Where can I practice my teaching skills?

You've got your TEFL qualification and you're ready to start looking for work... or are you? As a budding TEFL teacher, you might want to get some practice under your belt before you start a paid teaching placement. After all, you know what they say: practice makes perfect. It's a good way to boost your confidence and it'll look great on your CV!

Take a weekend TEFL course

If you've only done an online TEFL course, you might want to consider booking onto a weekend course, too. They combine learning with practical experience, so you'll have a chance to put your newly-learned skills to the test.

Working in small groups, you'll develop your very own lesson plans and try them out in with your fellow TEFL students. They will then give you constructive feedback about your lesson so you can see where to improve. They're a great confidence building exercise and they offer the perfect opportunity to improve your lesson planning and teaching skills. So you won't just practice, you'll learn and improve too.

Volunteer at home

Want to get straight to work? Then try a spot of volunteering! You don't have to travel abroad to teach, you can do it right here at home. So find your local language school and offer to do a couple of hours' volunteering. The advantage here is that you'll have the opportunity to shadow experienced teachers, allowing you to pick up tips and tricks along the way.

Another advantage of teaching in your home country is that you'll be able to test your new skills without moving from your comfort zone. You'll be surrounded by all the usual home comforts - your own bed, your friends and lots of English speaking people - so you can spend a couple of hours teaching then have familiar surroundings to return to.

The best way to find a position is to look locally. Search out the language schools closest to you, get in touch and send them a nicely written letter with your CV asking if any volunteer places are available. You can expect an interview and criminal record check - so it pays to apply in good time.

Volunteer abroad

Can't wait to get travelling? Then get your practice abroad. Volunteer teaching projects around the world are desperate for volunteers with TEFL qualifications, so you'll have your pick of placements. You can organise one for yourself or go through a company - it just depends how long you want to spend volunteering and how much effort you're prepared to put into organising it.

Some volunteer organisations will expect you to work for a minimum of two years; if you want something shorter, get in touch with smaller language schools - especially those in developing countries. Alternatively, you can opt for a volunteer teaching placement. They're perfect if you want a little extra support while you're away and will give you the chance to make friends with other volunteers while you're there.

Unlike teaching at home, you won't be shadowing a teacher; you'll be getting straight to work. It's a steep learning curve, but it usually pays off. By the time you start applying for paid teaching positions you'll have improved massively and your confidence will be much better too. What's more, you'll have the invaluable knowledge that you're helping underprivileged children to develop life-changing skills.

And because you've chosen to teach abroad, you'll be able to prove to employers that you can cope with culture shock and handle teaching outside your comfort zone. It might not sound very different to the experience you get teaching at home, but it can make a big difference to employers.

So what's it to be? A weekend TEFL course, a stint of teaching at home, or a volunteer placement in an exciting new place? Whatever you choose, it'll be great experience and great fun too!