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• quality of the TEFL course overall 4.8
• course in preparing you to teach 4.8
• the training staff 4.8
• classroom lectures 4.7
• observed teaching practice 4.9
• trainer feedback and evaluation 4.8
• TEFL job support 4.8
• training center building 4.9
• teaching resources 4.9
• accommodation 4.7
• pre-arrival/visa support 4.9
• support with problems post-arrival 4.9
• Thai staff 4.9

The post 2019: Our best TEFL Courses yet appeared first on Teaching English in Thailand.

Culture shock is when you are living in a culture other than your own with a sense of disorientation. For example, things you would normally do in your own culture take longer to do in a new environment when you travel abroad. Someone who is going through culture shock might experience depression and irritability when trying to complete daily tasks. Typically, the shock sets in after the “honeymoon” phase. The honeymoon phase can last up to a few months.

I was fortunate enough to have lived abroad before I moved to Madrid. However, my time there was short and my living situation and all the essentials had been sorted out before I arrived. Madrid was an entirely new experience. I did not expect how hard it would be to get acclimated into a new apartment, sign up for a phone, get a bank account, a metro-card, TIE (the foreign national ID card), and start a new job. I’ve left out navigating the streets and using the buses, making new friends while using a language that I can speak, eh, kind of ok. This can be very tiring for an expat when first adjusting to a new country. So, it is important to realize that the cultural sensitivity that an expat feels at first is normal and will continue to ebb and flow for at least three months or maybe longer depending on the individuals’ experiences.

 

 

Be Proactive and Find the Positive

I had a good idea of what culture shock was when I lived in Madrid because I had studied it. But, I didn’t realize it was happening to me when it was happening until I got back to the States.  Sometimes you won’t know it and for me, it was hard to diagnose myself at the time. This is especially so when I considered things like if I’d had a hard day and I was feeling worn out because of a single incident related to that day. And, there were days where I was so tired and worn out from trying to translate everything in a foreign language that I just needed a good night’s rest. Then, the next day I felt better. In order to be proactive about your mental state when you live or travel abroad, it’s important to know and understand your limitations. For example, I knew when I needed to have a break from the language. My way of using my native language was to hang out with American friends who spoke English. It’s important to have a good balance to make sure you are getting enough of the culture you are in plus the culture you left behind (when you feel a bit homesick).

In order to help yourself, you need to understand ahead of time what it is from your home culture that you miss the most. Then, on the days you are feeling a bit homesick, perhaps take a moment to treat yourself to food at the international store that costs ten times what it would at home. But hey, finding your happy place within the new country is important. For me, my happy food item was a tub of peanut butter that cost me 6 euros. Back home, it would have been a third of that. Finding your new normal inside of a new culture is how to find your positive inside of a potential negative situation.

 

 

How to Move Beyond Culture Shock

Remember negative feelings are normal and will happen whether you live in your native country or host country. It’s up to you to take control of those feelings and turn them into a proactive positive feeling. If you feel like you have tried your best and are moving forward but are still feeling slow and drained while abroad, you might want to seek professional help.

Having a circle of friends in your host country that you can check in with also helps, but they aren’t doctors. It’s best to seek medical attention if you aren’t feeling like you have adapted to the culture by the third or fourth month. Again, there will be good and bad days. Being proactive during this time by going out and meeting new people, learning the language (perhaps taking some additional language classes), and of course finding your happy place amongst the new normal will help new travelers move past the culture shock.

 

 

Recognizing Reverse Culture Shock

For those who move past culture shock while they travel abroad, be prepared that on the backside of traveling abroad there is a readjustment phase that is known as reverse culture shock. Emma Schultz lived abroad for three years and describes her experience of what it felt like to return back to the United States after living in Madrid, Spain for a year.

For any additional questions about traveling abroad, please feel free to reach out to the team at Dreams Abroad.

 

This article was written by Leesa Truesdell. She is the Founder of Dreams Abroad–a resource provider for global professionals who live, work, study and travel abroad.

