Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with tefl

Using ten days to prepare for an online course, then acing it?

mdonley — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 23:08:17 -0800

I’m about to start a six-month-long online course that I'd like to do really well on. The next ten days are very quiet at work. How can I use this time to help myself prepare, given that I’ll need to be in the office for part of each of the ten days...and then keep up with the course while going back to full-time teaching? After the ten days are up, it’s back to the normal 35-40 hours of planning/teaching/grading/meetings/etc. a week, on top of the 15-20 hours for the course a week. But I really do have no other significant responsibilities for the next ten days, except to prepare for the course and organize myself, and I’m sort of at a loss over how to best do this. I do need to come into the office for at least a few hours a day.

Here's what I've thought about so far. I'd love to hear what worked for you!

- Do I need to train up to use Moodle, the course platform? I don't want to spend an hour messing around the day the first assignment is due trying to find a "submit" button or something.

- I can do some pre-reading from the reading list, but I don't have a syllabus/list of assignments yet. How can I make this time effective?

- I’m doing the dry-erase-marker wall calendar thing to organize everything at home.

- Batch-cooking and freezer meals?

- Should I back up my coursework on Dropbox/online somewhere, or pick up an external hard drive?

- Put bills/transit pass onto auto-pay/direct debit; make a little weekly housework schedule to follow.

- The course will take up every spare moment of my vacation time for 2013, but I'll still have normal weekends and public holidays. How can I best maintain my sanity/balance and thrive from the challenge, rather than be exhausted by it?

Big unanswerables until we start: how responsive the course coordinators are, how astute my fellow students (only 11 other participants!) will be, how to make asynchronous conversations work well. Any advice on these (or other!) during-the-actual-course matters would be great as well.

Thanks in advance!

Teaching resources for a newbie TEFL teacher

kwes — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 01:59:06 -0800

I need some online teaching resources for an inexperienced new TEFL teacher I'm going to Korea soon to teach english and I have very little experience.

I'm looking for good places online to find ideas for lesson plans and activities. I plan to buy one or two books to take with me on this topic as well, so recommendations in that vein would be appreciated also.

I am doing an online teaching course at the moment which is giving me some idea about what I need to do but I still feel like I need some more guidance.

Any general tips from people who have done this before are also welcome!

Thanks in advance

Teaching abroad in Spain?

dkleinst — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 13:48:32 -0800

Advice on teaching English in Spain (Barcelona)? Posted for a friend:
I'm an American college graduate trying to go to Spain and teach English in the fall. Currently, I am doing an online course to become certified in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). What are some things I need to know about getting a job in this field and living in Spain? The company I am getting the certification can give me job guidance and contacts in Barcelona, but I feel like there are some things I have not factored in to my plans.

Building a teaching career by teaching abroad? (Fiji)

DaftMythic — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:28:28 -0800

I am interested in a career in teaching, and would love to teach abroad for some time. Immediatly, I must find a way to live in Fiji for the next 6-12+ months (Fiancee is Fijian). ESL, Tutoring, etc. sounds like a viable option, especially if it helps my long term career goals. But currently have no teaching experience. Need advice, how might I do this? ***Long Term:*** I would like to lay the groundwork for a career in teaching. I'm in my mid 20's and have a BA in Liberal Arts. I've always seen myself pursuing a MA or PhD at some point. I had excellent grades, but out of college I wasn't sure what to focus on for graduate work, so I entered the work force. I'd eventually like to become a professor (ideally) or some sort of lecturer/teacher/tutor/writer perhaps. Also I'd like to teach abroad for a while, soak up other cultures & languages, perhaps as precursor or part of my MA studies. I'm leaning towards philosophy, anthropology or religion, specifically eastern religion, so living in other cultures seems relevant. But even if I couldn't become a professor, I could see myself being happy as a high school History, Social Studies, or Government teacher.

What should I consider to build this career path? What abroad experiences would make me more valuable and what would be just exciting, but not necessarily helpful to a future teaching career?

