The US has an enormous English as a Second Language industry, with language schools in all of the major American cities. Many classes in the U.S. are immersion programs comprised of multilingual groups of adult students, an interesting challenge that can inspire creative teaching.
 
Where there are students, you can be sure to find schools that need qualified teachers. Qualifications for ESOL teachers in the United States vary by the type of school and program, as well as by the requirements of the individual school.
 
Private Language Schools  Private language schools may be owned by individuals or large corporations, and teacher qualifications vary from school to school. Most schools in the U.S. require teachers to hold a bachelor’s degree. They also tend to prefer teachers who have experience abroad, although they will often consider other teaching or training experience to be a benefit.

The equivalent school in a non-English speaking country may only require native-English speaking ability of its teachers. Private language schools are not required to be accredited, but many are. Some private language schools also offer certification courses for prospective ESOL teachers.

 
Universities and Community Colleges  These schools generally require a master’s degree as a minimum qualification for teaching in intensive English programs. Some universities and community colleges house private language schools on their campuses, and the requirements for teachers may vary from the host school’s policies.
 
Teaching Children  Teachers are required to have a bachelor’s degree and a state certificate, credential, or license in ESL to teach children in public schools. Private schools set their own requirements for teachers, and they are usually similar to those of public school teachers. However, private schools are not usually bound by state laws regarding teacher qualifications, and they have greater latitude in their hiring practices.
 
Finding ESOL Jobs in the United States  These opportunities are usually posted on the same Internet job resources for teachers as international jobs. Craigslist and other local job resources can also be useful. Additionally, the school where you earned your ESOL certification may receive local job postings. It is often easy for ESOL teachers who want to stay in the U.S. to make contact with prospective employers. That’s one of the benefits of staying local.

The downside of searching for an ESOL position in the U.S. is that most of your potential students live everywhere else in the world. However, to offset this fact, many language programs and schools have a good deal of turnover in their teaching faculty. Many ESOL teachers enjoy teaching in the U.S. for a while, and then decide to take a position in another country. So, there are frequently vacancies available for teachers who want to stay in the U.S.

 
Domestic ESOL Teacher Profile  This could be you! Teachers of diverse backgrounds, ages, and purposes decide to teach ESOL in the U.S. Some teachers are recent college graduates, although many have returned from teaching abroad. Some are career changers or the recently retired who are interested in a second career. Though many teachers come to the field of teaching English as a second language as a means to travel, others prefer to let the world walk into their classrooms in the U.S.A.

For more information and articles on this subject, check these links:

 
ESL Job Boards  
 

A Guide to Common Acronyms in the TESOL Profession

 
Glossary
TESOL – Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Immersion – Foreign language instruction in which only the language being taught is used; also, receiving instruction in the country in which the foreign language is spoken
ESL - English as a second language –- English language programs in English-speaking countries.
EFL - English as a foreign language –- English language programs in non-English-speaking countries.