Sunday, 13 October 2013

TEFL Success Stories - Part 7

USA - Maytal

I taught ESL in California, USA for about one year. After I posted a few flyers in the Mexican supermarkets a lot of South and Central Americans called me. After a few lessons, I realized that the main thing I needed to teach was not English, but rather self confidence and basic studying skills. I had a 50-year-old student, who had been sent to work on a farm since the age of 5, and had been working ever since. He had never studied, and felt very insecure about his ability to learn. His wife told me, that he was worried I would not want to teach him because of his bad memory! I constantly encouraged him, and told him he was doing very well. My top priority was to be very patient. I kept reminding myself that what I had planned to teach, was for HIM and not for me. It would take a few weeks to complete one lesson.

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The South Americans who have immigrated to the USA are the main market for ESL classes. They have left their home to live in a place where there is enough money to live on. They usually do not have studying skills, and work long hours at hard jobs. By the end of the day, they are not very motivated to study English. Therefore, the lessons must be exciting in order to have a chance!

The South American US immigrants don't need English classes, don't want to pay for English classes, and are scared of them. Let me explain. Due to the large number of immigrants from South America to the USA, it is very easy for them to spend their whole lives there, without speaking any English! There are Spanish speakers in every shop, government agency and bank. Knowing that, it seems they are willing to give up on English lessons, without feeling guilty. They don't NEED English.

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As most people know, spending money is a very complicated thing. Guilt is a common feeling, I would say, when taking out one's wallet! And coming from a culture where most people spend their whole lives working and not studying, you can see that it is hard to spend money. They don't WANT to pay for English.

But, after all they do take classes! Keep in mind that they are being very brave. In order to encourage them to continue their studies (and not just start), let them discover this: Knowing English is beneficial to them for many reasons: better paying jobs and job advancements could be available to an immigrant who knows English. Also, the immigrant's children are in English speaking schools, and come home with homework in that language. So the parents who can understand their children's homework, can help create a better future for the children and themselves (those with high paying jobs, have the chance to support their parents in their old age!!)

I had a few Japanese students as well. They did have good studying skills, and seemed to need challenging lessons. They got bored easily, maybe because I had gotten used to teaching at a slow pace with the South Americans.

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I asked at a few private schools, about teaching there, but all required university degrees. I do not have a university. degree, but I do have a TEFL certificate. I was confident in my teaching skills, so I put up a few flyers. I received a lot of calls, and was able to charge $20 for 40-minute private lessons. What I'm saying is that there is plenty of work in California.

Also, UC Berkeley Extension (in Berkeley, CA) offers many different types of short classes on teaching ESL. The classes last a few weeks, or months and are inexpensive. I assume that all major Universities offer these classes in their extension schools (anyone can attend, you don't need to be accepted).

So, to those who want to move to the USA and teach ESL, my recommendation is: dive in! Good luck and remember to be as patient as possible with your students. Teach them at their pace, not yours!!

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Saturday, 12 October 2013

TEFL Success Stories - Part 6

Mexico - Mark

I arrived in Mexico in the summer of 2000 fresh from a TEFL course. I'd taken a job in the city of Queretaro in central Mexico after a 20-minute telephone interview with the school's Swiss owner. I didn't really know what to expect but was just looking forward to something new…something different.

On arrival in Queretaro I was amazed. I found myself in one of the most beautiful cities I'd ever been in - full of beautiful Spanish colonial architecture, terrace bars and restaurants, plazas with ample seating and beautiful fountains full of families in the evenings, narrow winding streets with vendors selling all kinds food and local handcrafts and grand old houses with beautiful, open "patios". With so much history around me, it felt like I was walking around a movie set. I felt incredibly lucky to have ended up in such a place but was soon to find out that Mexico is full of equally wonderful cities.

At 7am Monday morning however, I remembered that I was here to work. The school was smaller than I'd expected as was the system of teaching. I was told that I'd be teaching classes of no more than 4 students of more or less the same level but that they'd probably each be doing a different chapter from the book. Later, I came to realize that buzz words or phrases in the marketing English institutes in Mexico are "native teachers" and "small classes" and that various other schools in the city offered very similar systems.