***Short Term:*** I am willing to take ANY assignment (Teaching or otherwise) that will allow me to live in Fiji for the next 6 - 12+ months. Currently I have no teaching background and just enough money to fly myself to Fiji and back. What options do I have to get there ASAP and sustain myself? (To keep on topic, non teaching related ideas please PM me)

The reason for this is I met my Girlfriend, now Fiancee, while traveling in Fiji last year. I've been there twice for over a month each time to be with her but I cannot afford to keep visiting like that. I naively figured I'd get her here with a Fiancee Visa pretty quick. WRONG. Long and short, getting her here is next to impossible for probably a year or more. I can't wait that long. Also, working on getting her here immediately means I cannot (easily) seek higher education or pursue my teaching career goals as I planned; I need to focus my efforts at getting money to support her and the transition costs by taking whatever full time job I can get here in the US.

But I thought, what if I pursue an alternative route to my teaching career while living in Fiji. Then once we are married and the paperwork is all settled we can travel, I can teach in say India (she is part Indian and would love to live there) doing ESL or whatever and then, when we are ready to return to the US, I will have a more competitive resume to pursue my higher education and teaching career.

Obviously there is a lot of tentative and speculative parts to that, and I am totally willing to adjust to economic and career realities. But this is my dream.

So how can I make this work? Suggestions for programs or agencies that operate in Fiji are welcome, as well as how I might rather quickly get some sort of legitimate teaching certification that would be valuable abroad. Or, criticisms: is this a total pipe dream?

Thanks

Teaching English! Overseas!

geegollygosh — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:38:50 -0800

TEFL outside of korea/japan/china (most interested in Latin America/Africa/non-gulf parts of the middle east)-- seeking info on job prospects, requirements, personal experiences... Apologies if this is a repeat question, I tried sorting through the TEFL tag but couldn't find this exact question because I am a special snowflake.

I'm a recent american college grad. I'm currently working as a teacher in environmental education, this position is temporary and will end in August. By the time my position ends and I sell my car, I will have only a few thousand dollars in (student loan) debt, and I will have maybe three thousand dollars savings (could potentially work for a few months in a specific potentially soul-crushing job opportunity I have and save up another couple thousand). Anyway, I'm considering taking a year or two to live in another country when I finish up this job. Teaching english seems like an interesting option.

The thing is, none of the countries where there are abundant jobs (to my understanding: china, korea, japan, the persian gulf) particularly appeal to me. I would be most interested in being in a spanish speaking country and getting my not-quite-conversational spanish up to snuff. I would also be pretty interested in learning Arabic (although I'm not sure how much arabic I could actually pick up in even a few years of immersion) so the middle east/north Africa also appeals--culturally as well, although the persian gulf does not, really, and I understand that's where the jobs are. I'd also be interested in [the rest of] Africa or South Asia.

These are my qualifications (and lack thereof):
-B.A. in liberal arts
-no real experience teaching english, but two years full time working with kids in classrooms as a teacher or presenter and another 6 or so years doing academic tutoring part time, summer camps, that sort of thing.
-enough experience spending significant time internationally that I'm not too worried about culture shock-- specifically 5 months in India, 3 months in Peru.
-a willingness to commit to a year or possibly two years if the program sounded worth it.
- an ability to front plane fare and costs of relocation.
...and my lack of qualifications...
- no teaching degree/cert
- no TEFL certificate. I'm not completely opposed to completing a course but it seems like a big commitment (time and money wise) for a temporary job. If I did this I would take it seriously and put in the time and effort to prepare for it and be a good teacher but setting aside a month or two and a thousand dollars or more would be difficult at the moment. Not impossible, but difficult.

I'd be looking for:
- something that wasn't a black hole financially-- I'm not necessarily looking to save money up (though obviously I'm not opposed), but an opportunity where I was bringing in enough money for room/board/living expenses/modest fun. also, ideally, a situation where I recouped the cost of my airfare.
- a job that could be lined up from the US
- I have the most experience working with young-ish kids, say ages 5-13ish and that would be the group I would be most interested in teaching.
- a situation that didn't make me hate my life or drive me to flee in the dead of night.

