Maria moved to Spain in the mid-1990s, originally from the USA she chose to follow her Latino culture of her half-Spanish roots which led her to Seville. Settling there for six months, she then decided to make the brave move and live in Spain permanently.

“While in Seville, I had noticed that EFL was a large, growing business. Given that my Spanish wasn’t yet up to a level that would allow me to do office or other professional work, I decided to train as an EFL tutor.”

It was then she packed up and moved to Barcelona, Catalunya where she was a TEFL teacher for four years.

For newcomers to TEFL it’s important to “study the local culture in depth before you go.” Maria’s main motivation to move to Barcelona was that Catalunya is bilingual.

“However, I was very naïve about what this meant on a social and political level. Many of the EFL tutors were outright dismissive and scornful of both Catalan and the politics around the language, and this caused a lot of their students to resent their presence.”

When Maria began teaching there were no stringent requirements to become a TEFL teacher. However, fortunately when she worked at Ohio State University she opted to do one or two ESL workshops with a local charity and from these workshops her first TEFL role in Spain emerged.

“It was after a year that I did the Cambridge CTEFLA,” she chimed. “Most language academies in Spain require that as a minimum.”

Maria’s career as a TEFL teacher is arguably a turbulent one. “My training in no way prepared me to teach children,” Maria confessed. Her lowest moment in her teaching career is a stark reminder of this: “I had to take a 10 year-old out of class to tell her off and she broke down in tears and told me how the other kids were bullying her at school as well as in class.” Prior to this, Maria had done a Cambridge course specifically on teaching children, but had no training on how to handle these emotional situations. “I felt helpless,” Maria confided.

It is from low moments like this that Maria is able to pass on her gems of advice. “Be aware that your students may not actually want to learn English.” When Maria began teaching the mid-1990s English was booming in Spain and for both schools and employers it was a requirement. There was also a surgence of people taking classes as a way to boost their CV. And, it was a lot of these students who had no real interest in the language. “Some of them actively hated having to do it. But try to be understanding about that and not view them as ‘difficult’ students.” This is just one of Maria’s mantras and made Maria into the understanding tutor that she is, which is embodied in one of her highest moments:

“I had one class with only two students: two young men who were good friends and were personally motivated to work. One day, another tutor said she’d overheard them chatting in English and was blown away by how much they’d improved in such a short time.” It’s at that moment for most TEFL teachers were they realised that their hard work has paid off.

However, Maria’s teaching experience comes with a frank warning too in that TESOL is first and foremost a business. “At the time and place that I taught, we referred to all the Cambridge EFL training and language exams as the “Cambridge TEFL Mafia,” because essentially all tutors had to train with them in order to work and all students had to take their exams in order to have a respected qualification.” Maria found that before the huge boom of teaching English in Spain, it was possible to live decently as a teacher. However, now the popularity has increased: “tutors’ contracts were worth the paper they were written on, and even organisations like the British Council dumped their long-term employees in favour of cheaper new hires,” Maria stated.

“Your region may be stable now, but things can change, and you shouldn’t expect any loyalty from your employers if they do.”

Ah English. The lingua franca, the global language that everyone speaks – convenient right? Erm Wrong. Native English speakers have become somewhat disillusioned in their monolingual approach. But here are some simple tips on how anyone can learn a language in 2017, even if you haven’t quite mastered English just yet!

Duolingo, Rosetta Stone and the likes of other language learning apps have made it accessible and portable to learn a language. Made for the busy 21^st Century lifestyle, levels on Duolingo are easy to complete and set realistic goals for even the most helpless language learner.

• Books -yes they still exist. The classic textbook is a useful still used by many looking for a more ‘academic approach,’ to language learning. However, rest assured for those of us who don’t own a tweed blazer with elbow patches there are more novelty books out there to help practice those all-important crude phrases.
• Tandom – people they also still exist past a smartphone screen. Tandem is an I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine sort of set up. Language cafes now litter big cities full of bilinguals ready to share their skills and talents across their own language repertoire – brush up on a few funny phrases and get ready to trade them out – it’s like playing Pokemon really!
• Love Shakira? Enrique and Ricky Martin a bit of your thing? Start hitting up their music in their native Spanish it’s passionate fun and will get your dancing feet tapping away any day. It’s not just music but the mass media have also embraced bilingualism. Fancy a Netlfix binge – hit up Jane the Virgin where Spanish plays an important role in the functioning of this hilarious American sitcom.

Three easy ways to get your 2017 New Year’s language resolutions off to a flying start all ready for that post Brexit holiday in the costa del Cornwall.

Many courses which teach TEFL are now hands on and full of practical activities that teachers can use in the classroom. But despite this drive, it’s important to get as much experience as teaching as possible – see my previous post on tips for doing just that (which are applicable anywhere these where for a year abroad).

