Jun. 19th, 2012 04:12 pm Writing project - The person that I respectHello everyone!I'm teaching English in one of the Japanese universities.Couple of weeks ago I saw this essay that impressed me. Let me just share it with you.Student: a Japanese girl, 19-20 years old, a very positive and funny character.Writing project: write for 10 minutes about the person that you respect.Student's level: elementary.My mother is special funny. She is interesting. She angry sometimes because I take a misstake on my life. But she listens to my things.She really understands to me. It is different, I can't understand myself. But she understands to me. She is super and beautiful and compleated mother.**I am happy that I was born in her!**Isn't that the letter that every mother would be happy to get? ;)4 comments - Leave a comment
Jun. 17th, 2012 01:03 pm Any experinced with teens?! HELP!I usually teach university students. For the next 5 weeks my university is running an English program for students who are between 13 and 16 years old. I am totally petrified. I will be teaching the lowest level students.Any tips from teachers who teach this age group regularly? These students are Turkish.Thanks in advance!PS: Cross posted on my other ESl teaching community journals.2 comments - Leave a comment
Nov. 26th, 2011 04:09 pm Expected level of grammar according to CEFR, Focus on Grammar e-booksFor each level of the CEFR, what aspects of grammar/vocabulary words/etc are EFL speakers expected to know? I am failing at finding this online, I'm really just looking for a list that I can use as a reference.Also, does anyone know if there's an electronic version of the Focus on Grammar (Third Edition) books (specifically books 2 and 4)? If I need to pay for it, I will, but I'm in Spain and 1) can't afford to get the books shipped here from America, and 2) can't wait weeks and weeks for these books.Leave a comment
Nov. 2nd, 2011 05:05 pm IELTS writing Task 2Hi! I wonder if someone can tell me the principles of the writing for Task 2 IELTS if it asks test takers the following:_To what extent do you agree or disagree?_Should the answer includes both sides, or just states if they agree/disagree and give their reasons/support their argument?Thank you so much - Leave a comment
Feb. 16th, 2011 10:30 pm New classI've been given a new adult class which starts tomorrow evening. There will be three students. They want:- to understand TV programmes such as CSI and House.- "prepare" (I've not been told if they are sitting the exams) for TOEIC- discussionI usually teach children and do some informal discussion classes with adults. I have downloaded an episode of CSI to use in class.I've had a long day and this class is a bit of a surprise. Any tips/advice would be fantastic. :)Edit:I'm in Taiwan.The lesson will be 90 minutes long.1 comment - Leave a comment
Oct. 26th, 2010 02:18 pm Stupid Writing RulesAll are invited to take my poll on stupid writing rules at EAPlog and to add others of their own. Disclaimer: this is just for fun/propaganda purposes, and has no scientific validity ;-)Leave a comment
Sep. 8th, 2010 11:55 am Scottish Accent help pleaseOur University has an exchange program with a University in Scotland. We have a visiting professor here at the moment and he confirmed what I feared, the uni is an accent heavy region.I would like to prepare the students as best as I can, but I am not from there. BBC has a really useful feature called 'voices' where you can listen to accents from all over the country, but it does not have transcripts.Does anyone know of a source for Scottish accents that has a transcript of the dialog?Thanks so muchReda11 comments - Leave a comment
Sep. 6th, 2010 02:24 pm Schools in the UKAn adult pupil of mine wants to go study in Brighton, Eastbourne or Bournemouth for a couple of weeks or a month or so. Can anyone recommend some schools? Thanks in advance!cross-posted2 comments - Leave a comment
Jul. 11th, 2010 12:41 amI am teaching a demo and I have been asked to teach the differences between if clauses ( 2nd and 3rd conditionals) based on a communicative approach for an intermediate adult class. Any ideas for games or input on what you would do?I was thinking maybe playing a fortune teller game but I thank that is been done many times before. I welcome any and all input from you.Pretty please and thanks in advance
Jun. 24th, 2010 04:16 pm Visa/Criminal CheckHi everyone. I have my EPIK/SMOE interview for teaching in Korea on Monday, and I am so nervous. Anyone got tips on what to expect them to ask? I have a general idea but they say it's 30-40 minutes long which is a long time to talk about myself...Also, my recruiter said I have a good chance of passing (I doubt it) but if I pass, I have to have all my documents ready ASAP. I haven't even taken my criminal record check yet, or gotten anything apostilled. I was just wondering how long does it take for those to process, how long it takes to get something apostilled and how long does it take for the VISA to process?TY for any help in advance. =)1 comment - Leave a comment
