“As a foreigner walking the streets, I often felt that cold Japanese stare. They were watching me, but indirectly, through their window shades or peripheral vision, to discern whether I was some ‘troublemaker.’ A warm smile did not disarm. If I turned to meet the gaze, the head would quickly turn away” (more…)
…with one shocking difference.
“There’s a hubbub at the front door. The girls are very tired after their long journey. Speaking a few words of English is a major effort… (more…)
Thought I’d pass these tongue twisters onto everyone, because that is after all what the internet is for… With translations in Italian left in, just to prove that all TEFL teachers are exactly the kind of cultured, sophisticated people that would get invited to the Ambassador’s party :
My usual desperate scratch around for some TEFL-relevant news has turned this month into a desperate attempt to deal with it all. If it carries on like this, our grandmothers might even get to be proud of what we do… (more…)
callipygian:
To make up for all the navel gazing recently, have decided to give the public what it wants for once. And what the public wants is TEFL sex!
That first paragraph should get some nice bizarre Google searches coming my way, but actually I’ve already done that topic to death (really!), so I’ll instead be expanding on the most popular recent post, which was on writing the perfect CV and cover letter for a TEFL teacher. Now we have, for your delight and delectation:
The perfect CV and cover letter for an EFL exam class teacher
The perfect CV and cover letter for a TEFL young learners teacher
The perfect CV and cover letter for an EFL manager
The perfect CV and cover letter for a teacher trainer
And last and (possibly) least:
The perfect CV and cover letter for a Business English teacher
In answer to my own question, I’m actually quite happy being a TEFL pleb again after trying teacher training and what have you, which is perhaps why I am the only person who will give advice to others on how to get into it as I’m not competing with you for the jobs…
Perhaps the most commonly asked and most difficult to answer question about TEFL is “Should I do it?”
Although I’ve never felt the irritation at being asked this question that the average TEFL forum regular shows (if they have such problems with feelings of frustration, I really would recommend entirely a different kind of website!), it isn’t the easiest of questions to answer without regular sessions with the person asking the question and a couch (I mean therapy, not what yot were just thinking). But, wthell, if someone can write their life story in 6 words, TEFL in 200 words has to be possible:
I really should wait until I’ve been blogging for 3 or 4 years before I presume to give lessons to the overly keen and/ or angry TEFL bloggers who have quit the game recently, but haven’t got anything else to write about since I got the whole professionalism thing off my chest, so here goes anyway:
Sustainable TEFL blogging uses most of the rules of ecological sustainability, and here they are:
Well, more a vague cry for help or reassurance than a question, but as this is not Dave’s TEFL Forum of Death, we’ll just use that freedom to let our creative juices flow…
“Hi Alex,
My name is Katie. I just stumbled upon your blog as I continue my research on TEFL, TESL, TESOL (and every other acronym under the sun!). I am a college senior (going to graduate this May) with two BA degrees - one in English and the other in Spanish. I was fortunate to study in Madrid Spain last spring and I’m looking to return asap! Actually, I’m going back in about 20 days during my college’s spring vacation in order to meet face to face with the directors of some TESL 4-week programs that I have been researching.
Ultimately I’m looking to get all the help I can get!! Your site has offered me a lot of information but I just wanted to email you to see if you had any specific advice for someone in my situation! Many times when I ask people questions about doing this they try to talk me out of it saying “it’s not worth it.” But this is my dream… I’m determined!!
I have an internship this semester where I’m actually teaching ESL (which has been very interesting considering that I have not studied in any education courses. But, I love it.
Ok, enough rambling for me. Please, if you have any advice/suggestions, I’m here with open ears!!
Thank you so much!!
Katie
ps - Here’s my novice of a blog that I’ve started for a media class I have this semester… it’s not much but it will grow as the semester goes on. http://viajesdevida.blogspot.com/”
Any advice, general information, or philosophisizing on TEFL and/ or Spain anyone?
So, you’ve come in early to cue the tapes and you still have to desperately search for the place on the tape while the students are looking because when it becomes time to rewind and play again, you realise that the school has bought CD players without a counter on the tape
or
You’ve finally finished your further TEFL qualification, and then the person employed as your new boss hasn’t even got the last one you did
or