I teach in an International School in Bangkok. The “internationality” of the school is an interesting term, as there really are two languages spoken here — English and Thai — and not necessarily in that order. There used to be signs posted around the school saying, “Proud to be an English-speaking only school,” but when [...]
Posts from ‘December, 2011’
Raising a Digital Native in Argentina (by Jennifer Verschoor)
Deciding where to send your child to school is arguably one of the hardest decisions a parent has to make. My 4 year old daughter attends a regular school in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The school is not bilingual and offers English as a compulsory subject. I have been speaking in English to my daughter since [...]
A 1.5 Million Yen Secret (by Steven Herder)
If you read Stories from the Front Lines of EFL, and thought, “I’d really like to be part of this project, but I’m not sure anyone would be interested in my story” then this post is for you. Answering just a few important questions can give you the confidence to share your thoughts and ideas [...]
Teaching English at a Japanese Academic High School (by Tomo Wakui)
My teaching History Hello. My name is Tomoe Wakui. Please call me Tomo. I am a high school English teacher in Niigata, Japan. I am very happy to have this opportunity to introduce myself here in Teaching Village. Let me explain my teaching history briefly. I became an English teacher in 1989. I worked at [...]
Teaching in a Small Village in Poland (by Anita Kwiatkowska)
In September 2003 I got a phone call from my former primary school teacher offering me a part time job in the old primary school I started my education in. I felt extremely excited! It was my first real job offer and I was supposed to work with teachers who had taught me the alphabet [...]
When Did I Become a Teacher? (by Conchi Martínez de Tejada)
It’s difficult to pinpoint the precise moment when you become a professional in your area. Some will say it’s when you start your degree, others when you finish it still others will say it’s when you start working. Even more people feel that they need years of experience in order to consider themselves a so-called professional. In my [...]
My Teaching ‘Journey’ in Greece (by Christina Markoulaki)
Imagine a persistent traveller who suddenly sees an ominous mountain in front of her obstructing her way. Determined to arrive to her destination, she climbs up the steep slope, ignoring the surrounding thorns and other invisible dangers. What is her eventual reward? She has reached the peak right on time to feel the calming effect [...]
EFL Teacher’s Kit for Surviving Kids (by Shelly Sanchez Terrell)
When I first began teaching very young English language learners in Germany, I went a bit insane! Kids climbed the walls literally and flew the paper airplanes I had actually thought would be a creative lesson plan. With 14 children running around and yelling, “Shelly Belly” I nearly quit. At least they were using English, [...]
Lion Tamers and Circus Clowns (by Troy Nahumko)
At any moment between 4:30 and 8pm here in Spain, thousands of unqualified people are standing in front of children pretending to be teachers. This, however, is not a game of make believe played by kids with bits of chalk in their hands, but an extremely lucrative industry spread throughout every town and village on [...]
Teaching middle school students in South Korea (by Dayle Major)
I teach in a rural area of South Korea at a couple of middle schools: one is located about 10 minutes about outside the city and has about 190 students whom I see three days a week; the other school is in the countryside (it’s adjacent to a rice field) and has about 32 students [...]
