TESL Spotlight
Melinda in Ithaca, NY
Dory in South Korea
Mike in South Korea
Casey in Central Asia
Mike in Russia
Amy in Japan
Cary in El Salvador
Rosie in Korea and Saudi Arabia (updated 11/17/09)
Kami in Kenya (updated!)
Melinda in Ithaca, New York
How has the TESL course prepared you for teaching?
I had taught a language before but TESL really taught me how to approach teaching, with specific, practical goals in mind for each semester, for each class, for each in-class activity and assignment. It taught me to focus on the specific needs and abilities of the students and not on the textbook. (Now, I don’t even use a textbook for the classes I teach.) It also showed me how important it is to be flexible and to always have a “contingency”. It showed me that the best thing for my students was to actually give them the starring role in each class. That took the pressure off me.
What advice do you give to students who want to teach in the USA?
Get connected with the ESL community where you live. Find out where classes are taught, who runs them and then make known your interest in teaching. Find out what areas need volunteer teachers and begin there, as a way of getting started. Become a tutor. Any experience you can get that will prove you’re interested and hone your skills will be of value.
What is your best experience so far teaching?
Seeing students incorporate what they’ve learned into their everyday world and
seeming to feel comfortable and natural doing so. The feeling that you’ve answered important questions for them. Teaching in the US has its advantages in that they are surrounded by the language and culture daily and learn quickly. On the other hand, it also means that students feel frustrated discover they aren’t further ahead, especially if they’ve already been learning English back in their country for many years. They are frustrated; they need encouragement and the most practical, essential lessons that they can take with them and use immediately.
What is an interesting classroom story that you have?
I’m currently teaching a class for graduate students called “Academic Speaking, Listening and Culture”. As part of demonstrating persuasive language and also to teach them more about US culture, I may show a segment from a ‘network news show’ -- Fox News, for example. Hearing the students’ reactions to some of the topics up for debate in the US currently is endlessly fascinating – gays in the military or the legalization of marijuana, for example. Also, showing them how to “win” or persuade other people in the US (not that I’d know) is also a lot fun. The fact that I am willing and able to be flexible and adapt the class to their specific needs amazes them and makes them feel valued.
Dory in South Korea: 2009 to present
How has the TESL course prepared you for teaching in Korea?
My TFLI training (TESL Nashville) put me on very sure footing for my teaching job in Korea. The lesson planning techniques, classroom management advice, and attention-holding methods have proven invaluable and I have used them every day on the job. Interestingly, the lessons about international gestures and body language hav
e proven to be just as valuable as classroom techniques during my time traveling and working East Asia, and has helped to smooth the way as I grappled with living in an unfamiliar culture.
What advice do you give to students who want to teach abroad?
Do your research and plan ahead! Different countries have different requirements for work visas, but most require an FBI background check as a basic part of the application process. Getting this clearance can take up to three months for the government to process, so take the time to apply for your criminal record paperwork as soon as possible if you are even considering working abroad. It's well worth the $18 before you start your TFLI training so that you can begin applying for work abroad soon after you finish your course.
What is your best experience so far teaching abroad?
The best experience by far has been getting to know the children I taught. In the course of a year, you can give them the skills and confidence that they need to really express their thoughts to you. My students were very creative and had interesting ambitions, and when they could talk to me about them I had a fascinating glimpse into their lives and thought process that I did not really expect when I began my work with high beginner students.
What is an interesting classroom story that you have?
During one of my two-week camps that I taught during school break, I devised a game in which I explained the rules and then had little to no further input. My students really enjoyed it, and with a rule that a team lost points if I heard them speaking in the
ir native language, they chattered in English for a full 90 minutes while I observed the game. Many of their sentence constructions were really unique–not incorrect usage, but word combinations that I had never encountered, and I gained new insights into my own language and its possibilities. I never expected that middle school Koreans would teach me new phrases in English!
Mike in South Korea: 2009 to present!
I have been teaching for 2 weeks now. I REALLY enjoy my job. I have 2 schedules. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I teach 6, 35 minute classes from 9:30am to 4:30pm. It is kind of easy because I just follow the book that is assigned, but I am a little conflicted. From the short amount of time, I cannot use my training method, but the kids learn very fast and it seems to be working.
I have 6, 50 minute classes Tuesday and Thursday classes from 9:30am to 5:30pm. These classes are “discussion” classes where the students are supposed to practice having conversations about a range of topics. I have enough time in these classes to use my training but the kids are not learning anything new in there, its just practice. Oh well, this schedule will last until the end of August when summer break is over for the students, then we go back to the original 3:30pm to 9:30pm every night.
I enjoy teaching these kids. The Tuesday/Thursday classes can be a bit of trouble because they are mostly comprised of middle school kids who don’t want to be there. The MWF kids are awesome. We have a lot of fun, probably because they are mostly elementary students and LOVE to talk.
It is kind of funny. Out of about 15 teachers at the school, there are only 3 males and 2 of them are English t
eachers (I and a Canadian named Blake who is cool). The other male teacher’s name is Tommy Lee (no joke). He is a little Korean guy about my age, maybe younger, and he always comes to work dressed in flashy shirt and pants with really nice shoes. I told him its awesome he comes into work dressed like a pimp. We are becoming fast friends. He speaks English, but I have to keep my sentences kind of simple because his vocabulary is not that strong.
On a different note, I am trying to learn Korean because it would make life here a million times easier. I’m not saying life is hard here, but I would like to be able to order some food in a restaurant without using the “Waffle House” method of just pointing to a picture. It would make going to the market area a lot more fun.
Casey in Central Asia, 2008 to present
How has the TESL course prepared you for teaching in Central Asia?
