Joeys ESL Room

Teaching English in Greece

admin — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:00:43 +0000

Do You Qualify?

Many schools in Greece look for English Teachers who have their TEFL or TESOL certificates, but it is getting more common for schools to hire those who hold only a university degree. While there are schools that will only hire teachers who have previous teaching experience, there are plenty of them who don’t; many schools want you to teach the way that they want you to teach, and therefore prefer applicants with no experience.

Do You Need to Speak Greek to teach in Greece?

No. Not being able to speak Greek will actually help you inside the classroom. This is a worry for many teachers who are concerned with making themselves understood in the classroom if they don’t know the local language; the short answer to this is that you will find a way. The whole reason for having a native English speaker teach is so that the students will be immersed in English; therefore, if the students know that they can rely on their own language, they will turn to it when they start to experience difficulty in class.

How to Find Work

As is the case with finding jobs in Italy, sometimes going door to door is your best option. The Internet is usually the first place that people look, so try there before you go walking the streets.
Schools generally hire between August and October, so it is not recommended to be knocking on doors before this, as schools do not consider hiring before this time.

Payment

The pay will vary greatly from school to school so you have to make sure that you spend the time to explore your options. A common mistake made by teachers is signing the first offer that they receive, only to find out later that they could have made quite a bit more elsewhere if they had taken the time to shop around a little. Be careful with sneaky schools that will make you think there is nothing else available.

Extra Work Outside of Your School

As is the case with most countries where English is taught as a second language, private lessons are a great way to make extra money. A lot of people attempt to fill up their schedule solely with private lessons, but these are sometimes very difficult to find and cancellations of lessons make this a difficult option. What is recommended is working in a school and finding students through your classes; many parents want their children to have extra English time and they don’t mind spending the money.

Travel Tips - What to Pack/Carry-On Items

admin — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:00:04 +0000

Connie-Jo Hall ESL Teacher in Seoul, South Korea

admin — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:00:18 +0000

This is a good example of how you can use your own ideas in an ESL classroom. Connie uses a Geography lesson as a means to make the students speak in class. She then turns the lesson into a game for the students. (Take note of the participation and attention of the class).

Thanks Connie!

What to Pack and How Much to Bring When Going Abroad to Teach

admin — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:00:07 +0000

This advice is for males and females alike, however, females will naturally end up with more in their pack.

Here is a quick list of what to bring:

1) Deodorant: a lot of countries tend not to use this as much as we do in western society and it is therefore sometimes scarce and usually very expensive
2) Shaving cream and razors: if you are going anywhere in Asia, you will have a hard time coming across these items, as Asians are generally not very hairy people
3) Your own towel: towels are generally smaller in Asia for example
4) Your own pillow: for those who are picky about having their own pillow that is. Don’t pack it in your bag, but bring it as carry on – it will be handy when you are on the plane trying to sleep
5) Work clothes: for men: A few pairs of casual/dressy pants and a couple of shirts that you can rotate. For women: skirts, dress pants, and blouses.
6) Clothes for each season: depending on where you go, you might need to pack some warm clothes for the winter, including a jacket, gloves and a tuk (a winter hat for all non- Canadians)
7) Medication: if you need medication, ask your doctor for a year’s supply or make sure that the country you are going to has what you need
8) A little taste of home: be it Kraft Dinner or your favorite cereal, comfort food from home will make you feel a little less homesick
9) A gift for your new boss: goes a long way – great first impressions are always a good way to start a new job

*Remember that if you do forget something, it can most likely be found wherever you are and if not, mailed to you. Also remember that bringing too much stuff is not always a bad thing, as it is usually cheaper (and faster), to send home rather than to send them to wherever you are.

Here is an example of what Korean Air will allow you to bring on the plane:

Dimensions of 55*40*20 (cm)
Total dimension 115cm or less.
Economy Class Total of two pieces per Pax.
Each piece must be under 23kg(50lbs)

(The sum of the dimensions of the two bags should not exceed 273cm)

Teaching English in Qatar - Not Much Known

admin — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:00:58 +0000

Qatar doesn’t rank too high on the list of desirable countries to teach English in the ESL community. The reasons, one might speculate, might have something to do with climate or perhaps safety (it is after all in one of the hot spots of the world; a hop skip from Iran and just around the corner from Iraq). But is it safe? And are women even allowed to teach there? As Fatima describes in her post, it is a place that more people should consider as its culture is more diverse than one would think.