So, yeah, I'm interested in any info or resources y'all could provide. I've been over to esl cafe, didn't find it all that helpful but that was a while ago so I should take a second look. Biggest questions are:
1. TEFL courses-- do I absolutely need it, which course should I take, is online good enough, etc.
2. General job situations in any of the regions I'm interested in
3. Reasons that Korea/China are Actually Very Nice Places That I Am Writing Off Unfairly
4. Whether you feel that this would be a good fit for me
5. How to get started looking for jobs in these regions.
6. Your general experiences with TEFL/anything else you'd like to add

Oh, and I'm not actually dead set on teaching english so if anyone knows of any other international opportunities that seem to fit definitely let me know.

Is teaching ESL abroad worth the ESL?

reenka — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 13:29:27 -0800

Looking for input from anyone with teaching abroad experience and (ideally) an interest in teaching English lit on their experiences with the differences. Mainly concerned with the perceived difference in general teaching environment between teaching adults in language schools abroad vs. teenagers in regular schools. Given that you're interested in literature and writing rather than the nuts-and-bolts of grammar and speech, is it possible to be happy teaching abroad as a recent college grad with only tutoring experience? I'm think I want to teach English at the HS level (with some ifs, ands and buts), and my ultimate plan is to get an English MA or MAT degree or certification and go from there. I'm a college senior right now, and I'm thinking of taking a year or two off to teach English abroad-- I feel a bit overwhelmed with 3 consecutive years of school and unsure which grad school program feels right. I was considering getting a job or internship at an independent school somewhere in the US, but would prefer to spend my 'gap year(s)' abroad if possible.

Note: I went to grammar school in Moscow, so I'm somewhat familiar and comfortable with traditional European schooling. However, I am wondering if the difference between teaching ESL and teaching literature is going to be a problem for me, interest-wise (and thus motivation-wise). I am also concerned that to teach English literature abroad, I would need teaching experience (which I don't have) and ESL certification, which I would also need to get.

Since my interest in teaching lies in facilitating discussion and literary analysis (as well fostering the students' writing skills to a more advanced level), teaching basic skills and conversational English has little innate appeal as an idea. However, I'm not sure if this is a serious stumbling block or not. I am sure to really enjoy the atmosphere in both Central/Eastern Europe and Japan (if that's where I end up), as I am familiar with both cultures. I like teaching writing as such even at a lower level (though I'm still not interested in conversation tutoring, I'm hoping I can get a different focus in my potential job).

Basically, I'd really rather not teach adults over college age or elementary-aged children, and though I'm open to a language school setting, I'd prefer a regular school. I'm not sure whether paying $1,500+ to get a sponsored teaching abroad program where they refer student-teachers to a placement is worthwhile. There's even an option of apprentice-teaching English lit in Ireland as a paid academic program, for instance. Basically, I am concerned that the type of teaching I really want to do abroad is unreachable for me at this time if I want to earn rather than spend money especially.

Teaching English to Spanish Nurses and Physios

Holly — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 06:47:34 -0800

I'm looking for materials for a university level program in Spain for the teaching of intermediate/advanced English to Spanish nursing and physiotherapy students. As coordinator of the programme, I'm on the lookout for recommendations for websites/other materials that I could use which people may have had positive experiences with. Hospital English looks pretty good, for example. The coursebooks will be the Oxford English for Careers (Nursing, Medicine series) by Tony Grice, unless anyone has any better suggestions!

Which teaching abroad scheme should I choose? And... how?

jhighmore — Tue, 03 May 2011 14:15:53 -0800

So I graduated last year and have been working in sales since then. I'm very intrigued by the concept of teaching english abroad, as I've had some great experiences teaching children before, but am overwhelmed by the amount of different schemes and companies. I have never really travelled before, and I know this may be seen as a big step, but I have this uncontrollable itch to just go for it while I am young and relatively free. I'm really looking for any and all advice from you guys - anyone who's done it, anyone who's considered it, anyone at all! Ideally, I am looking for a half-year placement, with a UK-based TEFL company (although it seems that many companies don't care where you are from). Having said that, I could be swayed by a year-long course. I am very excited by i-to-i, and heard about this through a recommendation. However, as I say, I feel a little like I am stabbing in the dark. I have read with much interest some previous questions, and have heard mention of Dave's ESL cafe, but this seems to be mostly aimed towards the USA. I have a few key questions:

1) Location.
I am considering Japan (and, yes, I know I have missed the deadline for JET by a mile), Thailand, South America, South Korea, and the Czech Republic. Any good/bad experiences? Anything glaringly obvious about these places that I may have missed in my research?

