Finding your first job Teaching English

Finding Your First EFL Teaching Job

The demand for EFL teachers worldwide is so great that you will find it surprisingly easy to land your first job offer. But take your time, find the right position and make sure you will be happy.

If you are interested trying your hand at teaching English overseas, but don’t yet want to commit to a one-year contract, go over to
TEFL Temp where information about short-term TEFL positions is posted. Some are as short four months and even include airfare and training. Hard to beat that!

Just about everything you could ever want to know about finding your first position Teaching English Overseas and just about everything else about living and working in another country – can be found at our companion website: TEFL Daddy.

Whether thinking about a two-year “lark” teaching overseas – or if you would like TEFL to offer you a long-term career – give the website a good read. No, it doesn’t really have all the answers, because the answers are as individual as each person thinking of entering the field.

Your needs, interests, skills, and goals are unique. But, TEFL Daddy can at least help you address each issue and get on the road to finding exactly what might fit you best.

TEFL Daddy was written by a former Peace Corps Volunteer (Botswana 89-91) who designed the site with the complete “Newbie” in mind and answers just about every question you might have about Teaching English Overseas.

From country selection, paying student loans, insurance, how to deal with aging parents, to visas and contracts – and even investment from overseas – you can find it all at:

TEFL Daddy

Once you land that first job – put what you have learned on this website to work!

If you would like to consider a full-blown TEFL Certification with 120 classroom hours and six hours of observed teaching practice – learn more about that option also on the Certification page at TEFL Boot Camp here.

TED’s Tips™ #1: Like finding a job in any industry, that first job may not be perfect – nor the one of your dreams. But it is a start. Just because you are heading overseas, don’t let your head get stuck in fantasyland. It is still a job, things are still required of you and your new employer will expect you to deliver. It is all part of growing up – even if you are already in your 60s.

TED’s Tips™ #2: Check out other parts of this website, especially the sections on teaching “ESP” and Business English, so you can maximize your first job.

What’s up in China? Learn what kind of jobs are on offer if would like to Teach English in China

How to Teach English Overseas and Secrets to Success Abroad
TEFL eBooks is offering a free download of their new publication Seven Secrets of Success Abroad - and along with it comes a bi-weekly installment and revision of their eBook called How to Teach English Overseas.

Great reviews for the Secrets of Success eBook – in spite of the hokey name – and the How to Teach English eBook is being updated and rewritten and sent out in installments as it is ready.

Here they are – click on the eBooks to get your FREE copies! Great information and the price is right, from our friends at TEFLeBooks.

Please let me know what you think of the ebooks – use the comments section below.

I confess both eBooks are written by yours truly – hoping to inspire others to head overseas and live life BIG out in the real world. I would value your feedback!

Teaching English Abroad: Gestures and Cueing

Gestures, Cueing and Modeling in the EFL Classroom

It is common sense that students in an EFL classroom may not always understand what their instructor wants them to do when given directions in English. Obviously, they are there to learn English and don’t and won’t get every nuance of your requests. Thus the importance of gestures and cueing.

An effective EFL instructor will use their body to help give students additional information about what they want them do. Modeling (doing what you want students to do to show them what is wanted), gesturing to prompt behaviors, and cueing with more subtle movements all provide assistance to the students.

The target language you are teaching is the most important component of any lesson and you don’t want to get stuck in a lesson with students not knowing what to do.

Always model any activity before asking students to perform it, gesture to show students when you want them to respond chorally – “listen” (put your hands behind your ears) and “repeat” (move your hands away from your mouth), and give cues by pointing to target language on the marker board.

Give only the amount of gestures and cueing needed and withdraw it as soon as you can. Increase usage when needed and reduce it as the students seem to get what is wanted.

Effective use of these tools will make your class go much more smoothly. As the image of the book above indicates – do ask and be aware of any cultural differences in gestures. In many cultures pointing with a single finger is quite rude as is gesturing with your palm facing up versus down.

It is fun to learn these cultural nuances and you students will be more than happy to help you understand them.

TED’s Tips™ #1: When students are stuggling with the answer to a question you have asked and the answer is already on the marker board – place your hand near it as a cue for the students. You are not giving them the answer, you are merely helping them find it.

What’s up in China? Learn what kind of jobs are on offer if would like to Teach English in China

How to Teach English Overseas and Secrets to Success Abroad
TEFL eBooks is offering a free download of their new publication Seven Secrets of Success Abroad - and along with it comes a bi-weekly installment and revision of their eBook called How to Teach English Overseas.

Great reviews for the Secrets of Success eBook – in spite of the hokey name – and the How to Teach English eBook is being updated and rewritten and sent out in installments as it is ready.

Here they are – click on the eBooks to get your FREE copies! Great information and the price is right, from our friends at TEFLeBooks.

Please let me know what you think of the ebooks – use the comments section below.

I confess both eBooks are written by yours truly – hoping to inspire others to head overseas and live life BIG out in the real world. I would value your feedback!