If you have any questions about teaching abroad, be sure to contact us.

The post What is Culture Shock When You Travel Abroad? appeared first on Teaching English in Thailand.

Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, things have changed for the better since the wild days of the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. In fact, it was just recently in 2016 when China overhauled their visa requirements to weed out unqualified teachers and expose fraudulent Chinese schools.

So to keep things brief and straightforward for you, teach.fm’s visa specialist has summarized the requirements to teach English in China as a Native English Speaker and Non-Native English Speaker. They are:

Native English Speaker:

• Bachelor’s degree in any field
• Clear Criminal Background Check
• CELTA or a TEFL/TESOL certificate

Non-Native English Speaker:

• Bachelor’s degree from a Native English-Speaking Country
• Clear Criminal Background Check
• TEFL/TESOL or CELTA Certificate
• 2 years of teaching/tutoring or work experience

If you meet these requirements, then you are legally qualified to teach English in China. Congratulations! Expect a handsome salary and benefits package.

You can also obtain a core-subject teaching job in China – for example, you can be a physical education can you really buy ambien online teacher or a German language teacher.

For these positions, you will need:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher with a major matching the type of teaching position
• Clear Criminal Background Check
• 2 years of teaching/tutoring or work experience – in your local country or internationally

Additionally, China provides opportunities for PhD holders. Usually, these positions are provided by universities.

If you don’t meet these requirements and would still like to pursue an English teaching career in China, you can read teach.fm’s posts about teaching English in China without a degree and non-native English speakers teaching in China on Medium.com. In short, you can still find positions but at your own risk.

If you have got any questions, please sign up for 100% free career consultation and receive interview invites within 24 hours.

This article was written by a visa specialist at teach.fm—an online platform that matches teachers with TEFL positions in China. Having taken an Airbnb style approach, they match your profile with the best employers throughout China.

The post What do I need to teach English in China? appeared first on Teaching English in Thailand.

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These terms are closely related to both TESL and ESL, where the ‘S’ stand for ‘second’. While there are slight differences, the terms are synonymous, additionally we now have the umbrella terms TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages) and ELT (English Language Teaching).

TEFL, TESOL and ELT, all relate to teaching English to students who already speak another language. This is a relatively new in the field of language education, and TEFL as we know it today was far less commercially feasible until the early 20^th century.

Since then, the TEFL field has grown rapidly. According to a report from the online statistics site Statista, “Over the last ten years the market has doubled in size, reaching 46.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2018”. As such, worldwide demand for EFL teachers is far outstripping supply, which is welcome news for the thousands of people entering the profession every month.

For those considering TEFL, there are few things they should know…

1. TEFL isn’t like traditional teaching

TEFL is very different from the images of traditional teaching we see in mainstream media. In movies, we often see students sat in neat rows, quietly taking notes while the teacher lectures from the front of the class. Even the way native English speakers learn English in school isn’t like EFL. In TEFL, there is much more focus on student participation. Participation requires communication and this communication is a natural form of language practice. The more practice a student gets, the more their English improves—or at least that’s what’s meant to happen.

To be fair, modern teaching methods have adapted more effective ways of teaching that don’t fit the classic stereotypes, but EFL still requires different approaches from teaching core subjects such as math or science.

2. TEFL teachers don’t need to speak their students’ language

The outstretched demand for EFL teachers would be even higher if all the teachers had to speak their students’ mother tongue.  In fact, at nearly every language level, use of the students’ first language is seen as a crutch. Modern teaching methods focus on ‘English only’ approach in the classroom–which is far easier said than done. But with effective training, the power of a good demonstration, or the ability to establish recognizable patterns without complex explanations trump outdated approaches that required the teacher to know their student’s first language.