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The first few weeks flew by trying to teach 3 or 4 different grammar topics in one hour. After a month it felt like I'd taught everything in the book. I realized that in fact it was impossible for a student to possibly understand how we use, for example, the present perfect simple after their 15 minute explanation from me but that this wasn't my problem. Too keep myself motivated I started trying to think of imaginative, "student centred" ways to present the topics and thus keep the students engaged even if they weren't exactly learning what I was supposed to teach them.

Within the first month the school converted my FMT tourist visa to an FM3 working visa and paid the $1700 pesos to the immigration department. I would just say to anyone whose thinking of coming here to get your TEFL certificate, birth certificate and degree certificate notarized back home first otherwise you won't get the visa.

Furthermore, I was getting paid my $6000 pesos per month on time and occasionally received a bonus. The pay was enough to rent a room in a house in a good neighborhood, eat out several times a week and go out at the weekends. I couldn't save too much and couldn't travel very far, but that didn't matter too much as I had no time to go anywhere.

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The students were great and I made some good friends. They ranged from business professionals, university and high school students to bored housewives. The small classes meant that I was able to get to know some of them quite well. I found myself invited to all kinds of parties and celebrations and got a great insight into Mexican life (at least an affluent, middle class version).

In general my students seemed quite motivated – most of them needed English to find good jobs or to enhance their chances of promotion in their existing jobs. The demand for English as a foreign language in Mexico stems the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994. NAFTA meant that many north American companies set up plants the in industrial areas of Mexico such as Monterrey in the north, Mexico City, and the Bajio region in central Mexico which encompasses the cities of Queretaro, Leon and Celaya.

The only problem was that I was exhausted after teaching 8 hours a day plus Saturday mornings. The shifts were split; the mornings began at 7am and the afternoons ran until 9pm. I also began to notice that the morale amongst the staff was pretty low. Everyone felt the same about the system and the hours. As the months went by, teachers came and went…few stuck out their year contracts. I kept working, realizing that the system at the school wasn't the greatest but that I was learning a bit of Spanish, traveling a little and getting to know the local area and its people. I'd taken a risk going there, my relationship with my boss was good and I was enjoying life.

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After a year, strangely, I found myself as the most experienced teacher in the school just because I'd stuck it out. My boss offered the opportunity to become the academic director of one of his new schools in the smaller city of Celaya which is about 45 minutes from Queretaro. My pay was doubled but the hours got longer. More money meant I could rent my own apartment and live more like I would back in England. It also meant that my Spanish got a kick start as I suddenly became responsible for selling courses when people came in for information and dealing with my secretary who didn't speak any English. On the plus side, it gave me an opportunity to shape the teaching system and change some of the materials and more generally develop a more effective learning environment.

Another year went by and things were good. My boss asked me to move to Morelia, another beautiful colonial city 3 hours away, and open a new school for him. I got another pay rise. Once again I found myself in another beautiful place, this time closer to the pacific coast. Things were good. I realized that I'd got lucky in Mexico.

After a year in Morelia I returned to Queretaro, back where I'd started. This time I was to work as a teacher trainer. I did for 6 months but realized that my heart was still in Morelia. In February 2004 I returned to Morelia and started working freelance, teaching business English in-company and running TOEFL preparation courses in the evening. Mexico has been good to me and is a wonderful country to live and work in. The historic cities have beautiful colonial architecture, there are mountain ranges, forests, jungle and desert like climates. There are beaches to cater for all tastes from undeveloped virgin stretches of coasts to luxury resorts. Traveling long distance in Mexico by bus is cheap and comfortable, although not always fast, which means that teachers here are able to really enjoy what Mexico has to offer. Mexican culture is rich in variety which manifests itself in the countless festivals and national holidays such as the Day of the Dead and Independence Day. The people are warm and friendly although more conservative and religious than I'd imagined and are very family-centered. Sadly, there is a deep divide between the rich and the poor. English classes in private institutes are obviously for the better off and this means that living and working in affluent neighbourhoods, where most institutes are situated gives you a rather unbalanced view of life here.