Always ensure that your approach in the language classroom is learner centered. Emily Bennet, a TEFL teacher in Peru says, “Nobody wants to learn grammar, so try and make the activities as engaging as possible as possible, no powerpoints without explanations, give multiple examples of everything so that they understand.”

Students are always at the forefront of Emily’s mind when she plans her lessons.

“Have every second of your class planned, and even some backup material just in case the student moves at a faster pace then expected, there is nothing less professional than a teacher who doesn’t know how to fill their class time, regardless of the reason.” Emily puts all her theory into practice.

One way of continuing to learn and add to your teaching is by observing classes. Below is an article from an academic who observed a lesson which took place at the University of Bari in Italy.

https://social.shorthand.com/hope_brotherton/embed/uCdNapLVvP

The report has a two pronged focus: the use of the teacher led approach (compensated for by the student initiative) and the use of the Grammar Translation method. The Grammar Translation method normally means that the language classroom will become bilingual, which contradicts the favoured approach of both academics and teachers themselves.

“I would never use Spanish in the classroom,” Emily states categorically. This report aims to demonstrate that the theory will most definitely lead into the practical for a better learning experience for all.

Teaching in the Midwest of America, Kelly always knew she wanted to be a TEFL teacher. “It was my own experiences in education really,” Kelly explained.

She aims to be a passionate teacher in the workplace. “I aim to keep the kids motivated about learning.” It was from this passion that her motivation sparked, and her ambition to become a TEFL teacher quickly followed.

Not only passionate about TEFL, Kelly also does graphic design and illustration projects which help hone her creative side.

Kelly first started out by volunteering as an English tutor for a local centre in her area. “They provide services to immigrants who are new in the area.”

Moreover, at Kelly’s centre ESL classes are just one of the services that they offer new residents. “I loved it and decided to stick with it,” Kelly gushes. She found the experience a great way to learn about where her students had come from and their own life experiences.

It then became Kelly’s open window to begin teaching abroad. However, Kelly has seen a gap in the ever growing TEFL market. “The non-commute is great, and I know most other teachers would agree with this too!” Kelly’s other reason for opting to teach TEFL online is the growing demand for online teachers in schools and homes across America. “For students who are a little timid they have a chance to learn from the comfort of their own home.” Teaching online has also given Kelly the ability to be flexible with the hours that she works.

Kelly teaches a range of students from students who learn for business purposes, everyday English and even TOEIC or IELTS.

With the UK’s recent Brexit from the European Union students from the UK who are looking to go on an Erasmus year will feel the pinch more than ever. Currently, the European Council offers grants to students who choose to study in the EU, but many UK students fear that it won’t be long until incentives such as these are no longer offered.

In order to make up this deficit those students going on a year abroad will be thinking of ingenious ways to raise money, and one of these is teaching English as a foreign language.

Just over two years ago, I embarked on my own year abroad and sure enough delved into the world of TEFL.

Bari and Me

There’s a saying  in the Harry Potter films “Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home,” and Bari is certainly my Hogwarts. A relatively undiscovered city in the southern region of Puglia. Bari has everything to offer and more. Coastal, cultural and quaint. I was the only English erasmus their and it quickly became my oyster.

So, here are my top tips for teaching English on your year abroad:

1. Don’t step on anyone’s toes

Often private TEFL teachers advertise locally via universities and other such notice boards. Make sure you’re not poaching students from anyone else, because that will definitely start you off on the wrong foot. (Friends and lecturers will soon help you navigate this mine field).

2. Let friends help you set up networks

When I did my year abroad, I was fortunate to tutor a doctor. Often those paying for private tuition want a native speaker who understands the nuisances of the language. My role here was to give my student enough confidence so that he could attend classes for professionals without feeling embarrassed.

3)Tandem

Tandem is where a group of students get together in order to exchange their knowledge of a language. For example, ‘general greetings,’ or any information your tandem partner may want to glean. These are generally unpaid roles, but do offer great experiences in finding friends and learning a language to a native like standard.

4) Any experience is better than no experience

The chances are during an Erasmus year, you’ll have met people who already teach TEFL, as English is the global language. If they teach at a school, they may ask you to join them in teaching a class. Take it. First off, it gives great insight into the what being a full-time TEFL teacher may entail and whether this is a career path you may want to pursue after your year abroad. It’s also a great opportunity to again make friends (depending on who the school is aimed at – I did mine at Brain Trainer in a town called Modungo) and also experience a culture on a different level.

Only months after her 23rd birthday, Emily Bennet set off on the adventure of a life time, she moved across the pond. But, it wasn’t America that beckoned her as you may think – oh no.

It was Peru that called to this wander-luster.

Lima, the Peruvian capital quickly became her home. Despite a few turbulent months, she’s now settled in her first teaching job.