3. TEFL teachers need much more than English fluency

The biggest misconception in TEFL is the idea that English speakers can teach English simply because they’re fluent. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. If you’re a strong buy klonopin fedex swimmer, does that make you a strong swimming coach? A strong swimmer may go on to eventually become a good swimming coach, but not without guidance and training from experienced coaches. If this were an automatic progression, gifted athletes would just become head coaches without earning qualifications and being assistant coaches first. 

4. You need professional knowledge

Language is a lot like electricity, motors and satellite technology—we use them throughout our everyday lives but most of us have very little knowledge of how they work. We can use English fluently without any effort, but can we answer basic questions when asked about the language?

How many tense forms are there in English? Can you easily spot the subject or the objects in a sentence? Do you know what a phoneme is? If not, TEFL is going to be a challenge and we haven’t even talked about effective teaching techniques yet. A fluent speaker intuitively knows when something sounds wrong, but the ability to break down the error and efficiently help the learner avoid it in the future is what makes us good EFL teachers.

5. Recognized TEFL training and certification is essential

While there isn’t one explicit list of qualifications for TEFL professionals, there is a commonly agreed upon, entry-level standard called a TEFL certificate. TEFL certification courses come in a variety of formats, offered by hundreds of providers in thousands of locations worldwide. As such, choosing the right course can seem overwhelming.

While there are plenty of employers who’ll hire a new EFL teacher without any training or experience, potentially creating a recipe for disaster, reputable employers that pay decent salaries and who are interested in ensuring a decent education look for TEFL certification with the following components:

1. 120 hours of study and training
2. Onsite teaching practice with real language learners
3. Laguage awareness assessments
4. Peer teaching observations
5. Observations of experienced teachers
6. Completion of various assignments and assessments

Added to that, a TEFL course worth the time, money and efforts spent will have independent TEFL accreditation and validation. It should also be recognized by employers worldwide and offer meaningful TEFL job support.

Can you imagine standing in front of a class trying to teach the present continuous tense form and all of its auxiliary verb conjugations as well as its usages, while at the same time maintaining good classroom management, checking for understanding and ensuring that naughty student in the corner isn’t causing chaos? If the mere thought of that common TEFL scenario made your palms sweat, you might want to consider taking one of TEFL Campus’ TEFL certification courses.

If you’re interested in TEFL, contact us today.

TEFL Campus is Phuket’s most popular, highest-rated TEFL certification course and the only one with university-level validation.

The post What is TEFL? And what you need to know about it. appeared first on Teaching English in Thailand.

You’ve finished your TEFL certification course and you’ve been hired at your first job. The future is bright and things are on the up. Now don’t let yourself down by committing a major faux pas where Thai culture is concerned.

While a new TEFL teacher in Thailand has plenty of resources for understanding students and classroom dynamics, there isn’t much out there for understanding Thai colleagues or navigating staff room politics.  We hope these six simple suggestions will help ensure good relations between domestic and foreign staff.

(Learn more about our TEFL certification course options)

Stand at attention, looking at the flag during the national anthem.

Respect the national anthem

At every school around Thailand, a pre-recorded voice signals it’s time to stand at attention for morning assembly. “Waeh-laa bpet na-lee-gah.” (it’s 8 o’clock), sounds off and then the Thai national anthem begins. All students, staff, faculty and visitors stand still, look towards the flag and many sing along.

If your school doesn’t already require foreign teachers to do the same, do it. Do not attempt to justify silent protest sat at your desk because you’re not Thai. Don’t even miss it on the mornings you’re behind in lesson planning, or for any other reason.  Most Thais are incredibly proud of their country; any perception of disrespect for the anthem is tantamount to disrespecting the country itself.

Always dress to impress at work.

Look sharp

Appearance goes a long with in Thai culture and those new to the job had better ensure they exceed minimum dress code requirements. Press your clothes, shine your shoes, do your hair, shave your face, whatever it take to look your best in the eyes of your Thai colleagues–just do it.

You don’t have to like being judged on appearances but you will like the benefits of being judged to have a clean, professional look. Those who look the part aren’t scrutinized as much as those who don’t. Take the time to adhere to this simple approach and it may save you time later. Added to that, it will also help you earn the respect of your Thai colleagues.

