Am I Too Old To Become A Teacher

  Many of our trainees worry that they lack the experience and qualifications needed to teach English abroad and some think they might be too old to take a training course with us. The simple answer to these concerns is that the demand for TESOL qualified teachers around the world is so huge that there are plenty of opportunities out there for everyone, regardless of their age or background. Teaching experience is rarely required in most overseas jobs, in fact, the vast majority of people currently working as ESL teachers have never previously worked in a classroom before. Having formal qualifications such as a degree is also not essential. While it is true that a degree is required in order to get a work permit in some countries, there are significantly more countries worldwide...  [Read more]

Online vs. Onsite Courses Becoming certified to teach English as a second language can be done onsite or online. On online course was the most efficient, economical and in many ways the superior way for me. This article explains my background and situation. It also touches on the process I went through to get to this, the final lesson. Online is not for everyone. It takes an open and creative mind to step into the world of computers and electronic tutors. An imagination and discipline were keys to my approach. Imagination was profound when I would take time away from class and Google some blogs about teaching English. Dave’s Café was just one of these places where you could find endless discussions on the joys and perils of teaching English in other countries. These stories were the...  [Read more]

Games in the Classroom Teachers and researchers have moved away from the separation of linguistic skills as the best and only way to instruct students learning other languages. Today, more emphasis is being placed on purposeful games in the classroom which create a more carefree and fun environment for its learners. This method, when carefully chosen, produces confidence, creates competition and teammanship, and promotes a desire to win the prize...which is fluency of a 'once' strange language. In the end, everyone wins, since the goal is fluency of a foreign language with a teacher who becomes the hero, because she makes her lessons meaningful and entertaining at the same time. Games can be wonderful communicative device in the classroom setting and should be a central part of educating...  [Read more]

British english vs american English With English being recognised as the global language of choice, which one is considered the official language? So just how did American English diverge from British English in the first place? American English roots back to the early colonial days of the late 16th century, were a whole gamut of cultures converged into a single society. In some colonies English wasn’t even a spoken language and in those colonies that did speak English it was quite different from the English we know today. The Elizabethan English of the day consisted of many varieties of regional English dialects. All these different dialects, intermingled with a multitude of cultures formed one big boiling pot, of which over time, a new variant was produced – American English. And...  [Read more]

Hungary is a country many choose to visit repeatedly. Its fine wines, dynamic and exciting cities, hot spas, and friendly people all combine to draw tourists and those job seekers alike. Much has changed in Hungary since disintegration of the Eastern Bloc in 1989, and much to its credit Hungary has adapted well to these changes, and put programs in place to better integrate everything from the economy to the education system into a world that has a broader context. One of the benefits of this rigorous programme of adaptation is a stable and even strengthening currency. Hungary joined the EU in 2004; however, reciprocal transitional controls have yet to expire, so there are still visa issues that must be dealt with. The population of a shade over ten millions fits into a landmass of...  [Read more]

Building Confidence in Students Education is certainly the birthright of all people. The motivation of every nation should be to generate literate, well-educated and intelligent residents who are able to add to the proper progress and progress of the whole society. There is still mystery on how accurately a foreign language is learnt. On the subject of building confidence there are yet more theories which are even more difficult to confirm. I myself do not trust that confidence is built using one magic activity, but rather it is continuously acquired all over the learning process. That’s why, all the theories I pick to focus on three things Grammar, Drilling, and of course the role of the teacher. All of these will prepare the student for circumstances they might meet later. [1] After...  [Read more]

There is such a tremendous amount of marked regional diversity in Spain that one is almost dealing with a mini continent. Life on the costas - Spain’s huge coastline - differs greatly from that in the big cities, which in turn differs from life in the thousands of picturesque rural villages, which is again different from the ski slopes of Andora or Granada. Dispirit locations and circumstances are united in a profound love of life, sometimes combined with a slight disdain for work. Spaniards work to live, they do not live to work. Hence it is very easy to get swept up in a seemingly constant round of fiestas and festivals, music and dancing - eating well and drinking well being all part of pursuing the good life in the best of all possible worlds. Despite the fact that practically...  [Read more]

Should Students Be Allowed to Use Their Native Language in the Classroom When I first began teaching lessons during the TESOL Course I found myself almost automatically saying to the students, “English please,” after all it is an English class. However, I began to question myself about whether or not this was “correct” practice or if the students should in fact use their native language to assist them in the learning process. After doing some research I found the TESOL Law Code of Ethics. The Law of Ethics provided many vague and open-ended ideas. It suggested things along the lines of, “The foreign language teacher shall direct her whole professional effort to assist the students to develop his/her second language speaking ability.” It also mentions that TESOL teachers are to...  [Read more]

Mighty big place, Partner. As Ferdinand Braudel, the great French historian observed, ‘the land dictates the people’, and it is a good idea never to stray too far from this theme. If you want to know what ‘cold’ is then head up to Minneapolis, north of Toronto, in the mid winter. If you want to know what ‘hot and humid is’ then try Orlando in the height of the summer. If you transcribe a line from Los Angles to Miami and turn this into a road trip then the number of different peoples and environments you will encounter is immense. By all means there is a thin veneer of Americanism, and everywhere you will find both McDonalds, and the presence of the Federal Government; however, you shouldn’t let this take your eye off the ball of the fact that the people and environment of...  [Read more]

mexico: What a place. You could easily spend a year in a couple of hours in this hugely diverse and vast country. Whether you prefer snow-capped volcanoes, heavily populated beaches, deserted beaches, superb diving, the hum of the big cities, or the world-class archaeological sites, you would be hard pressed to find a place offering more to the traveller. On the back of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), governing free trade between Canada, the USA, and mexico, massive investment has poured into mexico, which in turn has created huge demand for English language skills. Be choosy. For the well-qualified TESOL teacher it is a sellers’ market, and you don’t have to dive in to the first opportunity that comes your way. Indeed, TESOL teacher poaching is a popular pastime...  [Read more]

In a continent where baseball and US television is enormously popular, there is considerable enthusiasm for learning English. However, it is American English that has most currency and is most sought after, not British English. The distinction is noted by locals, bringing considerable advantage to Canadian and American candidates. Nevertheless, there are many opportunities and, as ever, persistence pays dividends. Those actively looking for work will find it, and be rewarded by the experience of teaching some of the most enthusiastic, fun-loving students on the planet. In addition to this, America is seen as corporate Big Brother. Its influence and presence is pervasive. Quite unlike Europe, for those wishing to teach in a state or private school, a TESOL qualification is more than...  [Read more]