2) Inclusion/exclusion of TEFL qualificaton.
I am seeing some schemes in which you can earn the qualification whilst (or just before) teaching and living. I am also seeing some which simply require the qualification. Are there any advantages/disadvantages to these?

3) Accommodation.
I have seen some very interesting schemes which offer boarding with a host family. Would this be recommended over, say, private accommodation?

4) TEFL courses.
Any suggestions on good value courses?

These are just a few questions, but I would really appreciate any advice or suggestions, particularly on the location!

TEFL in Lithuania?

KMH — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 03:40:08 -0800

Advice on teaching English in Lithuania? I'm interested in the possiblility of teaching English in Lithuania (OK, my last AskMeFi question about Lithuanian for a while).

I have some experience of actually teaching English as a 2nd language to German students, but don't have an EFL qualification and I'm slowly but surely learning Lithuanian.

I'm wondering what are my chances of getting a good EFL qual, moving to Lithuania and teaching for a few years before finding a job teaching EFL at a university or college.

I've been recommended to aim for a "serious" EFL certificate that takes months rather than days before starting, and to upgrade at some point with a masters e.g. in linguistics later on (I have a first degree, though not in English or linguistics already).

Can anyone offer some more concrete, Lithuania-specific suggestions on how to procede, what the job market is like, which qualifications are prefered in Lithuania etc...? I have looked through EFL questions on Ask MeFi but Lithuania is not mentioned. I will add I'm considering it more as a career move than as an early career stage!

Tell me about your experiences with online TEFL certification.

lhp81 — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:53:47 -0800

If you did an online TEFL course, what did you like and dislike about it? For those of you who pursued an online TEFL or TESL certification, could you tell me what you thought were the strengths and weaknesses of the course?

I'd be especially interested in knowing any of the following, but of course you don't have to answer all of them:

1. How was course content delivered? Reading? Video? Audio?
2. What did you like & dislike about the course?
3. How comfortable were you with online learning?
4. What is the most important thing you learned?
5. How was the quality of materials and instruction?
6. How much interaction and/or feedback did you get from your tutor?
7. What do you think could have made the course better?

Thanks for any replies. I'm asking this as a preliminary step in research I'm planning to undertake about teacher training by distance.

Blah blah blah web 2.0

mammary16 — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 07:19:24 -0800

Teaching English to a class of university-aged students. There will be one laptop and one projector in the classroom. I've never used technology in the classroom before. Help! I'll be teaching English to a class of 30 university-aged students at a university in Turkey.

The school has recently bought laptops, so there is a laptop in every room.

What are some activities we can do? They want me to use the following in the classroom:
- blogs
- wikis
- twitter
- facebook

The administration also says they want us to enter discussions with other classrooms around the world, using facebook, twitter, etc. In general, they want us to supplement the coursework with occasionaly use of the laptop in class.

Finally, they want us to use a word processor in class. What are some sorts of activities we could do using Word, for example? As I mentioned, there is only one computer in the room - the students don't have computers.

In general, what are some good resources for using technology in the classroom to teach English as a second language?

Any help would be greatly appreciated - thanks!

creatively extend and speechify tefl/esl coursebook material?

Not Supplied — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 11:27:24 -0800

I'm using textbooks for my tefl/esl classes (teaching English to adults). I'm looking for ways to use the coursebook material more creatively and extend practise time, and how to create speaking material from it. I don't have a lot of prep time at the moment as I'm teaching 6 hours a day and I'm also a new teacher, so making tailored lessons that lead the students through step by step is not on the cards.

I'm looking for ways to quickly extend and create new stuff out of my coursebooks. My students are badly in need of more speaking practise so I've tried to get them talking with the materials.