They look a bit like white beans but actually they’re red ant eggs, and quite delicious.

Try new Thai food

On any given day Thai teachers will bring in food for their colleagues.  When asked to try something new, and you will be asked, just eat it. That includes the florescent pink ooze poured over ice shavings (naam- khaeng sai), the salty fish (plah khem) that smells like a trawler’s bottom deck, and anything else that might leave you feeling squeamish.

Food is incredibly important in Thai culture and a bit of an adventurous appetite will go a long way to show your Thai colleagues that you’re willing to embrace local traditions.

Magosteens are known in Thailand as the Queen of Fruits.

Bring food in too!

On that same note, it’s a good idea to bring in food of your own from time to time.  Fruit seems to be the most popular option.  When you see the season’s first bounty of mangosteen, rambutan or ripe mango, splurge and pick some up for our office mates.  Just don’t go too far and open up a stinky durian in the office.  Dried meat (usually beef or pork) is also a decent option and you can never go wrong with desserts.

Learning Thai isn’t as difficult as some make it out to be.

Learn Thai language

Thais are the antithesis of the French–they love hearing foreigners trying to speak their language. Because so many foreigners make no effort to learn Thai, those who do are seen as demi-gods. Sure, they’ll giggle when you use the wrong tone, and many will find it difficult to understand you, but just use those moments as opportunities for learning. Trial and error is a wonderful learning tool. There are plenty of free resources out there, including your Thai co-workers. Open up to them, and most will open up to you.

Thailand’s nickname is The Land of Smiles

Kill ’em with kindness

Very few Thai teachers are going to welcome you with open arms. They’ve seen dozens of foreign teachers come and go–many of whom may not have made the greatest impressions and now you’ve got to deal with the guilt by association.

When a Thai co-worker is gruff or blows you off, don’t take it personally or react in a similar fashion. Turn the other cheek and come back smiling. If that doesn’t work the first time, do it again, and again. This will get noticed and it will eventually pay off.

Most importantly, don’t allow any of the more jaded members of the foreign staff put you off of cooperating with your Thai coworkers. Everyone deserves a fresh start; that goes for Thais and foreigners alike.

Learning more about Thai culture…

As part of our TEFL certification course, trainees attend a special lecture on Thai culture, receive Thai language lessons and will be exposed to Thai students during their teaching practice. Added to that, they’ll have a month to adapt to local norms and learn from the expert advice of our Thai, and foreign staff.

For more information on our TEFL certification program in Phuket, feel free to contact us directly at info@teflcampus.com.

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For the second year in a row, over 99% of our TEFL course graduates stated that they would recommend TEFL Campus to a friend or family member. As a result, nearly half of our course applications come through a personal recommendation.

As with previous years, most of the TEFL course reviews and comments we received – even the critical ones – were constructive, which is hopefully a reflection of the constructive advice and criticism our trainees received during their teaching practice.

The March course celebrating their new status as certified TEFL teachers.

TEFL course
reviews summary

We gather this information by asking graduates to fill out an anonymous buy klonopin online uk survey at the end of every course. We state to everyone that we won’t open the surveys until the following week, so they have no fear of repercussions if they wish to express dissatisfaction.

If you’d like to read comments from our surveys, you can visit the TEFL course reviews page of our website. Comments start just under the orange line, slightly down the page.

We start off every course with a welcome dinner at a local Thai restaurant.

All of us at TEFL Campus are thankful for the feedback and we’ve already started using it to improve our course for 2019.

If you’re looking to improve your teaching skills, or to simply enter the classroom for the first time as a certified EFL teacher, the best thing you can do for yourself is to take a TEFL certification course.

Contact us now for more information on how we can help you achieve your goals in 2018. Or if you’re ready, you can APPLY NOW.

You can also read TEFL course reviews here:
TEFL Course Review
Go Abroad
Go Overseas

The post Our Best TEFL Course Reviews Yet appeared first on Teaching English in Thailand.

