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H OW TO T E WACAHY
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Written By
JamesE Jdeitnedk iBny
Mike Scally
Commissionedi- tBoy-i
TEFL Uncovered:
How to teach your way abroad with TEFL
Written By James Jenkin
Edited By Mike Scally
Commissioned By i-to-i
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i-to-i UK
Woodside House
261 Low Lane
Leeds, LS18 5NY
United Kingdom
www.onlinetefl.com
First published in the UK in 2010
©2010 i-to-i UK
ISBN 978-1-4452-7210-8
All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be
reproduced without the prior consent of the publishers.
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About the Author
James Jenkin has been teaching English as a foreign language since 1994, having managed English language
programmes in Vietnam, China and Australia. His classroom career has included teaching Sudanese
refugees, Vietnamese government ministers and Chinese airline pilots. As well as developing English
language programmes and training teachers, James is also the proud author of Lonely Planet’s Russian
Phrasebook! Needless to say, he has had invaluable experiences in the TEFL and travel world and can
offer you a whole world of TEFL-Travel advice. With his extensive teaching experience, as well as ten
years’ experience as a teacher-trainer on Cambridge CELTA Courses and i-to-i’s Classroom TEFL
Courses, he truly understands the needs, fears and hopes of people entering the TEFL world.
Qualifications:
l Cambridge CELTA
l Bachelor of Arts Degree in Russian and Latvian
l Master’s Degree in Applied Linguistics
What James Has To Say
How and why did you get into teaching English overseas?
“I’d studied languages and I thought I’d be a good teacher because
I knew about grammar. I used to stand in the front and lecture. I
wish I’d done some worthwhile teacher training before I started – it
took me a couple of years to realize that being a good teacher is
about helping ‘learners’ get involved and practise with each other
and develop their skills.”
James with one of his students
What do you most enjoy about TEFL training on the
Classroom TEFL Course?
“It’s a thrill to see people develop such confidence in such a short
period of time.”
Any tips for first time TEFL/TESOL teachers?
“Get the students talking! The less time you’re up in the front
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talking, the better. They need the practice, not you!” h
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Contents
Foreword Foreword 07
The World’s First TEFL Self-Help Book 09
1
Welcome To TEFL 10
Introduction 11
A Life Changing Choice 14
Your Opportunities 19
What Is Teaching English Like?
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Types Of English Teaching 28
2
Qualifications 33
Introduction 34
Do You Need A Qualification? 36
Qualifications Demystified 40
3 Finding Good Work 45
Introduction 46
The Internet 47
Job Placements & Agents 50
Networking 53
Conditions 56
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Getting Good Work 61
Introduction 62
Personal Contact 63
Application Letter Or Email 65
Creating A Teaching Resume 70
5
Resources 76
Introduction 77
Print Resources 79
Online Resources 83
Teaching With No Resources 87
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Instant TEFL 90
Introduction 91
Making A Contribution 93
What Do Students Want? 98
Getting Students Talking 102
Being An Effective Teacher 107
7 Country Guides 110
Introduction 111
Country Guides 112
8 Are You Ready To Start TEFL-ing? 140
Introduction 141
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n Glossary 143
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nt Teaching Terms 144
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C Language Terms 145
The TEFL Profession 146
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Foreword
They say that ‘meaning’ is the new ‘money’. Recent research into ‘happiness’ suggests that the key
components in pursuit of it are:
l being involved in activities that have ‘meaning’ for us
l having opportunities to use our skills to make a difference
The research also suggests that we become happier by promoting the well-being and happiness of
others.
Surely, therefore, the world of TEFL offers huge opportunities for the pursuit and promotion of
happiness.
The material that follows opens up to us a world in which bright, committed people are making a
contribution to the concept of ‘one world’ by reducing barriers, engaging respectfully with different
cultures and passing on learning that expands the horizons of its recipients. These ‘TEFL people’ are
taking part in life-changing experiences themselves and are inviting millions of their students to do the
same.
