that.’ So I think it really just takes you being like, ‘Yeah that’s what I’m going to do.’ The way Tyler sees it, at the end of the day, everyone has their own path to walk on. “It’s different,” she said. “It’s challenging. And a lot of people around me probably don’t understand it, but it’s well worth it. It’s just a different path in life…” And now, she is in Korea, living her childhood dream. Truly an inspiration to dare and just go for it, Tyler is another woman in TEFL who holds the essence of what we celebrate on International Women’s Day.
International Women’s Day: We celebrate women in TEFL
Though women have made their own waves in society, there is a lot more work to be done. As a company, while we continue to champion women and all the characteristics they possess, it is our hope that society follows suit. The worth of a woman is immeasurable. She is a strong, powerful, resourceful, and creative individual who brings a lot to the table. She can be anything she wants to be–a teacher, a mentor, a leader, a friend, and so much more. Join us as we celebrate and appreciate women in TEFL and all women around the world for all that they are, all that they do, and all that they bring to the world. If you want to get TEFL and TESOL certified, enrol in our Trinity CertTESOL course, which is accepted and recognised by the British Council. Contact us today.Related Articles
- International Women’s Day – EBC celebrates women in TEFL
- Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow
- TEFL course certification – Alycia’s CertTESOL experience
- Is the Road2Spain right for me?: Be inspired by Helga’s story
- Best countries for making money teaching English abroad
Accredited TEFL Training Courses
- Accredited online TESOL certification course, a face-to-face live-streaming TEFL course
- TEFL course in Madrid Spain, accredited TEFL course, the Trinity CertTESOL
- Trinity CertPT CPD courses courses for practising teachers
- Accredited teaching Business English course, a Business English CPD course
- Accredited CLIL course – Content and Language Integrated Learning, a CLIL CPD course
- Accredited CLT course, Communicative Language Teaching, a CLT CPD course
- Accredited teaching English online course, a teaching English online CPD course
- Online TEFL certification course in TESOL & TEFL, a 200-hour course with trainer-marked assignments
- EBC short TEFL skills courses with certification
