By Daniel Cariello
BA Hons English Literature graduate
By William Cho (Bali – Mt Batur Volcano Uploaded by russavia) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Teaching English in Bali
The blog: Monthly Archives: November 2011
Raising Classroom Engagement and Learning via Game Play and Creative Instruction
By Monika Salita
@monikasalita or About Monika
Learning through playing games and other fun activities, rather than reading books and listening to lectures, is a welcome change of pace for many students.
Incorporating music into lesson plans can be a good way to learn creatively. Many types of music work well, although I caution you to think twice before teaching with rap and R’n’B music. Aside from music-related activities, many of my students enjoyed interactive games that pitted teams against one another.
From Brazil to the World: A Teaching Certificate is your Passport
By Daniela Pesconi-Arthur
By Tiago Fioreze (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
4 Steps for a Successful TEFL Career: Part 4 – Continuous Professional Development
By Eduardo Santos
@eltbakery
Good professionals are aware that learning should never stop, and it’s no different for English teachers. Professional development must be seen as an ongoing process for TEFLers who are willing to be successful. With the explosion of the internet in the past decade, access to information has increased tremendously for the average individual and opened up new possibilities for free professional development online. Sharing and learning beyond the staff room is possible and it can be done anywhere at any time.
Teaching English in Berlin: Burst Through the Wall
By Daniel Cariello
BA Hons English Literature graduate
By grafkoks2002 (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Berlin is regarded as one of the best European destinations in terms of culture. A relaxed and tolerant city, Berlin offers exquisite museums, theatres and opera houses to visitors. Furthermore, Berlin is one of the leading cities in the world when it comes to art, fashion, cuisine and music. A very trendy city, a TEFL Course in Berlin would be fantastic for anybody with a passion for any of these subjects.
Because of the size of the city, the demand for English-speaking language teachers is high, and accommodation can usually be found relatively cheaply. However, beware of some of the cheaper accommodation, as sometimes tourists are offered living spaces of a poor standard. Just make sure to check out the place thoroughly before signing. Obviously be sure to do any necessary visa requirements checks also.
My adventures and tips for teaching in rural, obscure and fascinating ESL job locations
By Kori Czuy
An ESL Professional, with 8 years’ experience teaching, consulting and adventuring in over 50 countries worldwide
It was a humid hot March morning on the equator, and I was driving through the jungle to one of the schools where I was mentoring. By this time, I had been working at this job for a few months, so I had already experienced many of the cultural, climactic, linguistic and social quirks of the country. On this day, however, many of them seemed to gang up on me at once and slap me in the face, to make me really realise where in the world I was.
Note to Self: Lessons using Rap Music generally aren’t Best at Teaching English
By Monika Salita
@monikasalita or About Monika
As a teaching assistant, you’ll find yourself ‘testing the waters’ so to speak time and time again: figuring out which lesson plans work for you and which ones don’t.
I’ll try to save you some grief by mentioning that rap songs (like Estelle and Kanye West’s “American Boy”), although hip and cool for most, aren’t the best teaching tools. I learned this through one big flop of a lesson plan.
Teaching in South Africa: A Magical Linguistic Escape
By Tammy Reed
Connect with Tammy on Facebook
By Tjeerd Wiersma from Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Camps Bay) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Teaching English in Poland
By Daniel Cariello
BA Hons English Literature graduate
By Rafal Konkolewski (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
Poland is one of the most underrated countries in Europe, with some of the most beautiful architecture and spectacular beaches that Europe has to offer. A lot of people are unaware that the country has a coastline, but cities like Sopot offer magnificent wildly blue oceans and beaches that do not get too over-crowded. In addition, main cities such as Warsaw, Kraków and Malbork offer a fantastic range of cuisine, theatre and an impressive nightlife, where the clubs never seem to close. However, despite all this, you’ll still encounter a peasant woman selling flowers outside one of the many Gothic castles that the country has to offer. Poland is most definitely a country of contrasts that embraces new-age culture and an impressive history simultaneously.
Too Many Teachers in the Classroom?
By Monika Salita
@monikasalita, About Monika
Too Many Teachers in the Classroom?: How to Effectively Apply Your Skills in the Classroom while Working With Another Teacher
As a native English speaker in a classroom full of students clamoring to learn the nuances of the language, teaching these students the intricate facets of formal and not so formal English should be easy. That is, unless you are working alongside a senior, non-native English speaking lead teacher who is consistently dominating lessons.
Does this lead teacher, who spends considerably more time with the students, fear your infiltration into a precisely structured lesson, throwing it off course? Perhaps. It’s up to you to prove your value in the classroom.