Edutainment in Teaching English Abroad

What is Edutainment?

As you might guess – “Edutainment” is the marriage of education and entertainment. Depending on how seriously you might want to take yourself as an educator, check into the scene in the country and school where you will seek work.

Some countries are very serious about education and are more concerned that lessons have good content and relevant language. They expect you to deliver skills in exchange for their money. Others, want more entertainment (in English) and hope students absorb their language skills that way.

If edutainment is the agenda for a school, go there prepared with many games and fun activities that use English as their medium. Students can, in fact, pick up a fair amount of language this way, so all is not lost.

If you respect yourself and the profession though, be wary of schools that are looking for a “dancing monkey” and not a teacher. Such schools do exist and your level of job satisfaction will be quite low if you take that type of position and burn-out rates are very high.

The Internet is full of great places to pick up games and activities. The Games Pages at Dave’s ESL has more games and activities than you can ever imagine using. Find six or eight that you enjoy and adapt them to the level and interests of your students.

TED’s Tips™ #1: Find a couple games that YOU enjoy (yes, it is important that you enjoy them too!) and adapt them for different levels and different types of classes.

Keep them with your teaching materials at all times and you are ready to roll should you have to step into someone else’s classroom on short notice. And you will get rave reviews as everyone will have fun – thus all is not BAD about edutainment.

TED’s Tips™ #2: Be sure to keep an educational goal in mind with EVERY game and activity. Students will know the difference between just play – and learning something.

What’s up in China? Learn what kind of jobs are on offer if would like to Teach English in China

How to Teach English Overseas and Secrets to Success Abroad
TEFL eBooks is offering a free download of their new publication Seven Secrets of Success Abroad - and along with it comes a bi-weekly installment and revision of their eBook called How to Teach English Overseas.

Great reviews for the Secrets of Success eBook – in spite of the hokey name – and the How to Teach English eBook is being updated and rewritten and sent out in installments as it is ready.

Here they are – click on the eBooks to get your FREE copies! Great information and the price is right, from our friends at TEFLeBooks.

Please let me know what you think of the ebooks – use the comments section below.

I confess both eBooks are written by yours truly – hoping to inspire others to head overseas and live life BIG out in the real world. I would value your feedback!

Teaching English for Special Purposes

Teaching ESP Abroad

Many people, when transitioning to a career in TEFL, forget that they have lots of experience and sometimes education in a specialized area.

Rather than starting at the bottom rung in TEFL consider finding your own special niche where you can probably make more money, do a better job and even enjoy yourself more.

For example, many people from Information Technology (IT) careers come to TEFL. Their best job strategy would be to seek an English teaching position at a college or university that has an IT specialty.

Many occupational specialties in foreign countries need English training. The need it for university study and papers, research (most international research is published in English) and/or to run a business.

If you have a background in a special area, it is in your best interest to use it. You will already know the specialized vocabulary of the business, you will know how the business works and you will even have a curiosity about the business that other teachers won’t have. This makes you ideal to teach in that special niche. And it makes you a preferred hire over other teachers without your special skills.

Consider nursing, aviation training, business and marketing, chemicals, general medicine, engineering, hospitality (restaurant, hotel, and tourism industry), IT, law, construction technology, and every other possible major at a university or college.

If you have such a skill/knowledge it would be well worth your time to seek employment in that area. DON’T go to the English department of a college or university – go to the department of your specialty and have them recommend you to the English department. You WILL be in demand.

Read the following links to get a better understanding of teaching ESP.

Teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP)

Two excellent examples of niche employment that the smart people look for are Hotel and Resort English and Business English. Teach a few reception desk staff in an air conditioned classroom at a 5-star resort on a tropical island – or 50 screaming kids in a hot classroom? Teach a small class of businesspeople at corporate headquarters – or back to the screaming kindergarteners . . . Up to you . . . ESP has its advantages!

TED’s Tips™ #1: Your BEST English Teaching Job – the one that you enjoy the most and that will likely pay you the best is usually related to your personal skills, experiences and education. If you don’t explore those options you are shortchanging yourself AND your new career.

TED’s Tips™ #2: There is no need to start on the bottom rung of the English teaching business. Go direct to the colleges, universities and businesses that need the skills you already have.

What’s up in China? Learn what kind of jobs are on offer if would like to Teach English in China

How to Teach English Overseas and Secrets to Success Abroad
TEFL eBooks is offering a free download of their new publication Seven Secrets of Success Abroad - and along with it comes a bi-weekly installment and revision of their eBook called How to Teach English Overseas.

Great reviews for the Secrets of Success eBook – in spite of the hokey name – and the How to Teach English eBook is being updated and rewritten and sent out in installments as it is ready.

Here they are – click on the eBooks to get your FREE copies! Great information and the price is right, from our friends at TEFLeBooks.

Please let me know what you think of the ebooks – use the comments section below.

I confess both eBooks are written by yours truly – hoping to inspire others to head overseas and live life BIG out in the real world. I would value your feedback!