May. 17th, 2010 08:05 pm Assessment Question for TeachersWho writes the assessments you use in your classes?How is validity and reliability ensured (whether you write them or someone else does)?What kind of quantitative analysis is done with any classroom performance statistics from classes you teach?::cross-posted in other teaching groups::2 comments - Leave a comment
May. 17th, 2010 09:21 am EFL teaching in SingaporeHello:Has anyone had experience in EFL teaching in Singapore? Is it easy for an American to find teaching jobs if she is already in the country? And I would be interested in knowing more about life there. Thank you.Leave a comment
Apr. 21st, 2010 11:46 am Shameless self-advertisingSome time ago I asked here if anyone knew of community sites specialising in EAP. It turns out thwat there is very little out there - loads of scholarly papers and websites of departments or professional organisations like BALEAP but nothing along the lines of what I wanted: a kind of Dave's ESL cafe for EAP. So to go some way towards filling the gap, I've started a blog: EAPlog. At the moment most of it is links to articles of interest and job postings, but I will add more original content if my readership rises above a dozen ;-) Comments are of course welcome.3 comments - Leave a comment
Apr. 14th, 2010 01:00 pm Taiwan (and South Korea)Hi,I’m hoping to teach English in Taiwan (or maybe South Korea) from late May or June. I’m leaning towards Taiwan, because I: - have already been to South Korea and I crave adventure. - want to live somewhere that is warm/hot (preferably near a decent beach). - would like to improve on my very basic knowledge of Mandarin Chinese.I don’t have a great deal going on for me in the UK at the moment, so I thought I might as well make the most of having a good degree from a top university and using my free time to do a TEFL course. I really want to save money over the course of the year - is it possible to save around £5000 (a tad ambitious, perhaps)? I have applied to quite a few companies that assist teachers in securing TEFL positions. All of them have been very helpful and are keen for me to go over there as soon as possible, but it would be unwise not to request impartial advice from teachers who have already experienced living and working there.So. Even though I’ve done considerable research into both countries, could any of you possibly help me out with the following queries? Have you taught in Taiwan (or South Korea)?How did you find it?Did you apply to schools independently or use companies? Did you manage to go back to home country to see family at some point during the year’s contract? I’m particularly interested in living in a large city. I’m hoping to find decent work in Taipei or Kaohsiung, but I’ll also consider Taichung. I have no interest in living in the countryside - I did that in Japan and it very nearly drove me insane. Which city would you recommend? How much did you earn and save? How much was your rent? (I have been struggling to find photographs of flats in Taiwan.) Was the accommodation decent? (Rude questions, sorry!)I’m vegetarian. Did you or anyone you met in Taiwan find being vegetarian incredibly difficult? Oh. Also. I’m gay. Any advice with regard to that would be appreciated.Argh. Quite a few questions there.I should mention that I studied Japanese at university and have lived there twice, so I do know a little bit about living in East Asia. I didn’t come out to the people I was working with and, although I ate well in my flat, eating out was a challenge. Octopus is NOT a vegetable . I did have a great time, though. :)Current Mood:excited1 comment - Leave a comment
Mar. 24th, 2010 10:03 am EPIKDoes anyone have any resources on or experiences with the EPIK programme in Korea? I’m a bit confused as to how they operate, I know it’s a government scheme but I was wondering if there was a nationalised system or whether it varies from school to school. I think the confusion lies mainly with the fact it seems to be advertised by independent recruiters rather than on its own (unlike the JET scheme for Japan, for example).The benefits seem okay, they appear to have more holidays (although I’m guessing you can’t really choose when you take them), but the pay is a little less than the Hagwons. I’m a little concerned about going private because a. I’m mixed race (and Japanese to boot…) and I’m worried I’ll be judged on my photo and b. I’ve heard so many bad experiences. But then I’ve looked up EPIK and circa 2002-2003 there were a lot of complaints about the system, and I wonder how/if it’s improved? I’ll be applying for both private and public in the meantime, but would like to make a more informed decision.Thanks in advance, I’m happy to hear your views - Leave a comment