A graduate of hispanic studies and a fluent Spanish speaker she was ready for the challenge. “I just sort of fell into it, but I’m enjoying it intensely. It’s a great way of understanding my own language and using my own lessons as an opportunity to improve my Spanish too.”

It was her blond curly hair and pale complexion that set up apart from her competitors. It’s safe to say she stands out from the crowd with her edgy fashion sense and. But, it is this element of undividuality that makes Emily’s journey a unique one. Her native English was sought after from day one and has paid off as she’s currently under going her visa application for a more secure residency.

Now working in a Peruvian branch of a Canadian minig company, Emily teaches privately to the general manager and two chief project managers. Her job, however, goes beyond the normal rig morale of teaching all day everyday.

“It’s an early start,” she chuckles. “I work from 7am-1pm every Monday to Friday.” Emily also has the burden of responsibility put upon her in other areas of the company in the form of report writing and e-mailing collegaues in English. And, she often sits in as an interpreter on conference calls and meetings.”

Pupil Profiles 

All three of Emily’s students have differing abilities when it comes to English.

Student one: The general manager has an upper intermediate grasp of English. One of this student’s main weaknesses includes the comprehension of colloquialisms when talking to native English speakers. Emily often alternates her classes to focus on another of these weakness, English Grammar. The other proportion of classes includes a series of workshop sessions where there is an emphasis put upon pronunciation practice, listening and reading activities which are based around recent news articles. Her main goal for this student is get him thinking in English and not translating words across in his head.

Student two: Emily’s second student has a very basic level of English. As a teacher, her goal with this student is to improve not only his English in a working environment but also when travelling abroad with his family. He’s often nervous when speaking and Emily aims to improve his confidence so she calls for positive reinforcement with this student in particular.

Student three: Her final student has a very very basic level of English and there is a nod to improving all areas of his language. These classes are often based around textbooks, but Emily understands his need for practical lessons. “He has an interest in British music and television,” Emily gushed. “Currently, I want him to get to a lower intermediate level  and have him better understand naturally spoken English.” This well include both broadening his vocabulary of both standard and dialectal English.

“I avoid using Spanish at all costs,” she confides. “They all have an ultimate goal of being immersed in the English Language and they want to improve their skills quickly, and this is the best way of doing so.”

“I’ve only lived here for six months, but I’ve already faced a number of challenges particularly with teaching these students.” Emily starts work at 7 in the morning and whilst she clocks off early-ish at 1pm it’s difficult to keep students engaged that early. She tries to make these activities as engaging as possible.  “Nobody wants to learn grammar, much less than early in the morning,” she laughs.

However, her biggest challenge is most definitely her time management (and possibly her sense of direction, as a good friend we both met when we were lost on our first day of university). “This is definitely the hardest part of being a teacher, inside and outside of the office,” she laughs.

Emily meticulously plans her lessons to maximise time in the classroom. Outside of the classroom she finds ample time to research lessons for each student to make them as catered as possible.

She’s also fairly strict with her students, “if my students had their way they’d spend their whole lesson talking about English football.” But, as endearing as Emily finds this, she firmly believes that grammar has to learnt, so the structure has to kept to ensure that objectives are met. In contradiction to this, “it’s important to embrace flexibility and answer any concerns a student has, as it’s better to explain any queries a student has early on.”

Emily’s top tips:

1) Be patient
2) Learn some of your student’s language
3) Never go to class unprepared
4) Make “homework,” fun
5) Make use of technology

Proudest moment:

“Any time one of my students understands something that they’ve been struggling with is a proud moment for me.”

For now, Emily plans to stay in Lima over the Christmas break, but will be returning to the UK very soon for a much needed holiday – it’s a little bit ironic don’t you think?

All images courtesy of Emily Bennet, Em’s instagram and twitter for more of an insight into her daily life.

In an exclusive interview, Marian and I sit down to talk about all things TEFL and the three years she spent working in Korea.

Straight to the point, she emphasised the importance of acquiring a TEFL certificate before heading out to your country of choice.

“It’s important to have that qualification in the bag before making plans to move out,” she explained. Marian felt that gaining a CELTA qualification was exceptionally important. Her incentive was rather simple, the more qualifications the bigger the pay packet. The more qualifications a teacher has in South Korea, the more they get paid, however this does exclude those courses completed online.

“CELTA is an investment,” Marian exclaimed.

However, Marian also felt that the cost of this investment should be factored against how long you plan on teaching for. “If it’s just a year, you could be more flexible with your qualifications.”

TEFL certificates don’t come cheap and that’s certainly a factor that many new teachers consider.

“Ultimately, it depends on why you’re going out to teach.”

“Is it to better your career, for an experience or for the country’s culture.”

