What is the best course to be an International school teacher?

College Majors
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<p>I'm a current IB International school student, junior. I want to be an International school teacher in the future, probably ESL teacher. I like teaching. :-)
But I'm so confused about what course in university I'd better take and offers me the best job opportunities.
I have several questions below.
1. Should I take Education major or the major I'm personally interested in?
2. If I have to take Education major, but what if university, like U Chicago, doesn't have Education major?
3. Is it better to take graduate programs? If so, please provide me the detail about it.
4. Do I need TESOL or kind of certificate. If do, what certificate should I obtain?
5. What is interdisplinary programs? In some universities like University of Chicago, they only offer education as an interdisplinary program but not as a major. It makes me more confuse..
6. What universities offer good programs to become a teacher?
7. Finally, please suggest me one or more possible courses.</p>

<p>Please provide me a right route.
Thank you very much :)</p>

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<ol>
<li>If you’re interested in teaching a subject other than ESL, then major in that subject. You’ll also might need teacher certification since some agencies only hire certified teachers. You don’t necessarily need to major in education to get teacher certification, however. Keep in mind that teacher certification programs usually gear their courses, etc. to the specific requirements of the state in which the program is located, which probably are not the same courses as would be required internationally.</li>
<li>Even if a university doesn’t offer an education major, it usually offers a program to meet the teacher certification requirements.</li>
<li>You can take courses and do supervised teaching at the graduate level to become a certified teacher. Another alternative is a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree in a particular subject area.</li>
<li>If you wish to teach ESL, you should get a TESL certificate. It’s not always required, but it helps to have it to find jobs. Many universities offer TESL certificate program. You can complete it in summers, during your undergrad program, or after obtaining a bachelor’s degree. I believe there also are some online programs or programs offered through university extension programs. It’s a natural fit with an English major. At some schools, you also can major in Applied Linguistics. Another possibility is to major in a foreign language/literature or in a language & area studies for a country or region in which you would like to work.</li>
</ol>

<p>But you don’t need to be an English major to obtain a TESL certificate; being a native English speaker is enough. There are several British agencies that offer certification, too. Of course, they teach British English with its differences in spelling, pronunciation, etc. Depending on the country, there might be a local preference for either British or American English.
5. Interdisciplinary programs are those that focus on a field that cuts across more than one discipline. Many schools offer interdisciplinary major, e.g., in International Relations which incorporates political science, history, economics, etc. Environmental Studies, as another example, might incorporate Chemistry, Biology, Economics, Politics, Geography, etc. Some schools, e.g., Princeton, offer interdisciplinary programs as certificate programs which are completed in addition to a major in a traditional department. sometimes, a certificate program is roughly equivalent to a minor.
6. You can find good teacher education programs at any number of schools. A lot depends on what level of education interests you, e.g., elementary or secondary education.
7. The University of Wisconsin offers a good program for TESL certification. <a href=“http://www.english.wisc.edu/esl/tesol-certificates.html[/url]”>www.english.wisc.edu/esl/tesol-certificates.html</a> Within the English major at Wisconsin, you also can do a specialty in English linguistics. <a href=“http://www.english.wisc.edu/major.htm#Language_and_Linguistics_emphasis[/url]”>www.english.wisc.edu/major.htm#Language_and_Linguistics_emphasis</a> I think UCLA offers a TESL program in its Dept. of Applied Linguistics. [UCLA</a> Department of Applied Linguistics - Home](<a href=“http://www.appling.ucla.edu%5DUCLA”>http://www.appling.ucla.edu) The University of akron offers a TESL certificate program. <a href=“https://www.uakron.edu/english/academics/undergraduate/certificates.dot[/url]”>https://www.uakron.edu/english/academics/undergraduate/certificates.dot&lt;/a&gt; Indiana U offers an online program. education.<a href=“http://www.indiana.edu/langdist/EFLESL/CertificateProgram/tabid/5878/Default.aspx[/url]”>http://www.indiana.edu/langdist/EFLESL/CertificateProgram/tabid/5878/Default.aspx&lt;/a&gt; <a href=“http://www.extension.berkeley.edu/cert/tesl.html[/url]”>http://www.extension.berkeley.edu/cert/tesl.html&lt;/a&gt; [Oxford</a> Seminars: TESOL/TESL/TEFL Certification Courses, Get Certified To Teach English Abroad/Overseas](<a href=“http://www.oxfordseminars.com%5DOxford”>http://www.oxfordseminars.com)</p>

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You’ll get the best advice from your very own teachers! Ask them about their education and career paths.</p>