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Wednesday, 9 October 2013

TEFL Success Stories - Part 5

Australia - Steve

I really enjoyed teaching English in Australia and found it a great way to experience a truly massive and amazing country. I'd recommend it to anyone who (like me) can't afford to fund an extended trip around the place but is willing to juggle work and play over the course of a year.

Work can be found in private language schools, teaching a mix of Asian, European, South American, and occasionally African students. These schools are similar to those operating in other English speaking countries, and generally consist of young adult students hoping to improve their English whilst having a good time in Oz. This means that motivation levels can vary widely. Classes range from hard working Cambridge groups and IELTS/EAP students desperate to get into Australian colleges, right through to easy going general English groups with more interest in surf reports than reported speech.

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If you're wondering about access to work there's bad and good news depending on your age! Visas are tricky to get, and sponsorship (by employers) is not easily obtainable in the TEFL industry unless you have something special to offer. BUT, if you're under 30 and from a signatory country (including the UK, Ireland, Canada and many others) you can qualify for a 'Working Holiday Visa' (See the Australian Government Website in your country for details). This bit of wallpaper for your passport isn't too expensive and entitles you to work for 1 year (up to 3 months for each employer you can find).

When armed with a visa, blast all prospective schools with emails and CVs offering your services, and providing you've got a TEFL qualification you should get some positive responses. An invaluable resource is the list of accredited language schools which can be found at www.neasaustralia.com. Schools are listed by state and if they don't supply an email address you'll have to do a few searches by name to dig out the contact details.

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Pay is usually enough to live on comfortably though definitely not extravagantly. I managed to save up travel money during my work stints without starving or staying home every night. The usual rules apply regarding employers - get a contract, check the pay, but remember that there's a steady supply of teachers in the bigger cities so your bargaining power is limited.

I found that some of the bigger schools in particular weren't overly concerned with real teacher development (revolving door employment policies to keep wage costs down) but always paid on time and had good resources. Also, some places only recognise Australian or British Council school teaching experience when it comes to remuneration, but are happy to ask such 'unproven' staff to teach Cambridge or other more demanding classes.

Accommodation is cheap if you're prepared to share a house - check the classified adverts in the local papers. Private residences can also be rented and tend to be of varying quality but uniformly expensive.

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When it comes to spending your earnings, you can start to enjoy the benefits the 'lucky country' has to offer: great food, the great outdoors, surf, loads of sports facilities, modern shops etc. Supermarkets are reasonably priced but eating out in Australia is deservedly popular and many places let you BYO (bring your own) alcohol. Loads of pubs and clubs; outgoing people; and a lively, original arts scene all mean plenty to see and do.

My own experience was of nice classes and fun school activities (like being paid to take surfing lessons or play beach volleyball with the students). Management varied from friendly and enthusiastic to bureaucratic and dishonest. The bits of independent travel in between work were fantastic, and I even got to know a few Aussies amongst all my fellow tourists. The locals are easy to talk to but speak their minds, so don't always expect polite banter or five-star customer service. On the other hand, they value their leisure time and like to show guests a good time.

As for travelling around and seeing the sights, you've all read the guidebooks, so get out there - if your school runs a social activities programme you might even get paid to do it!

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Monday, 7 October 2013

TEFL Success Stories - Part 4

Cameroon - David

When I first told people I was going to work in Cameroon, the most common reaction was: 'Why?'. The second was: 'It's in Africa, you'll die!'. The third: 'Where is that?'

So let's give some answers. I was offered a job that looked interesting in a part of the world I'd never been to before. I'd also long had an interest in Africa, if in a rather vague way, so decided it was time to find out the reality.

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Second, a small amount of research showed that in more than 40 years since gaining independence, Cameroon has been a peaceful country with no wars. Of course it has had political repression and the occasional flare-up, but this country hardly falls into the Africa stereotype of wars and famine. Not only were there no wars, but Cameroon is a food exporter to the region.