Mar. 12th, 2010 02:22 pmHi all,A few questions about one-on-one teaching/tutoring. 1. I have some private ESL clients here in the U.S. (Seattle), and normally I meet them in person, for an hour or more of tutoring at a time. One of them just requested switching to phone lessons, 20 minutes a day, Monday through Friday instead of 2 one-hour lessons each week. I charge 25/hourforin−persontutoring(whichmayormaynotseemhigh,butseemstobeamediumratehereinSeattle),andproposedcharging25/hour for in-person tutoring (which may or may not seem high, but seems to be a medium rate here in Seattle), and proposed charging 25/hourforin−persontutoring(whichmayormaynotseemhigh,butseemstobeamediumratehereinSeattle),andproposedcharging10 for 20 minutes for phone lessons since I spend almost the same amount of time prepping for the 20 minutes ones as the hour-long lessons (she wants a new article to discuss every time, which requires time searching for appropriate ones--and appropriately short ones). She thinks I should charge less (maybe less than 8.33,whichwouldbe1/3ofmyper−hourrate),andI′mirritated,butnotsurewhat′s"fair"inthissituation.SheisanattorneyinKorea,andhasrecentlytalkedaboutpayingsomeone8.33, which would be 1/3 of my per-hour rate), and I'm irritated, but not sure what's "fair" in this situation. She is an attorney in Korea, and has recently talked about paying someone 8.33,whichwouldbe1/3ofmyper−hourrate),andI′mirritated,butnotsurewhat′s"fair"inthissituation.SheisanattorneyinKorea,andhasrecentlytalkedaboutpayingsomeone50/hour to make her family meals while here in the U.S., so I guess I'm maybe even a little more irked at the reluctance to pay a tiny bit more than an exact 1/3...I tend to be much more flexible when I work with students at establishing a lower rate than when I work with professionals.2. Also, do any of you do one-on-one tutoring? If so, do you charge a flat per-hour rate, or do you adapt it at all depending on length of commute or less for longer lessons, etc.? Just wondering if there's a norm out there. 3. Does anyone do phone lessons? I'm wondering if that might be something to move into, but this is my first foray into that area of teaching.1 comment - Leave a comment
Feb. 8th, 2010 11:31 pm CELTA (TEFL cert) in France???Dear TEFL community,So I´m in my second year of working as an auxiliar (english TA) in Spain. I´m thinking I might spend a few more years teaching English as a way of traveling the world before I go back to school for my masters, getting a real career, etc. I´m thinking about taking a TEFL certification course this summer. This is something that I thought I´d NEVER bother with, since I haven´t needed it so far. I figure, why waste the money? But I wonder if it would make it significantly easier for me to find jobs as an English teacher wherever I decide to travel. So now I have all these questions....1. Is it worth getting the certification? Did it make it easier to find a job? I'm American, so there *is* the visa issue.... as an auxiliar I'm on a student visa, so being an auxiliar is the easiest thing to do, as it is both the least work and doesn't require certification, but you can only do it for a few times...2. Do you recommend any TEFL courses in France? I'm studying beginning French this year and think it might be cool to practice my French a little while I'm doing this TEFL course... I'd like to be in southern France (somewhere that's NOT Paris, haha), like Toulouse or Nice.... was looking at this program and this program but are they good programs? They aren't CELTA....3. Does it make a significant difference if I go for a course that's Trinity or Cambridge accredited? I've read the post recommending CELTA over everything else... what's annoying is that it seems to only be offered in Paris and no where else in France. Maybe this is a stupid thing to fret over, though.... oh well!Thank you in advance.... for any advice...2 comments - Leave a comment
Jan. 28th, 2010 07:26 pm Online certificationHello!I want to teach abroad, and I want to take a certification class. An online class is best for my financial situation. My question is this: what's the most reputable place to get an online certificate? I've found two links but looking at the units in the class, I've found that they're EXACTLY the same. Is it just a brand thing? I was looking at TEFL Corp as well as TEFL Online.Does anyone have any advice or experience regarding this?Thank you15 comments - Leave a comment
Jan. 24th, 2010 04:58 pmHello, hello! I am currently a grad student getting my certification in ESL. I am writing a paper on culture and I need to have opinions of many different people.I need to ask ELL teachers and ELL students. I have no problem finding ELL students in my school, but we only have four ELL teachers in my school and I need at least 10 different opinions!So if you guys have time if you could possibly answer the following questions for me that would be great! You only need to write like 1-2 sentences for each question. This paper is supposed to be a short look into the opinions of ELL teachers and students. It's only going to be about 2-3 pages so just your first reaction to the question is all that is needed!**( on to the quetions!Collapse )**There is 7 questions. You don't have to answer all of them, you could answer just one and it would be helpful! Thanks guys!! And if this isn't allowed please let me know!Cross-posted a few places!Current Music: buffy the vampire slayreLeave a comment