Each of us is a unique individual. Nobody else has our combination of DNA, upbringing, experiences,
education, skills, values, ambitions, or aspirations. Nobody else has ever carried that uniqueness into
this particular time in an ever-evolving world. The world of TEFL offers unique opportunities to
unique individuals to make unique interventions in the lives of others. As a result, there is therefore
no blueprint or guidelines that would work for everybody. What follows is not a blueprint but pages
of wisdom and learning drawn from the experiences of many who have gone before. What follows is
yours to engage with, to reflect on, to select from and to apply what fits to support your purpose and
plans.
It is a book ‘to do’ rather than to read. The most effective teachers are not those who lecture others
on what must be learnt. They are rather those who provide opportunities for learners to access and
assess information, reflect on its relevance to them, their world and their needs, to select, absorb,
‘own’ and apply. That is what is on offer here. You will only get out of it as much as you put into it.
You won’t find ‘the’ answers, but hopefully you will find ‘your’ answers in the thoughts it provokes,
the awareness it creates, the clues it supplies and your choices it informs. It will reward reflection,
motivation, and honesty with oneself.
To get the best out of it, plan your study for times when you are at your best, tackle it in ‘bite-size
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chunks and note the things that occur to you (thoughts, feeling, ideas, questions etc.). ‘Harvest’ o
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your thoughts and your awareness because this is your learning and the basis for your planning and e
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decision-making. Talk through the things that occur to you with someone who knows you well, and o
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get their reaction and feedback as a contribution to your decision-making.
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You could be on the brink of a great adventure and a life-changing experience. The hope is that the
material in this book will be an introduction to the most creative and rewarding time in your life and
that you (and those you teach) will be happier as a result!
(Author of ‘Lifeskills Teaching’)
Please note ;
Any information and advice in this book is offered in good faith, but it cannot and should not replace the
reader’s own need for judgment of its relevance and value in their context and the need for each of us to be
responsible for our own risk assessment and decision-making.
Mike Scally
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The World’s First
TEFL Self-Help Book!
i-to-i commissioned TEFL Uncovered: How to Teach Your Way Abroad to help you understand TEFL and all
your opportunities around the world…
With 16 years’ in the TEFL industry, i-to-i’s expert TEFL team is committed to making the TEFL world
real and accessible to you, so you can understand TEFL as well as the experts do!
Teaching English as a foreign language is as simple as you’ve probably heard – you only need to
speak English fluently to teach English abroad; however, understanding the global TEFL industry, as
well as the most effective teaching methods, can be a bit more complex as all countries, schools, job
requirements and people are different. Therefore, i-to-i felt strongly about creating a book that told
you exactly what you needed to know about the industry, courses and opportunities before you dove
straight in and possibly got lost!
Interestingly enough, hundreds of thousands of people have been teaching English abroad for decades
with nothing more than their knowledge of the English language. But as the market has become far
more competitive, requirements and restrictions have increased and peoples’ general concerns have
broadened. Today, understanding TEFL is not so simple and eager travellers are more than keen to
understand the market inside and out.
This book will serve as a perfect guide for you to begin your TEFL endeavours. It is a truly unbiased
view of the TEFL world based on our experiences (16 years!) teaching abroad and training people to
teach abroad too.
We hope you enjoy this first step into your TEFL career abroad.
All the best!
The i-to-i TEFL Team
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the i-to-i team B
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Section 1
Welcome To TEFL
Introduction
A Life Changing Choice
1
Explore how the experience of living and working
abroad is very different from being a tourist and how
TEFL can transform your future.
Your Opportunities
2
Take a look at the number of job opportunities in the
TEFL industry and the types of conditions you can
expect.
3 What Is Teaching English Like?
Decide whether a TEFL classroom is right for you and
learn about the activities you might need to do with
your students.
4 Types Of English Teaching
From outdoor activities with primary students to
teaching technical English to oil and gas engineers –
there are all sorts of teaching opportunities overseas.
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