Learning To Make Friends Overseas For the Shy Type

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By Monika Salita, @monikasalita

Packing one’s life into a suitcase and hopping on a plane to travel around the globe to go live and work in a foreign country may sound absolutely daunting and nerve-wracking to some, or like life’s ultimate thrill to others. Shy but keen on new adventures, that’s exactly what I did when I hopped on a plane in 2008 and landed in beautiful Montpellier, France.

As part of my teaching placement, I was fortunate enough to be provided with inexpensive housing at the high school where I taught. Living with me on the top floor of one of the dormitories were five non-English teaching assistants, and over time, we overcame language barriers and became great friends; spending evenings out together at our local bars or clubs.

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Teach English in Russia – Advice for Teachers

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By Daniel Cariello

Teach English in Russia – Advice for Teachers

By Игорь С (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Russia is a beautiful country eager to embrace its modern culture whilst remembering its historic past. Russia has a lot to offer the keen traveler, with cosmopolitan cities such as the dynamic Moscow or the beautiful and historic St Petersburg, to the magnificent Lake Baikal, where visitors can gaze at the spectacular body of water surrounded by all-encompassing Siberian Mountains.

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Using Music in the EFL Classroom

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by Theodora Pap

Using Music in the EFL Classroom

By Hugo Chisholm from Vancouver, Canada (Playing guitar) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Using music in the classroom is not a new idea. Most EFL text books use songs at the beginning or end of a chapter, either for introducing a topic and the vocabulary or for consolidating what the students have already learned.

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Top 5 weekend getaways while teaching in Japan

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by Roy Duffield

Top 5 weekend getaways while teaching in Japan

By 柑橘類 (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Japan is unarguably one of the world’s most fascinating destinations, but it can be expensive to  travel …especially as TEFL teachers are not entitled to the Japan Rail Pass. So, to save you some pennies, I’ve put together this list of highlights, all within easy reach of the major cities.

Firstly, with its own unique dialect, culture and cuisine, not to mention a night life to rival Tokyo’s (whilst more compact and easily navigable), Osaka is definitely Japan’s coolest city.

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Teaching English in Brazil: This is the time to come!

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By Eduardo Santos @eltbakery

Teaching English in Brazil: This is the time to come!

As the world’s 5th largest country in both size and population, and the 7th largest economy in the world, Brazil has a high demand for English teachers. With the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games on the way, the country is rapidly growing and the economy is at high speed. Being a country of continental size, your experience in Brazil will certainly vary depending on the region you plan to work at, therefore, choosing the region that most suits your needs is paramount. Although famous for its breath-taking beaches, the pulsating-beat of samba, the passion for football, Brazil has much more to offer, which, together with friendly people, will make your teaching experience unique. For more details on the different regions in Brazil, check Lonely Planet Guide about Brazil.

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Teaching English in Izmir, Turkey.

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by Ferda Sonmez

Teaching English in Izmir, Turkey.

By Izmir_coast.jpg: Yılmaz Uğurlu derivative work: IgnisFatuus (Izmir_coast.jpg) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Making a difference? Making a change?

So, how about Izmir? Izmir – the pearl of the Aegean is waiting for you!

Izmir lies in the west of Turkey and is the third largest city. It’s a cosmopolitan and lively city all year round.  There are lots of historical places such as, museums, historical sites, monuments, Kizlaragasi  Inn, the Clock Tower, Saint Polycarp Church, Asansor quarter ( also known as the Jewish quarter), Hisar Mosque and more. Kültürpark  is the site of the International Izmir Fair and contains an amusement park, restaurants and gardens.

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