Some Great TEFL Websites
I used to be involved heavily in the TEFL industry,but now that I am back home, it means that I do not pay attention much to it. Because of my previous adventures, I always get asked how I was able to live the lifestyle that I was able to live. Frankly, I really have time to spend the hours needed to help each person individually, but luckily there are some great resources out there where you can find answers to any question.
Here are some TEFL websites:
The TEFL News Network has news and information for TEFL teachers.
Great TEFL Jobs has some great job listings.
ELT World has a great blog and set of forums that give you everything you need to know to teach abroad.
Time To Buy A Digital Camera
I am in the market for a new digital camera. When I first bought our Sony Camera two years ago, it was state of the art and was top in its class. Now, two years on, it is kind of looking old and not quite as interesting. It still works fine, but its features are kind of lacking compared to the newest models.
This means that I will delegate the old Sony to be a backup camera. What will the new camera be? Well, I’d like to go with a Canon digital camera just because I like their quality and they have a lot to offer. Maybe it’s because my very first digital camera was a Canon. Anyways, I know my next camera will be a great purchase.
I guess we will just have to see what we will get.
Walking Pens
It seems like I am always looking for pens. It seems like mine always develop legs of their own and take off walking away. They must because I can never find them after I use them only once or twice. It seems like every week I am buying the big package of pens. I always try to get the cheapest pens because buying more expensive pens just means that I end up losing them. This is why I am trying to buy them online now.
Can You Find The Perfect TEFL Destination?
The Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Profession is known by many as a path to fun and adventure in exotic foreign lands, as a way to pay off student loans or as a way to dodge problems back home. Instead of focusing on the reason why they want to go teach abroad, many new teachers find their job first and worry about the destinations later. Unfortunately, many lose sight of their original reason for going abroad and become disillusioned. That doesn’t have to be the case. With three easy steps, you can be focused on the reason why you are going abroad and find the destination that best meshes with your goals.
The first step in finding a destination is to take a good look at yourself. Why do you want to teach English in a foreign country? Is it for the adventure? Is it for the income? Are you running away from something? Do you want to help students in other countries? You need to take out a piece of paper and write down your reason. It doesn’t really matter the reason, that’s your personal choice. You just need to stay focused on that reason.
Once you’ve identified why you want to find a TEFL job, you should research destinations. The local public library has a lot of travel books. Pick up a Lonely Planet Travel Guidebook for the countries or regions that interest you and read them. Having trouble finding a country or region? Open an atlas and randomly choose a few countries. In your research, you want see if it is a place you might want to teach and live in. Don’t make the mistake of focusing on just one country, keep an open mind and in the end try to have a list of five to ten countries that you might want to teach in.
The last step is to see how well your goals mesh with your preferred destinations. I suggest visiting sites like Dave’s ESL Cafe or the ELT World and make pointed posts asking the user base if they can give insight as to how well your goals mesh with each of your preferred destinations. An example might the following posting:
“Hi I’d like to teach English in Indonesia. My goal is have an adventure and write a book about it. Is it possible?”
You may get conflicting answers, but even those conflicting answers can be helpful. It’s providing you more information from diverse experiences. You may discover it’s just not doable in some or all of the destinations you chose, but remember, you can always go back and find alternative destinations. On the other hand, you may find that several destinations mesh with your goals. Remember to always stay focused on your written reason for TEFL.
After settling on a destination, you can start to research what type of qualifications you need and what preparations you should make in order to work in country of choice. Never fear, you will be in a better position than other potential teachers because you will know why you are going abroad to teach and your primary destination
Secret Indian Telemarketing Weapon
I love surfing Youtube and searching for really funny videos. The other day someone was talking about telemarketing and outsourcing. They were complaining about the loss of American jobs and how it was particularly heart wrenching for them. I found this video a few months ago and Manoj is all I could think about.
This video is so hilarious….it took me a few minutes to realize that it’s fake, that’s just a testament to how well the video was made. Take a look at it yourself.