Jan. 16th, 2010 03:46 pmHello all,I've just been given my first teaching job! (Maybe. It's a week's trial). I start Monday, and I need some advice.I'm teaching an adult elementary level class of 25 students, four hours a day, five days a week. It's a five week course, but they're two and a half weeks through it already. Their last teacher left suddenly, and I have no idea what they've covered and what they haven't - but it's my job to get them to intermediate level by the end of the next two and a half weeks. I have to write my own curriculum, and I'm currently the only English teacher on staff.I also have to teach a four hour intermediate class, just once, as they haven't found a teacher for that position yet. I thought one thing I might do is give them some sort of a test, to assess their levels - both the elementaries and the intermediates. I think it might be useful to have some sort of a record of where the students are at to hand over to the intermediate teacher, when they hire one. Can anyone point me in the direction of some templates?The other thing is: I've been warned that these students don't want to be there. We're in London and they're taking a diploma course; the school doesn't think they'll pass their real exams unless they improve their English, so my class is a requirement. The students don't agree; they don't see why they should learn English at all. That's what I'm told, anyway. One of the major factors in whether I do get the job or not is if I can control the class: my interviewers were very dubious about it, they don't think I'll manage. For the record, I'm a small guy, 21 (and therefore younger than most of my students), I'm (usually) reasonably soft-spoken, and probably look pretty queer. Now, I don't get intimidated easily, but at the same time...I don't really know how to discipline adult students. I was warned that they might show up late for class, slack off, and possibly verbally abuse me. Any tips on how to motivate the unmotivated and make adults behave like adults (rather than, y'know, spoilt brats) would be most welcome. I haven't met them yet, so it's possible my employers were overstating things, but it can't hurt to be prepared.So the TLDR version is:1. What are some good, hopefully casual and fun tests I can give these students, to figure out what I need to teach them?2. Any advice on what curriculum I should cover? Or on how to plan the first lesson, not knowing anything about the class?3. Tips on disciplining adult students!Any general advice/encouragement would also be great - this is my first teaching position, and it's been a few months now since I did my CELTA. I'm coming in to less-than-ideal circumstances, and I'm a little nervous about what's expected of me. As I say, I'm currently the only English teacher on staff, and my employers have pretty much told me, "You're the English teacher. Let us know what you need" - it's effectively a carte blanche to do as I like, but the flip side of that is it's all on my head if I fuck things up. I don't even know how much ground I'm expected to cover in the five weeks; I thought I could figure it out by liasing with the intermediate level teacher, but...well, they haven't hired one yet.Thanks for any help you can give.3 comments - Leave a comment
Jan. 15th, 2010 12:12 am EAP SitesCan anyone recommend some good sites/communities dealing with EAP? Ideally I'd like a kind of Dave's ESL cafe, but focussed on university-level teaching.Leave a comment
Dec. 22nd, 2009 11:24 am Teaching English in TurkeyHas anyone taught in Turkey?If so, could you tell me:- What were/ are private or public schools like as a foreign teacher? - Was it difficult to save money teaching there?- Did you pay for your accommedation? If so, how would you rate it? If not, were you paying a lot to rent in the city you lived in? Thanks in advance - Leave a comment
Dec. 21st, 2009 09:28 amIs there anybody here who has worked both in a regular school (ie. an English primary school) and as a TEFL teacher abroad?If so, could you please share a comparison of how you found the two jobs?3 comments - Leave a comment
Nov. 24th, 2009 05:19 pm first lessonHi, everybody!I wonder what would you do with a student at the first lesson? Meeting and testing.... mmm what kind? 1) If (s)he is 11-13 years old.2) If (s)he is an adult.Leave a comment
Nov. 24th, 2009 09:28 am korea vs taiwanHello! I have been doing a lot of research about teaching English abroad and have narrowed down my choices to Taiwan or Korea. I am now having a difficult time choosing which country and in what city I want to lay my roots. I am a recent graduate from the University of Michigan spending a year as an au pair in Rome. I enjoy big cities, a nightlife, good food, being around people (most likely other English speaking expats), warm-ish weather and the ability to travel. On a lesser note, I do love the beach and would like to be somewhere that it is easily accessible, if possible. Ideally I would like to be able to rely on public transportation as I am a terrible driver. I would like to be able to learn the language if time (and money) permits, although Mandarin is much more desirable in this case. My biggest obstacle is the fact that I have student loans I need to start paying off, probably around 300USD a month. I am currently looking at Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Taipei in Taiwan and unsure about cities in Korea (Seoul, obviously). Can