TEFL Tourism

Book excerpt: There is evident lineage between the concepts of teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) and tourism, represented through evocative marketing material, the commoditisation of the TEFL product, teacher motivations and experiences. Yet, to date there has been no recognition of these links within industry or academia. This book introduces the concept of 'TEFL tourism', outlining the scale of the sector and the rapid commercialization of TEFL teaching across the world, locating it as an emerging form of niche tourism. The text outlines the organisation types and geographical locations, emphasizing the commodification of English language teaching. It also outlines the types of TEFL tourists, the complexities of international education, links with various tourism forms and sustainability considerations of the industry. The book will appeal to tourism academics and students, in particular those with interests in educational and volunteer tourism as well as sustainable tourism and commodification.