Now, after three years, I can say that these have been the healthiest years of my life! No malaria, typhoid, cholera or any of the other frightening diseases you read about when Africa is mentioned. The worst thing that ever happened to me was a bout of food poisoning - once.

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And for those with poor geographical knowledge, Cameroon is situated in the west of Africa, next to Nigeria and surrounded by Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Central African Republic, Gabon and Congo Brazzaville.

So what is it like to teach here? Well surprisingly not so different from teaching anywhere else: prepare a duff lesson and the lesson will be dull. Prepare a good one, relevant to your class and things will be good.

Most students come to us with a bit of English in their heads. Cameroon is a bi-lingual country with French and English as official languages, while there are also close to 200 local ethnic languages in a country of 16 million people. French is the dominant language, spoken by about 80% of the population, while the English speakers often prefer Pidgin. This rich mix of languages creates its own learning problems: 'Was that first, second, third or fourth language interference?'.

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It does take time to persuade students to take part in an interactive EFL lesson. It's just not what they're used to. The local school system is very traditional and somewhat strict. Perhaps not surprisingly when there can be up to 150 students in the classroom (of which maybe 30 have the book, and there are probably seats for 70) - try organising and monitoring pair work in that environment. However, give them a bit of time, coax them a bit, explain why you want them to do it your way and soon they'll open up and you'll be wishing they'd shut up.

Like anywhere, students appreciate it if you know a bit about their country, and not just Roger Milla (top scorer of the 1990 World Cup, in case you're wondering). It helps if you know the names of the ten provinces, know who the first president was, can say a word in a local language (I only have mandingwawhich means 'I love you' in Ewondo, the language of the capital city Yaoundé) and know that Yannick Noah isn't French.

So in conclusion: Cameroon isn't just football. Nor is it war, poverty and disease. It's just life and people, like anywhere else.

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Sunday, 6 October 2013

TEFL Success Stories - Part 3

Egypt - Jenny

Jenny Cleaver taught in the UK for 7 years until 2011 when she made the move to El Gouna, Egypt to teach in the El Gouna International School.

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"I fancied a change, something that was a new experience and a challenge" she says.

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Jenny very quickly discovered that the learning environment was very different from her previous schools in her home country; one that has proved to be very rewarding. "Since working here, I have gained a lot of confidence," Jenny explains.

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"Teaching a smaller class, with less stress reminds you why you got into education in the first place. It allows you to focus on teaching, without so much behavioural management and paperwork!"

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Thursday, 3 October 2013

TEFL Success Stories - Part 2

Teaching in South Korea – Jeffrey

After spending two years as an ESL teacher of Grades 3-6 (ages 10 to 13 in Korea, compared to 8 to 12 in Canada), Jeffrey is back home for a short time, he is planning to go back to Korea next term.

What do you do as an ESL teacher?

Jeffrey: According to my contract, my duties are to assist the reigning Korean teachers. Just what “assist” means is not written in stone. I’ve taught alongside a number of teachers during my time here, and just how active of a role I take in a given lesson has varied with each one (although “pretty active” is generally the norm). I teach at a public school, so we have a curriculum to follow, but it’s a little flexible itself.

As far as planning goes, I usually prepare some sort of interactive PowerPoint presentation as well as a fun game that helps the students practice speaking, reading, or writing the lesson material. This probably isn’t indicative of every public school, though.

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Study a TEFL course with TEFL Zorritos in Peru, South America and travel the world, live abroad and enrich people’s lives by teaching them English. A TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certificate is an internationally accredited and accepted qualification to teach English to people from non-English speaking countries. More questions? Head to ourWhat is TEFL? page

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What does an average day for you consist of?

Jeffrey: Four or five hours of teaching in the morning and early afternoon. Classes are 40 minutes each followed by a break. I always have a Korean co-teacher by my side – sometimes it’s necessary to explain things such as game instructions and grammar rules in Korean.

How did you get used to teaching without having major experience before you left?