Why Learn Thai?

While sightseeing might be a secondary goal, your primary purpose in Thailand is to teach the locals how to speak English. As such, you won’t find much need for the Thai language during lessons, but things change the moment that you leave the classroom. Whether you’re booking a hotel room, hailing a taxi, or buying produce at an open-air market, not knowing Thai will make it harder to get by in your day-to-day life in Thailand.

Immersing yourself in a new culture is inherently stressful, but many travelers make culture shock more jarring than it needs to be. It’s easy to isolate yourself as an island within a sea of strange people speaking strange words, but if you learn the local language, any place in the world can start to feel like home. When you learn Thai while you’re teaching in Thailand, you’ll open yourself up to a whole world of opportunities that you would have missed out on otherwise.

For instance, while most of the locals in Thailand’s popular tourist towns will already speak enough English to get by in rudimentary conversation, when you speak in their language, they’ll be much more likely to open up and share their true thoughts. Local residents can be gems of information on nearby sights and cultural destinations, but you can only truly tap into this goldmine if you learn Thai. As you get closer to the people around you while you teach in Thailand, you might even notice other social opportunities appearing; sweet talking is always easier when you shower the object of your affection with praise phrased in their own language, which means that learning Thai might even provide you with the potential for romance.

Free Resources to Learn Thai

Here are some examples of the resources that are available to you if you want to learn Thai while you teach:

Learn Thai with YouTube

Never underestimate the power of YouTube. For every language in the world, there are dozens of YouTubers clamoring to be the ones to teach it to you, and Thai is no exception. There’s no guarantee regarding the quality of these video tutorials, but there’s no harm in trying a few out. Using these YouTube guides can be very similar to learning a language directly from a flesh-and-blood teacher, but you have the added benefit of being buy ambien cr online canada able to stop and restart the lesson with the click of a button.

Start with these channels:

• Learn Thai with ThaiPod101.com
• EKO Languages

Duolingo

This incredible online platform for learning languages has become more and more popular in recent years, mainly because it’s entirely free of charge. Duolingo offers many of the same resources that are provided by expensive paid services, and it features an intuitive user interface that tracks your progress with achievements and rewards. Plus, Duolingo has received lots of critical acclaim for its rigorously science-based approach to learning languages.

Online Services & Tutors

There are plenty of independent services online that can help you learn Thai; with one quick Google search for “learn Thai for free,” you’ll be bombarded with dozens of websites claiming that they’ve got the right stuff to get the job done. Just keep in mind that not all of these services are equal, and some may even try to charge you even though they claim to be free.

Language Exchange

A language exchange 1 on 1 or in a group setting is an easy (and usually free) way to learn Thai. Check out Facebook groups to find both people interested in exchanging lessons and businesses that host regular meetups. If you can find a reliable language partner, you’ll have an easy time learning the basics and getting introduced to local customs & traditions.

How to Learn Thai While You Teach

Balancing a teacher’s schedule with the demands of learning a new language can be hard. However, your best resource is within reach every day when you teach; your students will be happy to help you learn their language in the same way that you’re teaching them yours. Also, it helps to pick a particular time of day to do your language studying; if you’re an early riser, mornings might be a good time, but you may also want to squeeze in a YouTube video or two every day during your lunch break. Keep in mind that as you immerse yourself in the local community, you’ll be provided with plenty of opportunities to flex your Thai skills on a daily basis.

Learning Thai: The Bottom Line

Even though you’re going to Thailand to teach, it would be a shame if you didn’t also learn something while you’re there. If you take the time to learn Thai, you’ll be able to bring something home with you that’s much more valuable than any number of photographs or souvenirs; you’ll have bettered yourself in a fundamental way and added a richness to your travel experience that you’ll never forget.

Quincy Smith is the founder of ESL Authority, a site dedicated to providing up to date and first-hand information for anyone looking to teach abroad. He’s passionate about strong coffee, solo travel, and financial independence.