anyone offer any insight on if you think these cities might be what I am looking for and also if it is possible to send some money back to the US to pay off my debt? Other suggestions are also very welcome! What is the living situation like in either of these countries for foreigners? I've heard some pretty negative things about both places, but especially about Korea. I'd love to hear other people's experiences about either place.Also, is it better to come and look for a job there? I’ve seen mixed reports. When coming how much money do you recommend coming with? Is there a time of year that is best to look for a job (regardless of the July tax thing in Taiwan, I’ve read a lot about it already)?Finally, has anyone lived in either place with asthma? My asthma isn’t very serious and is well controlled but I would love to hear firsthand if the pollution is that bad.Thank you so much for all your help.10 comments - Leave a comment
Oct. 14th, 2009 08:39 amI recently came off my CELTA course, and I've got my first interview tomorrow. They've asked me to prepare a fifteen minute beginners'-level presentation...I've got a few questions, and if anyone here can answer them, I'd really appreciate that. 1) Do you think they'll actually want me to teach this presentation, or just go through it with them? 2) If they do want me to teach it, my thoughts are it won't be for actual students. Am I right? 3) Any general tips / advice on what they're looking for? I'm thinking I'll do a grammar point... 4) I've never taught beginners before! I taught elementary and upper intermediate while I was on my CELTA. Anything I should know? I'd appreciate any advice you can give me.1 comment - Leave a comment
Oct. 11th, 2009 06:33 pm So many questions...Sorry, in advance, for all the questions...I'm just trying to figure it all out, and it seems confusing, but from reading back through entries, you all seem so knowledgeable and helpful! =]Ok, so here be my dilemma.I'm a US citizen, living in California, where there are NO JOBS. So...I have traveled a bit, mainly through Europe and Mexico, and I thought, I should teach English in Asia.I am specifically looking into Korea for a few reasons. The first being I have 2 very good friends living in and around Seoul, and I would love to be able to see them again, and fulfill my promise to visit them. Second being that Korea looks beautiful, and the history intrigues me, so I would love to go. Third...I have heard from several reliable sources that you can get a job over here, without certification, and go over to teach, them paying transportation, training, housing, etc. Having not had a job in 17 months, and my school loans almost out, this makes me a happy monkey indeed. Reading through some entries, I think that perhaps their training may not be the best, but my mother taught ESL for a few years, as well as has learned several languages throughout her life, and has great skills/ideas/lesson plans for teaching a foreign language. I also pick up languages quickly, and would love to learn an Asian language. So here are my questions...how accurate is the getting a job from here, going there, training, all things paid for/reimbursed? I am in a bit of a sticky financial situation, and could probably scrape enough together for plane and first month or two living, but....I can't really afford the $1000+ for the training/certification on top of that.also...I have read that Korea requires your diploma. I will be graduated in January, which is when I would like to leave, as the money well will be scraping the very bottom by then, but I will not get my actual diploma until April probably. I am actually done with school, but they lost some of my paperwork, and so instead of being graduated this summer, I will not be graduated until Fall term is over. Will school take an official letter from my school stating I am done and graduated, do you think???Also...if they provide housing, what's it like? this is really more for curiosity's sake thank anything else, I just constantly see "single housing provided" and ma curious as to if that is a bed and a sink and toilet and something to cook on, or just a bed, or.....?Thanks so much in advance!!!Current Location: Los Angelesssss...Current Mood: *hopeful* Current Music: sounds of my roomie making us beef stroganov =] yum - Leave a comment
Oct. 5th, 2009 08:20 pm New ESF Commerika_esl_files I decided to start this community because I want to share my teaching experiences after these couple of years in the business. I pretty much learned everything by myself, also using several sources throughout the web, and never went to any specific course. I love teaching and feel I can share some things, so if you want to watch this community, please do so. I will not accept new members and I'll be the only poster there, but anyone is free to comment and discuss.4 comments - Leave a comment
