Being an effective teacher of English as a Second Language requires specialized training in the areas of practical language ability, teaching skills and lesson plan development. Beginning teachers learn these skills during their certification program and their first year of teaching. Working teachers continue to improve their skills in these areas through teacher development workshops. Many teachers find their colleagues to be excellent resources and share classroom tips with one another.

Concepts
Most native speakers of English lack a solid grasp of the rules of their native language. ESL teachers must have a solid familiarity with technical grammar in order to effectively present and clarify them to language learners.

Methods
Fluency in English and a thorough knowledge of English linguistics is not enough to make an effective teacher. Once aspiring teachers understand the basic mechanics of the language, they must learn about teaching methods. Depending on the certification program, you may learn different methods and philosophies regarding teaching techniques. Workshops in this are are helpful for those with years of experience as well as beginning teachers. Applying solid knowledge of the English language to the challenges of a classroom environment is something educators work on and develop throughout their teaching career.

Lesson Preparation
Much of teacher development focuses on helping teachers to prepare effective lessons. In order to be prepared for the first class, teachers must have practical experience in addition to understanding the theoretical aspects of ESL teaching. Teachers learn techniques regarding integrating authentic materials into curriculum, as well as in creating their own level-appropriate curriculum. ESL teachers must be prepared to find their own resources and lesson plan materials.

Immersion
Teaching ESL in certain environments necessitates the use of the immersion method. Some teachers explain vocabulary or difficult grammar points in the students' first languages or include translations as part of class. However, this is only efficient if the students in class all share the same first language. ESL teachers must be prepared for linguistically diverse classes. The only common language between students in this instance will be English, so teachers must develop ways to explain new material using props, pictures and mime.

Observation
An important aspect of ESL teacher development is classroom observation. New and aspiring teachers benefit from this as they can see how teachers react to questions and explain confusing aspects of the lesson. Even experienced teachers will find observation useful as they can learn new ways to present and clarify lesson points.