General Advice

By Neil Root
Neil Root is a writer and London based English Language teacher with 10 years experience.

By Christos Vittoratos (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

You get the job abroad over the phone usually. Very few language institutions will travel to the UK to interview you (except perhaps Middle Eastern universities who recruit in bulk and the JET programme), and even fewer will pay for you to fly over to attend an interview. One, two or three phone interviews and you’ve got an offer. You’re excited, perhaps it’s a country or city you’ve always wanted to live in, or the employment package seems good. Well done, but keep your expectations realistic.

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by Helen Hargreave

By Barbara Abate (Flickr) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

What to pack for your TEFL adventure a) depends on where you’re going b) depends on your packing style!

Personally, I am what you call a TERRIBLE packer! More often than not I will end up FREEZING in my chosen destination because I forget that just because I’m on a two week holiday to sunny Majorca it doesn’t mean it is going to be 30 degrees on an evening.  The result? A very large collection of stall-bought pashminas…

So what about when it comes to packing for a year?!  If you’re about to embark on your TEFL adventure, make sure to do your country research so that you avoid over/under packing.

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By Helen Hargreave
Guest blogger from onlinetefl.com

By Bernard Gagnon (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Young students need to keep busy. Fact. Games which involve lots of interactive options are a great way to get young bodies and minds active and ready to learn! We’ve created a Free pack for first time teachers and it is jam-packed with activities, lesson plans and advice. Perfect.

Here are 4 games we’ve taken from the selection available in our pack to add to your list because, in case you hadn’t noticed, children get bored easily too!

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By Helen Hargreave
Guest blogger from onlinetefl.com

Being a TEFL teacher will not make you a millionaire, I repeat, you will not be stacking up on Gucci; this is no millionaire-creating career.

However, you will earn something much more valuable – the opportunity to live and work all over the globe doing something which is both stimulating and rewarding. PLUS (yes, there’s more!) you will meet some incredible people along the way – and have a bed to crash on in various far-flung destinations for your future holidays! Score.

Wherever you end up, the amazing opportunity available to you is a given, but if it’s cash that you’re interested in then that all depends on the country you pick. You have to take into consideration the standard of living, what the country’s currency is worth and also, your own spending habits. When you’re searching through TEFL Job opportunities make sure to understand that what may seem relatively little to you could actually be a pretty comfortable salary in a different country. Bottom line, it is all relative!

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By Helen Hargreave
Guest blogger from onlinetefl.com

By Kevin Poh from Petaling Jaya, Malaysia (Bangkok’s Khaosan Road) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

If you’re about to head out to your new TEFL job you’re probably 1) very excited and 2) packing like a maniac. However, in all the excitement about new opportunities, amazing experiences, life-changing adventures etc etc. It’s easy to forget the most important thing – your safety.

I know it sounds a bit dull, but it really is very important whilst you’re in-country to remember your well-being is paramount! Here are a few gentle reminders about how to keep safe whilst you’re teaching English abroad!

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by Luan Hanratty

“Time spent arguing is, oddly enough, almost never wasted.” ~ Christopher Hitchens

Is this quote any more applicable than in the language classroom? Of all the activities I have used and enjoyed, debating has to be one of the most active and beneficial. Setting up a debate creates a dynamic and spontaneous atmosphere which provides substantial results not just in students’ language proficiency but in their understanding of a topic.

The ultimate paradigm shifter

Debates are the ultimate paradigm shifter. Students come into the room at the start of class maybe not knowing much about the subject and being heavily inclined to sit on the fence. But by the end of the class the vast majority will have considered, listened and argued enough to augment their own schema and form their own assured opinions.

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by Clara Harland

By MyName (Bantosh) (self-made, taken in course of professional work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Eight years ago, I decided to make the move into TEFL. Even now, when asked whether this decision was the result of a vocational epiphany, I have to reply sheepishly that, no, I ended up as a teacher by accident and in the process stumbled across a job I loved. I made the move as a means of escape. I had graduated from university and had then spent most of the following two years making tea and photocopying stuff in offices, slowly building up a layer of disillusionment and cooking up plans of running away. Whittling my ideas down to ‘live in another country’ and ‘learn another language’, I decided that TEFL would offer me these opportunities and, drawn by daydreams of wandering along pretty cobbled streets and sampling cheap beer, I signed myself up to a Trinity course in Prague.

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by Amy Harris

Start with a TEFL course

TEFL courses are an ideal way to combine a love of teaching with a desire to travel. Courses are usually short and inexpensive and can lead to fantastic opportunities for living and working in different countries, cultures and environments.

Once students complete their course, they are usually itching to put into practice all the theory, the lesson plans and the tips and tricks they have learned. However, securing a first TEFL job abroad can be nerve wracking, especially if you have no idea where to begin. Fortunately, finding suitable work should not be a challenge. Here is some advice on getting your first teaching job overseas.

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by Allison Lounes

By Bidgee (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

You just graduated college, you loved study abroad, and you want to travel the world to escape the horrible economy.

And to get by, you want to teach English.

Great! As a native English speaker with a degree, in most cases you already have 100% of the qualifications you need to teach English most places in the world.

But as a green employee, you may not know that some of the companies that may want to hire you are actually counting on your naiveté. They seek out young graduates who just want to travel and get them to accept crazy work conditions, making lots of money off of your skills in the meantime.

Here are three such scams to avoid:

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by Manjusha Nambiar

Teaching a large group of students is not as easy as teaching a small group. However, due to shortage of space many ESL schools are forced to offer large classes. A large class may consist of 50 or more students. Whether you teach a small class or a large class, an ESL teacher has to come up with engaging activities that will keep the students interested. Of course, it is not easy especially when you have a large number of students vying for your attention. Here are a few tips to cope with the challenges of teaching a large class.

Let’s start by talking about the advantages of teaching large classes. It is not easy to manage large classes especially when noise levels go out of hand. On the bright side large classes are fun and exciting. What’s more, time flies in a large class and you are unlikely to find yourself looking at the clock.

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