They are mostly monolingual and either not that motivated or speak much worse than their other skills so need to find ways to get them to use the target language as well instead of just saying what they've always said in a half arsed way.

What I've come up with so far:

Use the answers to questions as ideas only, students come up with different answers

Students write their own questions

Turn questions into a pair speaking activity.

Personalise it - make it about a place they know from home.

Also any good reading for this sort of thing. I've come across 'Humanising your coursebook' by 'Mario Riavluen on the net, but haven't seen a copy.

Any active forums to discuss this kind of thing as well?

Good recruiters and programs for teaching English in Japan?

cirripede — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:32:31 -0800

Can you recommend recruiters or specific programs for someone who would like to teach English in Japan, starting this fall? This question falls along the lines of this recent question about teaching English in South Korea. (There are several other AskMe questions about the experience of teaching English in Japan, whether JET is legit, and teaching in Japan vs. teaching in Korea, but none of them quite fit what I'm looking for.)

I know about the JET program, but the application process is long—I am specifically interested in hearing about good programs or schools that would allow an American in his mid-twenties, with a B.A. and excellent (American) references, to start teaching English in Japan this coming fall. Because there are so many opportunities and resources for this kind of thing out there, I'd appreciate some help figuring out some of the very best options. Your own stories, as well as anything you've heard from others, are very much welcome.

Feel free to Memail me privately if you'd rather. Thanks for the help!

What happens after TEFL?

thebazilist — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 08:33:41 -0800

Five years out from my BA (in history, el oh el), I haven't been able to get any career traction and I'm looking at teaching English abroad as a way to get away and get a job. But what will happen when I come back and want to get a "real job"? And yes, I know that TEFL is definitely a real job--but will American employers think so? Like the multitudes of liberal arts BAs (‘05), I’m floundering in assistantship and teaching English abroad looks like a way out—geographically and professionally—of the cycle of unemployment and underemployment. I know that I won’t be making big bucks, but I like to travel and this seems like a good thing for me right now. I enjoy teaching, I enjoy English, I’m into language-learning and linguistics, etc. But unless I plan to bum around teaching English forever (which I’m not ruling out), at some point I’d like to settle down and get a career going. Career-wise I’m pretty open (since I don’t have any significant industry-specific skills or experience) – I’d enjoy working abroad, or at home, in writing, communications, marketing, international policy, or… there are a lot of things that interest me.

My TEFL plan would be to spend a few-ish years, in a few different places, probably Europe (Western and/or Easter), Central Asia, North Africa. I’d pick up the local languages, which I can do easily, and hopefully make contacts in these places.

So my questions are:

1. How do employers view teaching English abroad? Do they see it as a slackerly waste of time—will I be right back where I started (at the bottom-most rung of whatever career I try to make my way into with a scattergun/brained work history)? Or will I be able to successfully spin some transferrable skills from it?

2. Is it possible to move laterally? For example, I just looked at a job opening for TEFL teachers at a "big" Saudi oil company -- can one get into a field/company through teaching English and then start in another direction?

3. Is teaching English abroad itself a career, meaning could I do this forever, like a nomad? Or have people leveraged their teaching positions into higher positions within education, eg, academic management or something?

4. What are things that I could do during my time abroad that would increase my employability on my return (besides learning the local languages)?

Teaching English as an Asian

jsmith78 — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:05:53 -0800

How difficult is it to get a job teaching English in Asia as an American-born Asian? I have heard from recruiters and friends that finding a teaching job in Asia is quite tough regardless of your background or fluency if you don't look the part (ie. white). Some have told me that even if I do find something I will have to accept less pay and expect parents to frequently voice their concerns.

I am very interested in finding a teaching job in either Taiwan or China and have a college degree, experience working with children, and can get TEFL certified if necessary.

What can I expect going into the job hunting process given my Asian-American background? Any advice to improve my chances or reputable companies would be greatly appreciated.

