|  Just over a year ago,
you could have written all I knew about Teaching English as a Foreign Language
on the back of a postage stamp. Since then, I have completed an internationally
recognised teaching qualification, flown four thousand miles around the world
and set up life in provincial Thailand, a country I have found to be
insationably interesting all the while having a teaching job I enjoy with
relish everyday.
I have recorded (almost!) all that has happened
to me in the past year in this diary starting before the beginning of my
initial 4 week CELTA course in September 2004. During this experience, I have
gone through the whole range of emotional extremes, high peaks and the
occasional low trough, I have never found it boring and I haven't regretted it
for a minute. ESL/EFL teaching is a great career choice and
one which doesn't have unattainable or specific requirements. You must be aged
between 18 and 80ish, you must have a decent command of the English language,
you must be able to apply yourself to what is an extremely intense (yet
strangely enjoyable) four week course, you must be able to stump up the money
to take the course and most importantly, you mustn't be afraid to make a total
fool of yourself in very public surroundings! In this diary you'll find an account of my
topsy-turvy event-filled first year in ESL teaching together with tips pages
providing advice that, in retrospect, I think I would have found helpful. For
anyone considering a career change, a new challenge, a new experience, improved
(and self-sufficient) travel options, or even if you're just curious, take a
moment to read through the diary. It will give you a glimpse into the
jam-packed four week CELTA course and provide an insight into what you can
expect from a first year in ESL teaching. | 
| Prologue 1: Two lessons in, all going
smoothly 2: Who wants to be a TEFL
teacher? 3: The flexible CELTA 4: Can teach, will
travel 5: The end of the CELTA: What
now? 6: Beyond Bangkok 7: The ground with a
thump! 8: The trouble with
plural(s) 9: Farewell to Bangkok 10: Monkey business 11: Pre-festive festival
cheer! Loy Krathong 12: Monkey see, monkey do. The
monkey feast! 13: Help! I need
somebody... 14: No Ho Ho in festive free
LopBuri 15: Tsunami terror: Disaster
hits the West coast 16: Sun, Sea and Scampi 'n'
chips 17: Stress relief - Thai
style 18: Free phones for
votes! 19: Coming up smellin' of
roses 20: To Wai or not to Wai. That
is the question 21: Meet the parents 22: The bright lights of
Bangkok 23: YEEHAA! Round 'em
up! 24: Happy New Year - The
Songkran festival 25: Da Vinci code cracked! The
elephant did it 26: Three weddings and a
21st 27: Monkeys, geckos, and pink
ladies 28: Shocking culture? Books
and covers 29: A nod and a grin 30: If it's not one thing,
it's your Mother 31: Food for
thought... 32: Water, water
everywhere! 33: On the B of BANG! |
