Archive | December, 2011

By Lindsay Varty

Ian Pitchford at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], from Wikimedia Commons

Located either side of the Danube River, lies Hungary’s capital and arguably the most beautiful city in Europe. Budapest has been voted one of the most livable cities in Europe and it’s no surprise why. With its stunning architecture, rampant history and buzzing atmosphere, it’s a prime location for TEFL teachers.

There are some things you simply can’t miss: the sprawling Buda Castle (‘Budavar’) standing defiantly on Castle hill. After centuries of housing Hungary’s royalty, this World Heritage site now contains museums such as the Hungarian National Gallery and many picturesque grounds open to the public. The neo-gothic Parliament building is the largest building in Hungary and is adorned in glistening lights at night. The Dohány Street Synagogue remains the second largest in the world at 44 metres high and can seat 3,000 people. Discover Europe’s haunting past at the Holocaust Memorial graves and see the huge metal ‘tree of life’ whose leaves are engraved with the names of the 400,000 Hungarian Jews murdered by the Nazis.

By Daniel Cariello
BA Hons English Literature graduate

By www.viajar24h.com (Agra & Taj Mahal-44 Uploaded by Ekabhishek) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

India is an incredibly diverse country to visit with a multitude of people to meet and experiences to be had. There are a variety of landscapes: from incredible golden beaches to snow-covered mountains, which loom over the country and impale the skyline. The serrated mountain tops create a magnificent horizon, especially when watching the sunrise/sunset in a city such as Bangalore.

India offers fantastic cuisine, stunning architecture and a very up and coming nightlife, with a wide range of bars and incredible cinema. India a country that is proud of how rich in history it remains, but it is also simultaneously embracing new age culture with feisty festivals and cities that shine under neon lights.

By Kori Czuy
An ESL Professional, with 8 years’ experience teaching, consulting and adventuring in over 50 countries worldwide

The repetitive jingle of a popular Christmas tune, stirred me from my festive slumber. It did not evoke feelings of excitement nor joy at this ungodly early hour, but it was its mechanical, eerily creepy feel that got my heart pumping as it would during a psychological horror film. I see it, a ratty robotic Santa Claus circa 1965, dancing un-melodically while fighting with a dirty sock to advance another 2cm. It must be CHRISTMAS!!! I threw on my Christmas sweater complete with proper bells, 3-D presents with bows and miniature plastic dinosaurs.

Holidays can be difficult when working overseas, especially Christmas. I know I tend to miss the strange traditions from home, such as my sister playing the Santa prank on me every Christmas; hence the horror from the introduction. Celebrating a major holiday away from your home country, several thousand kilometres away, can be exciting, but remember, it can never be the same.

By Monika Salita
@monikasalita or About Monika

This post was inspired by Inc. Magazine’s recent article, “7 Things Highly Productive People Do.” Whether or not you agree with its points, I believe that there are some worthwhile tips mentioned, which can be easily transferred to the life of a TEFL teacher.

Some points that have helped me to effectively manage my time, and thus become a better teacher include the following:

By Monika Salita
@monikasalita or About Monika

For many of us teachers, stepping foot on foreign soil, in a country located thousands of miles (or kilometers) away from home, possibly even on the other side of the globe, can be a shock to the senses. We must readjust ourselves – our thinking and our ways of living – in order to now be successful in our jobs. Use this shocking experience to rock the world views of your students. Show them where you come from and what makes your hometown unique, who you are, and what truly defines you.

By Daniel Cariello
BA Hons English Literature graduate

Flo [CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0), 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

Based in Southern Europe, Croatia offers a wide range of pleasures to suit the timeless and the trendy. The Southern coastline offers fantastic scenery, with magnificently calming blue oceans and the wide ranging archipelago of islands, which are an amazing sight. All-encompassing mountains covered in vegetation create an angelic spectacle. There are 1185 islands in total, many of which have been purchased by the rich and famous. This should give you an idea of how sought after this paradise is. Affordable Mediterranean cruises are on offer constantly making this haven easily accessible to you if you want to get involved with a TEFL course in Croatia.

By Kori Czuy
An ESL Professional, with 8 years’ experience teaching, consulting and adventuring in over 50 countries worldwide

To work overseas in general will always be a feast for the adventure appetite; a tickle in the curiosity oblongata; a point of conversation on the CV; and, as always, a healthy ripe bank of stories for the grandkids. But working in a more remote location overseas takes culture shock and adventure to another level.

With several random of-the-beaten-ESL- track jobs under my belt…. here are some ideas and advice to digest before signing that elusive rural, small village contract.

By Monika Salita
@monikasalita or About Monika

No matter which cultural background you come from, each one is brimming with holidays throughout the year that can serve as great teaching tools with which to teach about a culture, its history and diversity.

Major holiday celebrations on the docket in December for many people around the world include Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and the arrival of the new year. With these winter holidays alone, one can teach about an important Jewish holiday tradition, Christmas traditions from around the world, and heritage celebrations, with the people and objects involved in many stories serving as vocabulary sources.

By Grace Chinn
Grace is an EFL Teacher with 2 years’ experience teaching in Peru, Australia and Scotland.
She is currently travelling and looking for teaching work in Latin America.

By Mónica J. Mora (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Dubbed as one of the most developed and safest countries in all of Latin America, Panama is a great option for those who want the experience of teaching English in the Spanish speaking world, whilst never feeling too far away from modern comforts.

Within the country there are a wide range of cities and regional towns in which to search for a teaching job. City lovers will be in heaven in eclectic Panama city, a city in which old and new rub shoulders in perfect harmony. The fantastic thing about Panama City is that you are surprisingly close to the jewels of Panama- the Caribbean and Pacific Seas, both of which can be reached by car or bus in just a couple of hours.