Recommendations for good ESL or EFL materials?

wander — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:47:31 -0800

Can anyone recommend some good ESL/EFL curriculum materials, both for the child and adult level? Bonus points if they are not so western-centric. I recently had the chance to volunteer for a foundation in Indonesia that teaches English classes to locals. I was talking to one of the teachers before I left, and she told me that the materials that they were using were getting old and in need of replacement. She asked me if I could help find them new materials (specifically I'm looking for textbooks, but if anyone has any audio or video recommendations that are easily obtainable I'd be happy to have those, too).

While I was helping to teach there, I had the chance to look over the materials that they were using. They were good, but a little too culturally-specific at times (in terms of people's names, places, currency, items, etc.).

I realize a lot of these things could be alleviated by teachers adapting the curriculum to be more localized, and hopefully that can happen, but it would be nice if any new materials I could find for them could give them an easier starting point. I also realize that there is always going to be some measure of western cultural specificity to materials. It just would surprise me that given how many people there are in Asia learning English that someone would not have written course materials aimed towards them, using more culturally familiar examples in the lessons. Maybe many of these things already exist, but are in the local languages, and that's why I can't find them using an English-language search?

The school is located in an area where many of the jobs are based around tourism. Many of the people taking classes there are doing so to increase their skills to find better work. For that criteria, a lot of the things I saw in the materials seemed either redundant, or not entirely useful for what they need it for. They don't plan on emigrating, they want to learn English for work, or for more educational options.

I've done a bit of research around the web trying to find good recommendations for materials, but I mostly found big lists of things with no real description of why they're worthwhile. I would much rather hear recommendations from people that have experience using something and can explain why they liked or disliked it. Also, many of the materials I've researched seem to be aimed towards new immigrants improving their practical English skills for living in their adopted country, and thus are even moreso focused on culturally specific things. Are there any ESL/EFL materials out there aimed towards people who will be using it primarily to work in their own countries?

Thanks in advance to all of you!

Suggest my escape plan

mannequito — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:00:35 -0800

Where might I expect to find a job teaching English currently? I'm certified in TEFL but don't have a degree of any kind. Spent the last year in Germany but didn't work much other than the odd tutoring/temp placement. I'd really like to put this certificate to use in some way!

As I understand it, not having a degree rules out places like Taiwan, China and Japan; apparently any reputable company there hires only university graduates. In any case, Asia doesn't interest me all that much (if anyone cares to relate personal anecdotes and sway me, feel free.) I was thinking of something like South America, Eastern Europe, or the Middle East.

If its relevant, I'm Canadian and in Vancouver - which is hosting the Olympics this February, and hence, why I'd like to leave for the winter.

Ideally I'd like something that wouldn't require me to sign a contract, as I'd like to be back here around April or May.

In terms of internet resources, I'm aware of tefl.com and eslcafe.com. Other suggestions are welcome.

Thanks you crazy mefites!

Help a TEFL teacher with a one-to-one with a 10 year old.

mooreeasyvibe — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:11:22 -0800

Does anyone know what books or resources, paid for or otherwise, would be suitable for teaching a 10 year old intermediate level English? I'll be starting my first lesson with a kid on Wednesday, it's one-to-one. Obviously I'll try and make some sort of short assessment but I'll need to recommend resources for the father to buy.

Any help or ideas would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Chris

Teaching the Teachers

Holly — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:00:58 -0800

I'm in Spain and have been asked to give summer courses in English for academic purposes to university researchers and teachers of engineering. Apart from "English Academic Vocabulary in Use" (CUP), which I used last year - it's good - do any MeFites have any tried and tested recommendations for books and other materials that might be suitable? Amazon is great, but too often you can't get a feel for the book.

TEFL in Argentina

casconed — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:25:07 -0800

Does anyone have recommendations for where to find job postings for companies hiring English teachers in Buenos Aires? A friend of mine is interested in moving to Buenos Aires this spring and wants to work as an english teacher while she is there. She has teaching experience (as a middle school teacher) in the US, but searching for jobs online turns up a ton of spam sites.

