Way back in June last year, I reported about the changes to Cambridge’s Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults (DELTA). The course became modular, and therefore easier to manage for hard-working teachers.
Why do a diploma?
What are the advantages to doing a Diploma? It’s a massive investment in time, money and energy – possibly the three things English teachers are most in need of. The advantages, however, are manifold.
ESL Gazette recently reported that the average wage of a diploma-qualified teacher is 600 Euros a month higher than other teachers in Europe (ESL Gazette, May 2009). The Middle East surpasses even that, making the distinction between diploma-qualified and certificate-qualified teachers quite expansive.
TEFL career development
A further advantage is the job prospects of teachers who have completed a diploma. DELTA is now a requirement for many Director of Studies posts. The most renowned and respectable language schools may also require their teachers to posses a diploma.
It’s surprising that demand for teachers with a diploma continues to outweigh supply. The changes to the diploma as reported last summer were meant to address this. And it seems to have had some measure of success. There is still a massive need for dip teachers, however.
Your chance to earn as a teacher
Here’s your big chance, then! Several course operators are now offering DELTA as a distance learning course, and the modular format means that the time limits are not as constraining. Your employer might even be kind enough to subsidize the course fees if you ask nicely.
If you want to make money as an English teacher, a diploma is the way forward.
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