Sep. 14th, 2009 09:38 am Amity essay/general questionHey everyone- new member here. I'm a former JET looking to go back and work as an English teacher. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for the Amity essay of: "Why I Want to Teach Children and Live in Japan" What are they looking for? Is this just to check grammar and composition skills or should I put more time into it? I really want to maximize my chances, so I want to make sure I am focusing on the right thing. Also, I've applied to Peppy Kids Club, Interac and I am applying to GABA, Amity, AEON and ECC. Are there any that you would recommend over others? Am I missing any that I should apply to? Thanks for your help! (xposted to eikaiwa)Leave a comment
Aug. 6th, 2009 03:33 pm A collection of activities for foreign students of EnglishHi, I'm a Russian teacher of English. I've been teaching for a while now and would like to share the materials I created for my students with other teachers. I've been accumulating card games, grammar exercises and other activities in my journal. If anyone is interested, I'd love to hear comments and/or constructive criticism :)3 comments - Leave a comment
Jul. 23rd, 2009 12:59 amDear all,have you worked on any grants/taken any academic programs in ESL? what sort of programs were they?what universities would you recommend?I know the questions sound sort of too general and ambiguous, but, having very little experience, I'd appreciate any guidelines in this field. All the academic programs i participated in were back in student years, in a different major.I'm teaching English in Russia (being a Russian native speaker) and currently doing a research in tefl, which deals with teaching communicative grammar.Thanks for your tips.Leave a comment
Jul. 12th, 2009 04:56 pm Challenging Summer Group - Advice?Hallo! I'm teaching four classes at a summer camp for the next five weeks, and to date my most challenging group has been the 10-12 year olds. They are so widely varied (from none-at-all to near-fluent) that I have had to throw out all of the planning I had already done, as it didn't really serve any of them very well. Now I'm struggling to come up with something for the group that will actually address their needs as learners. The breakdown is something like this:2-3: Beginner4-5: Intermediate (varying levels - some really high, some really low)3-4: AdvancedIt's a summer camp, and these kids have a full morning of Mandarin classes that keeps them incredibly bored and overworked, so I'm trying to find something fun for them that will still have them learning. I'm just not sure what to do with a breakdown like that, you know?I'd appreciate any suggestions of games, activities, or ideas on how to deal with a huge range in ability. I'm actually teaching them FSL this time around, not EFL, but I'll adapt anything I can!Current Mood:tired3 comments - Leave a comment
Jul. 12th, 2009 11:41 am ESL Games for one student onlyHi there :)I have recently started teaching an extremely smart 12 year old girl in one on one lessons. I REALLY need some games that you can play with just one student seeing as I have exhausted the usual Hangman, Who am I and 20 Questions.It should be nothing too long or time consuming - I just need it for our 10 mins breaks since she's the only kid around so she spends her breaks with me as well (and I don't want to be boring ;)The games can be a little more challenging because she's really smart and loves a challenge :)Any help would be greatly appreciated - Leave a comment
Jul. 6th, 2009 03:27 pm Latin AmericaQuestion: does anyone have any knowledge about teaching English in Latin American countries? Getting jobs in Asia sounds relatively easy and safe; I was wondering if the same could be said about South America. I was thinking specifically about the southern cone areas, like Argentina, Chile or maybe Peru, but that's just off the top of my head.I guess my thought in looking at this region was the possibility of living abroad and teaching English while brushing up on Spanish on the side. If other things in terms of stability and salary were equivalent to Asia, it seemed like an appealing alternative.8 comments - Leave a comment
Jun. 24th, 2009 04:43 pm Pardon my ignorance; advice?Greetings and salutations, all. Several years ago, I decided that I wanted to teach English overseas, but only now have I begun the college process. Yes, that's right, I'm the newbiest newbie you've ever met. I'm starting community college in the fall (my family is low-income and my college savings has been mostly used up due to unexpected medical and employment emergencies; cheap education is all we can aim for), and I will eventually transfer to one of the local universities. (I live in the DFW area of Texas.) My ultimate goal is to be qualified to teach young teens and older. My questions are: what paths (in your experience) are best to take during this college process? What degrees did you obtain (Associates, Bachelors, Masters)? What degrees would you recommend obtaining? Would a degree in secondary education be enough to qualify me for teaching in my desired age range? I'm very new to this process and I feel somewhat lost as to what steps I should take; given my family's financial situation, I don't want to make costly mistakes. Any recommendations/advice is highly appreciated! Thanks for your time.4 comments - Leave a comment