Teaching English in Qatar can be a rewarding job. The entire country is in the middle of major education reform. They are moving into a mode of instruction where the basics are taught in English from K on up. There are plenty of jobs for the native speaker

Other cultural events include famous European musicians, rock bands performing outside on the seashore, plays and numerous international expositions. There are numerous groups to join. The Qatar Natural History Group has great lectures at a yearly nominal fee for membership. There is a Ramblers group for walking in various areas in Qatar, no membership fee, open to all. There are Toastmasters groups, Doha Singers, the Doha Debates (as seen on BBC), Doha Scientific Club, Stamp collecting (Philatelic), petanque, AA, various women’s groups, clubs for French, German or Spanish speakers, sailing and scuba diving lessons and clubs, centers to learn about Qatari culture and Arabic if you like (contact QCPI), scouts and brownies troops, ice skating, ice hockey, tae kwon do, even a Harley Davidson Club. Moreover, if you have the necessary income you can join all sorts of social and sporting clubs that offer nice activities.

Another Typical Korean Apartment

admin — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:00:24 +0000

This is a little bit different from the Office Tel that is seen below, but it is the same idea.

*Note: If you are applying to a specific position and you are worried that your apartment won’t meet your standards, you can always ask the school to send you some photos; if they refuse without good reason, you might want to forget about that particular school and keep looking.

Making Friends Abroad

admin — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:00:01 +0000

Sometimes it is difficult to meet people when first moving to a country where you know absolutely no one. Your job could be perfect, your co-workers a treat to work with, but if you are always alone in your free time, you might enjoy the whole experience a little less.

In a recent article by Wendy Bahn, there are a few different things that you can do to to increase your chances of meeting people.

Jerry Seinfeld has a bit in his stand-up act where he talks about how much easier it was to make friends when you were a little kid. You stood in the milk line at school and turned to the kid behind you and asked, “Wanna be friends?” “Okay.” As an adult, it’s not quite that simple - especially when you have moved to a new nation that may seem foreign and, sometimes, shocking to you. That’s why it is advisable to do some homework before you leave

Spellography: Phonemic Awareness Segmentation

admin — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:00:00 +0000

Another Good Reason to Get Travel Insurance…

admin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:00:49 +0000

Top Sites to Learn English For ESL Students

admin — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:00:04 +0000

If you are looking to brush up on your English outside of the classroom, you can consult these sites to improve in the areas that you need to focus on:

Repeat After Us
ESL (English as a Second Language) resources for learning English. Browse our grammar glossary and language reference area, join our busy forums, read our articles and teacher handouts, and find useful links and information on English here

En101
En101 is an Internet-based interactive audio English learning program for a better future

Eclectic Engish
Learn English online. Free materials for learners of English as a second language and ESL teachers. Mailing list, level tests, exercises, quizzes, vocabulary, English grammar and much more

NetGrammar
NetGrammar provides extensive grammar practice through a great variety of reading, writing and listening activities. It is suitable for self-directed learning and also as an extension to regular classwork

ingilish.com
We provide free materials for teachers of English and Turkish as Foreign Language, Coursebook Evaluations, ELT Materials, Papers on ELT, Private Turkish and English Tutors, Constructivism, Grammar Games, Language Activities, and Linguistics Presentations

Using English
ESL (English as a Second Language) resources for learning English. Browse our grammar glossary and language reference area, join our busy forums, read our articles and teacher handouts, and find useful links and information on English here

ESL All
Free ESL / EFL and Business English Directory. Thousands of FREE English learning resources, exercises and activities. Fast and easy search. Updated daily

PronunciationWorkshop.com
We offer a unique English Pronunciation-Accent Reduction Video Training Program On-line and DVD. All instruction is by Speech Language Pathologist. Free American Accent Tips and Free Idiom Book are available. See Free DEMO and our many testimonials. Fun

AdultLearners.biz
Only FREE Resources and tools for Adult Learners of English and Instructors of ABE/ESOL/ESL/EFL/TESOL/TESL/TEFL…

Better English
Study the 250 free exercises available here. There are different types of exercises on different topics. You are sure to find ones you like and will learn from

indictionary.com
Define words with indictionary. Free multi-lingual word definition / search using unique software.
Millions of words defined

VocabularyCoach
VocabularyCoach.com offers 6 vocabulary exercises, utilizing over 4,000 vocabulary words that have been shown to appear on many standardized tests. Words are ordered by difficulty, and users have the option to change exercise settings

Second Nature Online English
A free self-study site with a focus on vocabulary for English learners. Lots of useful expressions, phrasal verbs, idioms, and reading comprehension exercises