Teaching English as a foreign language is a sector rife with differing levels of competence and quality. The world is your stage and with so much opportunity out there it is not surprising that there are so many language academies, English teachers and methods of teaching. First of all, you've got to stand out from the crowd and this means having the all-important TEFL certificate. With the amount of English teachers steadily increasing, getting trained is pretty much essential. Admittedly, some academies/companies do not stipulate an accredited (recognised) TEFL certificate as essential. There are numerous weekend courses that you can enroll onto but 2 days of learning how to use a textbook will not prepare you. Imagine the situation: You're rushed off your feet, hot from the metro ride and you've got to teach 8 businessmen the difference between the present perfect and past simple tenses. You didn't have time to prepare because your last class overran so you have to go straight in. These businessmen, although very charming, are all incredibly dedicated and want to improve their English in order to be in with a chance of promotion. Feeling the pressure? You won't if you have a TEFL certificate. So...

1. Not having a TEFL Certificate

It's these tricky situations which having a good TEFL qualification will prepare you for. You will be taught English grammar and how to teach it, how to pull instant lesson plans from up your sleeve and how to control and manage classes. Your students could be children, teenagers or adults, all from different backgrounds and you've got to know how to deal with what each group throws at you! (Quite literally in the case of children.)

2. Not being prepared

Once you're in the classroom if there's one thing you have to be it's prepared. In every sense of the word! Don't turn up to class without knowing exactly what it is you're going to be doing. Whether that means knowing which page you're up to in their textbook or knowing you have to go through the students' homework or even just knowing that you have to photocopy an article you've pulled off the Internet 6 times before you start, you've just got to know. You cannot be disorganised and be a good teacher. You also cannot feign organisation. Teaching creates paper and every class you have will need a mountain of paper and registers. So, invest in a diary, get some folders and some different coloured pens, a strong rucksack and you're nearly there. Therefore, deadly sin number 2: Not being prepared.

3. Not being the boss of your classroom

Something you have to remember, no matter who you are teaching, what their level is or what job they have, is that you're boss. You could be teaching the senior financial director of a global business who has a queue of people waiting outside his/her door for their time. But when it's you and them in their office, you are boss. Deadly sin number 3 is not being the boss if your classroom. You may find that sometimes you have to win a student's respect, especially if they have had a lot of teachers over the years. It can be difficult if you are younger than them, quite inexperienced and obviously shy. (This is another reason for taking a TEFL course - shyness is banished!) But if you show real leadership and dynamic and know exactly what you are doing and how you are doing it you'll project a real sense of authority. You don't have to be strict in order to do this, but you have to be in control of where the class is going, prepared to point out your student's limitations (tactfully) and also an improvement plan for them.

4. Not correcting your students

Deadly sin number 4 is the biggest one in the business. Correction. The one thing you cannot be afraid of as a teacher is correcting your students. You cannot correct everything (that's impossible) but you have to do it. Sometimes, you can get a mixed response from correcting. Every student hankers after it but they all react differently to it. But as long as you do it, you'll be achieving excellent teacher status.

5. Not being patient

When you first start out as a teacher you won't be completely used to teaching. It takes getting used to, especially when you have to flit from teaching an advanced class to a beginners class. It's very easy to forget whom you're teaching and the best piece of advice available is: take it slow. Deadly sin number 5 is: not being patient. There's nothing worse than sitting in a language class and your teaching talking too quickly. Relax, take it slow and put your students in the driving seat. After all, it's their class!

6. Not being punctual

English teachers have a whole mix of reputations. You can be a student's best friend, the person they love to hate, relief from work or a playmate. Or, you can be unreliable, inconsistent and late. Deadly sin number 6 is: not being punctual. Punctuality is a massive bonus in the teaching world. If you're punctual then you gain automatic respect because so many teachers out there are not punctual at all! Invest in a watch and always allow yourself enough travel time to get to your lessons. Better to be early than late.

7. Not having fun!

Deadly sin number 7 is as crucial as the last 6. And that is: be interesting and have fun! As a teacher you will find that you are basically an entertainer. You have to be prepared to make a fool out of yourself and have absolutely no shame. (Especially if you're going to teach children.) Smile, laugh, have anecdotes and always listen to what your students are saying. Personality can go a long way and is sometimes more important than anything in the teaching world.

Follow these steps and you'll be well prepared to teach.

Written by Victoria Galloway

Victoria Galloway just completed her TEFL in Madrid, Spain. TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language and gives English speakers the ability to live abroad and work in a country even if they haven't mastered the language yet.

She did her TEFL at TtMadrid and now writes for them to ensure newcomers have the best experience possible when arriving in Madrid. You can visit their website here: http://www.ttmadrid.com.