The post How (and why) to learn Thai as an ESL Teacher in Thailand appeared first on Teaching English in Thailand.

Let’s see how Jack feels about the course now that it’s finished and he can relax a bit.

(If you missed Weeks 1, 2 and 3, you can start here.)

You’ve been at your accommodation now for two weeks. Are you still happy with your choice to stay at Sakul House?
I am very glad I chose to stay at Sakul House–the landlord is such a legend. He will help you with anything and is just always happy which I should really try to be. The room is clean, and the beds are so comfortable. The location is perfect with so many restaurants in the area. Also, the other people living in the rooms were very friendly.

Nong does a fantastic job of welcoming trainees to Phuket. Trainees like it so much, many end up staying after the course…like Callum (now teaching in Vietnam) did

What did you get up to last weekend of the TEFL course?
I studied, and binge watched the entire series of ‘Castlevania’ on Netflix.

Our mock exams help prepare trainees for success on the real exams.

You took the grammar/phonetics mock exam on Tuesday; how did it go? Did it help prepare you for the real exam?
I ended up with a much better understanding of what to expect in the exam. I also had a better understanding of what my weaknesses were and the best way in which to tackle revision before the big day.

Were you happy with your final teaching practice session?
Yes, there were still a few hiccups but still a massive improvement on my first lesson.

You might need to do a demonstration lesson in order to land a good job. Do you think the course prepared you to successfully deliver a demo lesson?
Definitely, this course has turned me from a person that would struggle to get a single word out in my first lesson, to a confident teacher cracking jokes with the students.

Trainees tend to get stressed out about the final exam. Was it as difficult as you thought it would be?
No, the mock gave me a real idea of how to best prepare for the exam so when I took it; I did fairly well.

Jack’s mock lesson went so well he got a job right after the course. Here he is with some students.

How did you and your fellow trainees celebrate the completion of your course?
We all went home and cried together. No, we did our own thing. Some met with partners that came to visit them, some went and drank themselves stupid. I went home and being the complete loser that I am played Red Dead Redemption 2 on my PS4.

How does it feel to be a newly TESOL certified teacher?
I feel like a new man. Now I can lead an army of students that will do my bidding. No, it honestly feels great. I just have to think about what I will do from now.

Are you happy with your decision to take a TEFL course?
Yes, this was a great decision. The trainers run a fantastic course and prepare you to be the best teacher that you can be. One of the reasons that initially put me off about doing a TEFL course was that my dyslexia would impact my ability to succeed. However, the trainers were very supportive and understanding about the difficulties I have sometimes and helped me in whatever way they could.

Stunning night visa from the top of Rang Hill in Phuket Town.

Now that you’ve been in Phuket Town for a while, how do you rate it as a location in relation to the rest of Phuket?
If I am honest, I didn’t travel around Phuket during my course as I spent a lot of time studying. However, from what I have seen Phuket is a beautiful place with many kind and humble people.

What was the toughest part of adjusting to life in Thailand?
No zebra crossings (crosswalks). When I first came to Phuket it felt as though crossing the road could be what determines whether I live or die.

Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?
I would have studied less. I feel that I over studied during the course. The course resource packs if read and memorized set us up for success. 30 minutes to an hour a day reviewing them is more than enough time to prepare you for each day of the course.

Are you looking forward to getting out into the real TEFL world and find a job?
I cannot wait to take the lessons and use them in the real world. Also, I love kids, so I cannot wait to have my own students.

Would you say that TEFL Campus lived up to your expectations—be honest.
It more than lived up to my expectations. I would recommend any of my friends and family to take this course if they were interested in becoming an English teacher.

That wraps up Jack’s TEFL Certificate Course Diary. Thanks for reading.

If you’d like to learn more about our course, be sure to Contact Us page. You can also submit our free, no-obligation application form.

The post TEFL Certification Course Diary: Jack’s last week appeared first on Teaching English in Thailand.