May. 29th, 2009 11:23 am PronunciationCan anyone suggest exercises/activities to work on ingrained pronunciation mistakes?I'm thinking specifically of an advanced student who pronounces R with a heavy German accent.I'd appreciate practical ideas that would work with a 1-1 student in an office.Thanks.Leave a comment
Apr. 11th, 2009 11:43 pm Awesome teaching materialsHello ESL/EFL teachers! I have some good news for you. If you don't have time to prepare for class, but still have to teach, there is a simple solution - English lesson plans with 6-7 worksheets included. The lesson plans feature the following topics: — Food and drink — Health — In the house — The world around us — Wedding and marriage — Crime and punishment — Computer and technology — People — Money — Job — Traveling — Music — Education Check it out here http://www.english-lesson-plan.comLeave a comment
Mar. 26th, 2009 01:46 am Queers overseasHey everyone,I am at the beginning of my TEFL certification program and starting to think about where I may want to go. I don't have much international experience. I have briefly visited Spain, Germany, and the UK, but that's it. My question is, how dangerous is it to be a queer teacher overseas? Are there any countries I should seriously avoid? I must say that in appearance I don't "look gay," as they say, but am very much lesbian identified. My mom is really nervous about me going to teach overseas and has not said it outright, but has hinted that I should keep it in the closet if I do choose to travel and teach. Does anyone have any experience with this? I know that the point of going to teach is not think about who you might be dating, but it sort of freaks me out to think about how I'm going to hide this part of myself...if need be.Help?Nicolex-postedEDIT: This is more about just living in the country, not about expressing my orientation while teaching or to students. I was thinking more about a social life and general open-mindedness in different countries. Thanks so much for all your replies - Leave a comment
Mar. 18th, 2009 03:00 pm assessment & homeworkOkay, a couple questions for you all~I. I've been working with students one-on-one, and I'm having a difficult time figuring out how I can assess their progress. (We are working primarily on speaking and listening skills.) Assessment was NOT something covered in the TESOL certificate classes I did years ago. Any ideas? Where did you learn to assess students?II. Working with adult students, it feels weird to push too hard to have them do homework (especially when I know they have busy work and family lives), but at the same time, I know that it's crucial to their progress for them to do stuff outside of tutoring sessions. Any tips on how to handle that?5 comments - Leave a comment
Mar. 9th, 2009 08:22 pm Costa Ricans in the USHi, all...a somewhat off-topic question for a school project: Does anyone know where I might go to find the number of Costa Rican immigrants currently residing in the US? I've tried the census bureau's website, the CIA World Factbook, and the Costa Rican embassy. A Google search on Costa Rican immigrants in US turns up information in the other direction--Americans migrating to CR. 1 comment - Leave a comment
Feb. 23rd, 2009 03:13 pmHello all. Noob post here. I pondered teaching English abroad on and off through college and in the year or so since. After being laid off from full-time job here in the US, I see this as a perfect opportunity for change in my life and I'm ready to begin exploring this more in-depth. I've read the memories about TESOL/CELTA vs Others and THANK YOU. One of the reasons I've only been dicking around about this is because I was overwhelmed by the certification choices. Since I'm in the US, TESOL is the obvious choice. Their website, which I'm assuming is http://www.tesol.org/, seems to be down. If this is NOT their website, someone please point me toward it. If that is their site, would someone be willing to appease me while the site is down and roughly outline for me how they work and possibly costs, if you know them? I do have a few thousand dollars saved but when my severance pay stops in 2 months, that's how I'll be paying my bills if I haven't found anything in the interim. I'm antsy but I'm willing to take my time and do this right so it's worth my while and my money. If I have to wait tables for a bit or something while I pay for it, that's not the end of the world. Also, I'm not glued to a specific country or region I'd like to teach in, so if anyone has recommendations, pro/con, whatever. I'm literally starting from the ground up. Thank you all very much! I look forward to learning/participating here.14 comments - Leave a comment
Feb. 23rd, 2009 01:51 pm teaching kidsHi everyone.First-- my introduction-- this is my first time posting to this community; I'm an EFL teacher in Mexico, and I'm hoping you can help me out with some advice.I've been teaching adults for a while now, and have also taught very little kids (7 or 8 years old). Now I'm teaching my first classes of 10-14 year olds. I'm supposed to teach them serious grammar (past perfect, present perfect continuous, etc) but obviously this age group learns very differently than adults do. They also probably are not too aware of how they use the equivalent grammar in their native languages. So I need some advice or resources for teaching young students. Can anybody recommend some books or good online resources for me?Thanks