If culture is the main reason for heading to a particular country, the Marian strongly recommended doing a lot of research before hand. “You need to really understand the culture you’re about to become a part of, as some cultures aren’t as compatible as others.”

Research was an area that Marian continued to stress the importance of, “don’t accept a job straight away.”

Many of Marian’s colleagues accepted jobs before fact checking the institutions appropriately. “It can be as simple as searching Facebook groups and other social networks in order to work out if the placement is everything it is meant to be and more.”

So there we have it, Marian’s 3 R’s: research, research, research. 

After living in South Korea, Marian has now moved to Wales where she is pursuing a Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism.

So I am trying out a new concept today and would love to hear your thoughts! All being well this will be a weekly segment. If it doesn’t go down a storm with you guys then the back burner it is, as this content is for you guys! Hint: anything you’d like to see on here then please let me know!

This is will hopefully be a series of posts entitled “Articles from Academics.” They will include a series of unpublished undergraduate essays which delve into TEFL from another viewpoint (that of an academic) and other cross linguistic concepts that cross over to TEFL teaching.

Teaching English as a foreign language is not just a lifestyle which has been popularized by modern culture and an adventure seeker who wants a stable budget – oh no. It has been a hot topic of debate for many years by some of the fields leading academics.

The article that follows is a study that was conducted at the University of Birmingham. The study was conducted as part of a “language and the mind,” module and plays close attention to language and gesture. But, more importantly that of Italian gestures.

Ever taught to Italian students, lived in Italy or been on holiday there? Gestures are emblematic of Italian life. While, the majority of language classes are taught in a monolingual format, for those teachers who aren’t fluent in Italian this is an in depth discussion on the meaning of these gestures and how those people from outside of the culture view them.

So, feel free to give the questionnaire a go and comment your answers down below! Answers are discussed in the study for anyone interested in finding a bit more about the 10 gestures analysed.

Sit back, relax, watch the video and guess until your hearts content!

Questionnaire

Q1) What do you think this gesture means?

1. b) What was the reasoning behind your answer?

Q2) What do you think this gesture means?

1. B) What was the reasoning behind your answer?

Q3) What do you think this gesture means?

1. B) What was the reasoning behind your answer?

Q4) What do you think this gesture means?

1. B) What was the reasoning behind your answer?

Q5) What do you think this gesture means?

1. B) What was the reasoning behind your answer?

Q6) What do you think this gesture means?

1. B) What was the reasoning behind your answer?

Q7) What do you think this gesture means?

1. B) What was the reasoning behind your answer?

Q8) What do you think this gesture means?

1. B) What was the reasoning behind your answer?

Q9) What do you think this gesture means?

1. B) What was the reasoning behind your answer?

Q10) What do you think this gesture means?

1. B) What was the reasoning behind your answer?

To read more about Italian gestures and find out what exactly they mean then read the full article:

https://social.shorthand.com/hope_brotherton/embed/n2nJMtyOYb6

For many TEFL is a foreign adventure combined with the perks of a job. It’s irresistible to some and a curiosity for others. TEFL is a calling that needs to be satisfied.

Don’t speak a second language?

Then don’t worry this isn’t a requirement.

Most of the TEFL classroom is taught monolingually – although this is debated among academics – so only speaking English shouldn’t be an off putting factor.

The post that follows aims to give aspiring teachers a clear and crisp background about TEFL that will help navigate some of the more complex articles with ease.

The abbreviations:

TEFL is a minefield of abbreviations that cause problems for aspiring teachers who are trying to find their feet. Here is our quick abbreviation guide:

• TEFL: Teaching English as foreign language
• ELT: English Language Teaching
• CELTA: The Cambridge Teaching certificate
• CERTTESOL: Trinity College London teaching certificate
• TESL: Teaching English as a second language

Why TEFL:

There are many different reasons teachers choose to TEFL: a lifestyle change, a sense of adventure, the enticement of a foreign country or just to simply escape their home grown roots.

However, for many it’s a chance to see the world whilst teaching the global language. Over time, this project will speak to a number of teachers (both past and present) in order to gain advice and top tips for future teachers.

Different types of training courses

There are number of courses which are now attached to TEFL, but frequently employers are looking for an accreditation from Cambridge and Trinity College London. These tests can be sat both in the UK and worldwide. While this isn’t vital, most of the successful schools will seek candidates with this as a minimum requirement.

Quality and Cost

Courses that offer face-to-face training can often be on the pricey side. However, as aspiring TEFL teachers the question needs to be asked how much can you afford? Online courses are cheaper and sites like that of Groupon are even offering discounts now. But, if trying to make a career of TEFL can the quality be sacrificed for a few hundred pounds – potentially no. But, this is a choice that every teacher needs to make based on their own requirements.

Next time: Hear some advice from former TEFL teacher – Marian McHugh