ABSTRACT
Career paths unfold in all professions and no less so for the extraordinary and rich academic and professional field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (also known as TESOL). While other professions and academic disciplines address these issues, TESOL has focused elsewhere – often on learner, learning, and learning issues – rarely on teachers' needs. The result is the too frequent reality of programs staffed by chance by teachers who are prepared, dedicated, and committed. But too often, teachers lack training and experience; they secure jobs for reasons having nothing to do with their professional expertise or track record. We even find at times teachers who enroll in and complete education programs where there is little or no connection to or awareness of the real world of TESOL's professional employment. While many TESOLers (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) lead exciting and satisfying professionals, many teachers become burnt-out, are abused by employers, are unprepared with the skills and credentials needed to obtain good jobs, or work in programs where instruction is not a priority and teacher compensation is below standard. In this chapter, find the start to a new specialty area, TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) career path development.