Jeffrey: At a public school, they generally won’t just throw you into the deep end and tell you to start swimming. I observed for a few days, and was afterward able to ease into the role. Having a co-teacher is pivotal at that stage.

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Before you left, you cited culture shock, homesickness and the language barrier being major obstacles you would have to overcome. How did you tackle them?

Jeffrey: Having an open mind is essential for overcoming culture shock. I’ve just kind of taken everything in stride. There are quite a few foreigners here, so you’re never going it alone, either. As for homesickness, there’s always Skype.

The language barrier isn’t a problem as often as you think it is. Even if mastering the spoken language is a different story, the written alphabet is very easy to learn, which makes things such as reading menus much easier. English signs are everywhere, especially when you take public transport. And even if you only learn the Korean equivalents of “hello,” “thank you” and “how much,” you’ll be OK in most situations.

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What skills have you developed through your teaching experience?

Jeffrey: OK, you got me. The language barrier is a bit more pronounced when you’re teaching eight-year-olds. Overcoming it has been a big challenge, but I feel very comfortable teaching them these days. I’ve gotten to know what kinds of language I can use to get points across, both oral and visual.

You’ve also been able to do some travelling within and outside Korea. Has this been a perk of working abroad?

Jeffrey: Yes, yes, 100% yes. Asia is beautiful. Go there.

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Wednesday, 2 October 2013

TEFL Success Stories - Part 1

Teaching in Taiwan

By Derick Lourens

The island of Formosa grabbed my attention 11 years ago when I came here for a holiday, visiting friends for ten days. I immediately fell in love with the country and its people.

So I went back to South Africa, quit my job at a law firm, and came to teach English in Taiwan. I have always wanted to be an English teacher. To date, I have been living here for 10+ years, and do not intend to ever leave, except for holidays.

What is so special about Taiwan that prompted such drastic changes in my life?

Much can be written about life here, and a lot can be learned about Taiwan and its culture, people, food, scenery, etc. just by watching the Discovery Channel on television, as well as the National Geographic and the Travel and Living Channel. Taiwan is famous baby!

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What grabbed my attention the most is the lack of crime here, the availability of jobs for EFL/ESL teachers, and the friendly people. There are also lots of societies and sports clubs run by foreigners, which makes it easier to settle in once you get here for the first time. Foreigners come from all the English speaking countries in the world, and if you are looking for assistance and help, just join a club.

Things have changed since I first came here, and the process for applying for a work permit and "green card" is more streamlined and transparent than a few years ago. You also get National Health Insurance and Labour and Pension Insurance, although you do not have to take the latter.

Taipei City runs 24/7. If you want to eat at 3am, no problem! The infrastructure is also super. You have a choice of travelling to work by train, bullet train, subway, taxi, bus, scooter, bicycle, or on foot. The cost of living here is affordable, and when you compare it to your income, it is even better. Big apartments are available to rent for cheap outside the city, where you can escape the sounds of traffic and breathe in fresh mountain air. You can travel to your school within 20 minutes. The technology and internet speed is amazing here. The price of a 24/7 fiber optics high speed internet connection is about US$ 33 per month!

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The variety of jobs available is endless. Depending on your qualifications, you can teach any level from Beginners through to Senior High school and University. Most foreigners opt for the private franchise schools. The reason is that they will hire you without a teaching degree, as long as you have any other degree and a TESOL or TEFL diploma or certificate. Most schools offer a ready-made package of lesson plans and a syllabus.

Of course there are things in Taiwan that are not so good, but I have forgotten what they are, because they tend to pale in comparison when looking at the myriad of positive things on offer here. Coming here has been amazing, and I have made numerous friends, travelled Asia while earning money, and also found a safe place to raise my children.

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You can also learn to speak Chinese here, for free. Many universities offer free tuition to foreigners who want to study here. My friend completed his MBA degree in Taiwan, and worked part-time as well. The people of Taiwan are friendly and very helpful. Strangers will help you with anything, and they get things done in a flash.

So come on over and see for yourself. It's an adventure!