What's the best way to secure an English teaching job in Spain?

aikidoka — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:43:31 -0800

I'm a qualified British TEFL teacher with about 2 years experience living in the UK. I want to teach in Spain and have applied for a few jobs online in the last month but heard nothing. I am thinking of just moving to Madrid to find work, is that the only realistic way of getting a job quickly (I don't have a lot of cash) or should I hold on and try and secure a job before I leave?

topic + "show me..." role-playing classes

trinarian — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 08:41:07 -0800

Looking for EFL topic + "show me..." ideas... I teach oral English to college students in China. I just had a really successful class of teaching about boyfriends + girlfriends. It's a 45 minute class with 30-50 students.

Last week I spent about ten to fifteen minutes kicking around a conversation about dating in China vs America while adding a few words to the board (they loved "make out"). Then I wrote on the board, "show me the best date ever OR the worst date ever", gave them a funny 30-second example of what I think could be the worst date ever, then gave them five minutes to prepare their own with a partner. It was wonderful seeing them tear through their dictionaries to learn words and then use them! It went really, really well. Every student had fun and volunteered to speak in go in front of the class - not an easy thing with Chinese students.

I need more ideas like this! My coworkers and I are at a loss.

Closest idea: "sell me something" in which two students at a time to come up to sell a random object in their possession. It works at getting them to talk, but it's missing the interesting discussion part... haggling just isn't a great topic of conversation.

Any genius ideas for a topic + "show me..." pair-work class?

Please don't link to a random EFL idea website. I'm looking for a something unique to their age, English level, time constraints, and class size. This format works well, so I'm looking for more like it.

Some good conversation topics that could use good "show me..." role-plays: jobs/interviews, marriage, the environment, travel, college life... of course I'm open to other topics too!

The best and worst volunteering organisations...

Neonshock — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 09:23:14 -0800

Im interested in doing some Camp America/BUNAC/GAP year type programmes over the next year hopefully including one that gives me a Teaching English as a Foreign Language qualification... So I guess my question is.

Who are the good guys and who is gonna take my money, throw me in the middle of nowhere in a foreign country and see if i float? There is a previous thread on mefi about a bad camp america experience that has rattled me. Ive googled thoroughly but any helpful information about good/bad experiences from any type of provider of these kinds of volunteer travel 'experiences' would be great.

...a few details about me.
Im 22, UK, in my third year of a degree and have experience with children. This next year (after uni ends so June - around August 2009) will be concerned with me gathering experience, seeing the world, doing fun things.
Things I want in a programme; lots of support, a fair price and most importantly a great experience. I dont want to be out of the country more than 3 months at a time.
Im looking to doing a camp america type thing this summer, and a TEFL learning and experience type programme in maybe china early next year.

Usefulness of teaching English in India?

RufusW — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 10:21:07 -0800

How useful is teaching English abroad (India) ? Hey people!

I'm halfway to India at the moment and I have the idea that when I get there I'd like to find a school and teach English as a foreign language, preferrably in a small town. I would be willing to stay for 9-12 months.

Unfortunately I won't have any money to support myself when I eventually get there.

So, should I expect a school to be willing to provide me with food and accomodation (maybe with a local family)?

Am I misguided and expecting too much? Is it worth a small village school supporting an English teacher? Should I have saved money in England and taught on a truly volunteer basis?

I know India teaches in English anyway, so maybe I'm not nearly as useful (valuable) as I'd be in South-East Asia.

Any thoughts much appreciated...

(Graduate with a weekend TEFL certificate and no experience)

Send Me Simple Songs

greytape — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 02:37:14 -0800

Looking for songs with which to teach English. So I'm teaching English to French kids aged between 15-18, and I'm looking for songs to work with in class. Ideally the songs should have the followinhg features;

- Clear, slow lyrics, using simple vocabulary.
- Describe some sort of story or idea that is not immediately obvious, and needs working out (rather than "Baby, I love you")
- Lead into a discussion of another topic. historical period, moral dilemma etc. (again, not "Baby I love you")
- And the kids have got to enjoy it.

So far I've come up with "Yesterday" the Beatles, "The Secret Marriage" Sting, "Make Your Own Kind Of Music" The Mamas and the Papas. But I'm sure you can come up with much better. I'd be interested in hearing from Mefites who don't have English as their first language, what songs sucked you in?