Feb. 12th, 2009 10:26 pm A beginner needs help!Hello! Hope you don't mind a complete beginner barging in with a few questions!Basically, I plan on taking a CELTA qualification in the next few months. I'm based in Manchester UK, and will be doing the qualification locally. I don't have enough money saved to do it elsewhere! I have a Journalism & English degree but no teaching experience.Anyway, I'd like to know about people's experiences with CELTA - the application process, what the course entailed and so on. I'm not expecting it to be easy, but I'd like an idea of how gruelling it might be! I'd also like to know about job prospects post-CELTA for someone with no teaching experience. Will the qualification alone be enough or should I look into doing voluntary work on top? When it comes to getting a job abroad, is it best to apply from home, or head over to the country you want to work in and then look for a job? I have no idea about visas and things, but I have a UK passport so I should be OK to work in Europe without too much faff. Ideally I want to work in Greenland/Iceland, but have done enough research to know that won't be easy and I'll need a fair bit of experience first. Where are good places for a beginner to head to for their first teaching job?I guess I just want advice on the job hunt and prospects in general. What are the best websites for job links? I have Dave's ESL Cafe bookmarked but that's it. How easy is it to find work in Europe?Sorry for the multitude of questions! Any advice will be much appreciated, thanks :)14 comments - Leave a comment
Feb. 10th, 2009 10:40 pmSoon I am flying with United to Korea. Using the very scientific method of weighing myself and then picking up a space saver bag, weighing myself again, subtracting the two, and adding the totals for each bag (not including the weight of the bags), I have an estimated total of 60 pounds of stuff in the two bags I intend to check. The weight limit is 50 pounds per bag.What's the likelihood of there being a problem? Have you had a problem before? Did you have to throw things away at your departure airport? Did they charge you extra? How much? Thanks!Edit: Thanks for the comments. I spent all day minimizing and then took the bags to UPS to have them more accurately weighed. They now weigh 50.45lb and 50.40lb. When empty my stupid bags weight 15.5 and 16.5 pounds - Leave a comment
Jan. 29th, 2009 07:39 pm asiana or singapore airlines?I'm getting my flight very soon to Korea from Virginia, USA. Asiana or Singapore Airlines?Edit: in case anyone's curious, I would've followed your suggestions with Singapore, but the lovely Adomosity helped me fight a fabulous, low priced ticket with United Airlines, which is especially great because of the accumulated flight miles that I have with United, so hopefully this trip will help me get a free or inexpensive flight somewhere else from Korea.12 comments - Leave a comment
Jan. 27th, 2009 10:10 pmHere I am again, a few more (last?) questions. I've spent a lot of time on ESLCafe and haven't found answers and for some reason prefer posting here to the lovely 2 people who respond to me. So, here goes.From the US to Korea, what convertor set did you get? A link if possible would be fabulous. When I bought a convertor for China in 2005 it ended up not even working and killing my battery charger. Did you purchase it in the US or Korea? Do I need something extra for a laptop? The convertors I've seen all say they're good for specific countries, like England, Australia, Japan, China.. but none ever specifically mention Korea.I loooove to cook. I can't imagine life without a food processor (a small 3 cup one) or a mandolin slicer (folds mostly flat), would it be stupid to bring these? Flour (as we know it--a lot of Asian bakeries I've been to have a particular sweetness and I'm not sure if that's something they had or possibly in their flour mix???), baking powder, baking soda, and corn meal are these readily available in Korea? I love new foods, but alsoI know when you're abroad familiar food is one of the top things you miss.Also, I'm thinking of buying a few games before leaving. But space is precious and money is very, very low. Will I regret not getting a few games? This is the list I'm thinking of purchasing: cranium, scrabble, twister, uno, scattegories (the card game version) and quiddler (all of these will cost about 65−65-65−70. I already have rummikub and taboo. Working for public school positions, are the schools usually willing to pay for this stuff when I get there (so I wouldn't need to buy it) and are they available? How are you handling the won to dollar devaluation? Thank you - Leave a comment
erika_esl_files) to put together the resources I've created over the years but I ended up neglecting it. I'm back to it now and posting a series entitled English Course for Absolute Beginners. I welcome all to participate on the discussions.1 comment - Leave a comment
excited1 comment - Leave a comment
tired3 comments - Leave a comment