International Schools are generally schools based in one country but which use a curriculum and teaching methods from another country. For example, in most countries of the world you will find schools which teach all subjects in English, with British teachers, with a...
Dropbox is a simple - and free - method of keeping your files up to date between your computer, laptop and smartphone. It's incredibly useful for English teachers (amongst others) in many ways, not least because it means you can work on materials at home and have them...
Sometimes living in a foreign country can be lonely but one way to keep in touch with home and get a little light relief is to watch On Demand Television (or Catch Up Television) on your computer. It's the perfect way to keep up with current affairs back home as well...
IATEFL is the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language. It is a respected organization set up in the UK in 1967. It brings together over 4,000 teachers & administrators, writers, publishers and other professionals involved in teaching...
There are a couple of main areas of concern regarding LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) people and issues in TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language). being LGBT in different countries being an LGBT teacher LGBT materials This article looks into each of...
By drugs we are referring to so-called recreational drugs such as cannabis and alcohol etc. This article looks at traveling with drugs and using them while you are living in a foreign country as a teacher of English. Note that this article does not discuss the moral...
If you are teaching English in Vietnam, or teaching English to Vietnamese speakers, you may well face a few problems when your students use English. Let's take a simple example. Your Vietnamese students may well say things like this: * Yesterday he go school. *...
What to Take With You is a checklist of what you should pack when you are heading off to a new job, possibly a new country. It isn't exhaustive, of course, and many of the items below you'll want to leave out, but it's a good start. Medicines, Drugs & Hygiene...
Insurance/Health Cover is a very important issue, but also a personal one. Some TEFL teachers will not travel without, other teachers don't even think about the idea. This article looks at different sorts of insurances you might want to consider before heading...
Shane English School (SES) is a chain of schools operating in Asia. The school originally started in Japan and came about after an English teacher, Shane Lipscombe found he had too many private students and thus set up a school to deal with them all. Since then it has...
Quite simply a visa is a document stating that a person is authorized to enter the country or territory for which it was issued. If you intend to go abroad to teach depending on where you go and your nationality you may or may not need a visa to enter the country and...
Your Passport is arguably the most valuable document you possess whilst living and working abroad and it should be carefully handled. This article offers some good, sensible advice regarding handling and using your passport. As a general rule never send your passport...
Touching, has the power to enrich lives but also to ruin them and touching children is a potentially thorny issue and one which can cause difficulties across cultures. This article looks at various aspects of the way in which teachers and children can interact and how...
Taking a TEFL or TESOL Teacher Training Course is part and parcel of training to teach English. Thousands of potential teachers take a short TEFL Course and this article offers some basic advice on how to approach the course and how to get the most out of it....
The Academic Year is when a school or learning institute is open for business. In many countries this is from September/October to the following May/June. In some countries in the Southern Hemisphere, the academic year runs from February/March to November/December....
Personal Safety is often a concern of teachers heading abroad for the first time. This article looks at the facts about personal safety abroad. Misconceptions It's often the case that people think the situation is worse abroad. It's the fear of the unknown plus...
This article is all about using a TEFL Employment Agent or Recruiters to find work in a country. Essentially an Agent is an individual or organization which matches up teachers and schools. They approach schools and promise to find them English teachers for a fee....
Sweden is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe; it borders Norway and Finland, and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Øresund. It is often ranked highly as well developed, socially aware and economically stable. In 2013 The Economist said that...
TESOL France is a non-profit organization of teachers of English in France run entirely by volunteers. Its purposes are to stimulate professional development disseminate information about research, books and other materials related to English strengthen instruction...
Where to Teach is one of the key questions asked by newly qualified teachers as well as experienced teachers who are looking for a change. On the plus side teaching English happens in pretty much every single country in the world so there are jobs available almost...
You want to teach English. And you're not a hardened criminal, right? Of course not! But you may well need to prove this last fact to get a job. Many countries (though not all) ask prospective teachers to provide a valid Background Check when they apply for a teaching...
Racism in Teaching English does occur to a greater or lesser extent in most countries. This article looks at racism in TEFL outside English speaking countries; this is where it is most prevalent. Reactions to Foreigners In many countries foreigners can be the source...
Careers in TEFL or TESOL are common. Many teachers start out in TEFL as entry-level teachers in small schools around the world; some will stay a few years before going home and moving into a different field, but others will move on in TEFL. It is common assumption...
It is sometimes the case that two people - partners, friends, a married couple, etc - will want to head abroad and find work together, if possible in the same school. Our advice is: do NOT apply to work in the same school. There are several important reasons for this:...
One common question asked by people wanting to teach English abroad is, "Do I need to speak the local language?" "I'm going to teach English in Korea - do I need to speak Korean?" "I'm going to teach English in Greece - do I need to speak Greek?" "I'm going to teach...
What's the current teaching situation in the USA? We look into what is happening here right now in terms of immigration and teaching English. Each year more than one million immigrants who arrive in the USA face one of the biggest challenges of moving abroad -...
Culture Shock is the term used to describe the anxiety and stress people feel when they relocate to a new environment. It's most obvious when moving to a new country where habits, customs and language may be very different from the person's own country. Culture Shock...
Many TEFL teachers rely on private lessons to supplement their income. They often pay more than regular lessons and qualified teachers who offer a professional service can earn a great deal this way. Some, in fact, will stop teaching at a regular school all together...
Many teachers often supplement their income with private lessons or even live on them entirely. However, one lucrative area in this field which is often overlooked by teachers is giving Private Lessons to Businesses. Although many of the issues involved with private...
Moving to a new country or location can often be a daunting experience for people. Not only are you likely to be starting a new job, you'll probably be surrounded by a completely new culture and with people speaking a completely new language to you. It's easy to...
