TEFL talk roundup – week 2

6 THINGS I STOPPED GIVING A SH*T ABOUT AFTER TEACHING ENGLISH ABROAD

I remember how my belly twisted and turned when a student asked me to explain the different clauses and why there were so many. It was my first week and my first time I was in the teacher’s spotlight — the person who is meant to know all the answers. My mind was a black hole. I looked at my supervisor blankly. He stood up and took over. I sat down and wished I could throw up in the black bucket next to the white board. That night when I got home I cried, safely hidden away from everyone’s eyes.

FOREIGN STUDENTS AT WASHINGTON COLLEGES WONDER: ARE THEY STILL WELCOME?

YENA SEO BEGAN learning English when she was 8 years old. But when she arrived on the University of Washington campus five years ago, the student from South Korea struggled to understand the rules of conversation, and to read American body language. In Seoul, she’d had few chances to practice her speaking skills with native English speakers. She didn’t like making eye contact with strangers, or spontaneously talking to people she didn’t know.

TEACH ENGLISH ABROAD: EARN A WAGE WHILE SEEING THE WORLD

There are 1.5 billion people on the planet – one in seven of the world’s total population – who are learning or want to learn English. Native English speakers looking to see the world while earning an income at the same time have a massive advantage because they can always teach. Gregory Rogan of Expat Teaching Recruitment (expatteaching.com)says the majority of Tefl (teach English as a foreign language) teachers take up positions overseas because they seek international experience and the opportunity to live abroad. “Many young graduates use Tefl teaching as a way to finance travels, or as a way to finance living in a foreign country and experiencing life abroad,” he says.

TOP 10 CHEAPEST COUNTRIES TO BACKPACK

Backpacking overseas is one of the most economic and adventurous ways to vacation. For years, penniless college students have enjoyed grabbing their gear, some good friends, a map, and setting out onto an unknown place. That’s how famous European traveller Rick Steves started out in 1973! But the world is changing, and there are some things you need to consider before you go, like where to backpack, your safety, what to bring and how money you can spend. Are you willing to camp, or will you be staying in hostels? How much will food cost? Finding cheap places to travel can be tricky, but with these top ten best places to backpack you are guaranteed to see the world without breaking the bank. Get ready, grab your gear and go!

TEACHING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN GUADALAJARA, MEXICO

It was spring break of my sophomore year of college, and I was panicking. I had no plans for my summer yet. Last year, I had spent weeks looking for work before realizing that finding a seasonal job in the current economy was about as likely as my Chicago hometown having good weather during my stay. I had finally landed an internship that was less than ideal (unpaid, and consisting mostly of sending press releases), but by then I had been too relieved to be rescued from a summer of sweating on the couch and flipping through novels to be picky.