TESL really prepared me well. Before I came to Central Asia I had no idea how I was going to teach, but after the training I felt so much better. I guess you could say I felt more confident to be able to teach. I had a better understanding how to teach English as a Second Language since I never really taught it before. I have come to realize that I really like to teach. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.
What advice do you give to students who want to teach abroad?
My main advice would have to be…be flexible. That is something I am quickly learning. Time in other countries isn’t the same like that of the United States. At first it was kind of frustrating when I would be teaching and then students walked in late. I would have to keep reminding myself that it was different and that helped a lot. So now I start off with a game or something that will take up a few minutes so it gives a chance for people to come in.
What is your best experience so far teaching abroad?
Without a doubt the best experience has to be the making of friends. It makes teaching worth it when you start to become friends with some of your students. You get to know them as people. It is great to have friends from different cultures.
What is an interesting classroom story that you have?
Recently we had to teach something cultural. So we decided to teach about childhood in America. That means we taught hand clap games, along with There Was An Old Women. But the best part had to be when we told them the story of Rumplestiltskin. There are beginners so they couldn’t really read the story so we had them act it out. The students really got involved and they seemed to really love it, even though they are adults and college students, they really accepted their roles and really loved to act. Later in the lesson we had them re-write the story, to make it more update. Each group worked really well and came up with some really interesting stories.
Mike in Russia, 2007-2008
How has the TESL course prepared you for teaching in Russia?
The TESL course gave me the techniques and experience needed to begin teaching. Without TESL, I would have basically been blind walking into the classroom and would have been a much less effective teacher.
What advice do you give to students who want to teach abroad? Research the country, city and school where you are planning on teaching. Get on the internet forums and talk to people who have had experience and also ask the school to put you in contact with one of their native speakers. Once in country, be open minded and patient with any difficulties and differences in culture and living. Be res
ponsible and try to do things on your own, but also don’t be afraid to ask for help.
What is your best experience so far teaching abroad?It’s hard to pick just one. Sometimes when I had a lot of hours and dozens of students it was hard to tell how I was doing as a teacher. The most rewarding experiences were when this uncertainty was broken by praise from administrators and students and especially when students began to make noticeable progress.
What is an interesting classroom story that you have?One of the first full time classes I had was with the auditors at a large international financial corporation. After going through the textbook they asked for me to stay on. For the next couple months we discussed everything from comparisons between the U.S. and Russian education, legal, and political, systems, to the turmoil in Burma and Kenya and much more. After five months we had our last class. They ordered gourmet dried fruit and nuts to be delivered (which was a delicacy in February in Siberia). I brought in some peanut butter and crackers that my grandparents had sent me for Christmas. They had only seen peanut butter in the movies; it was great to share it with them. It feels really good when you can sit down with your students and they can speak to you with comfort and confidence.
New Year's Party
How has TFLI's TESL course prepared you for teaching in El Salvador and the U.S.? The course gave me the tools I needed to prepare participative and effective classes. Before taking the course I had tutored rather unsuccessfully, but after the course I felt very capable in creating interactive and interesting classes. What I learned has been essential to my success teaching in another country. If I had arrived without the TESL course I would have been lost. Basically the class gave me a strong skill and knowledge base in teaching that has allowed for greater professional growth.
What advice would you give to students who want to teach in another country or the U:S? I would tell them that patience and flexibility are the key to any success. As teachers we must be able to adapt to our surroundings and adjust our attitudes, goals, and methods accordingly. If you see that something is not working try something else. And never be afraid to ask for help and advice from others. We are constantly learning.
What is your best experience so far teaching in El Salvador ?
I am a Peace Corps Volunteer working in a teacher training workshop in El Salvador. One of the weeks we worked on writing plays with groups of teachers. I was really happy with my group. They had worked hard to write a script and they worked even harder practicing their lines. I was looking forward to seeing the performance, I thought it would be pretty good, but when they finally performed I was just blown away by their costumes, enthusiasm, and teamwork. It was hilarious! Working with teachers has been an extremely rewarding part of working in El Salvador. They are so grateful to get extra training and are very motivated to improve their English.
What is an interesting classroom story that you have?
I have a basic class with community members on Sundays and there is an older man in the group. When he first came he couldn't say anything in English, after a few months he still couldn't say much, after the first year he could only say a little but finally after a year and a half of classes he is beginning to pick up on some basic concepts. It has been a real challenge with him, but he attends religiously and through lots of hard work has begun to improve. It is one of my proudest moments seeing him getting answers correct in class and participating more. It is heartening to see people that have a great desire to learn. It makes teaching that much more wonderful to me.
Rosie in Saudi Arabia Present
Hello from Riyadh!
My sister Heidi and I arrived last week in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to teach at the first state-funded university for women in SA. We did come here on a teaching contract but when we arrived they offered Heidi a managing position and me an assessment coordinator position which I decided to take, despite the fact that it doesn't involve any teaching. In the past 10 months I have moved 3 times and have been on 10 flights. It is nice to feel settled for the next year. We've only been here a week but it's been quite a week and I am already looking forward to the 2 week Eid holiday coming up next week. I have so many observations and thoughts but they'll have to wait until another time. For now, I just wanted to let you all know we arrived safely and are doing quite well. It may be too soon to say, but I think I'm going to like it here. :) This is a picture of me in my abaya. I wear this any time I go out in public but I don't wear it at work or at the compound where I live.
Rosie in South Korea 2006
How has TFLI's TESL course prepared you for teaching in South Korea?
Hands-on and very practical, TFLI’s TESL course prepared me for teaching ESL/EFL perhaps even more than my ESL Master’s degree. I have used everything I learned from the TESL course in my teaching, both when I taught in America and now that I am teaching in South Korea. The TESL course is very effective because it is led by instructors who have taught abroad and have daily interactions with second language learners, and are therefore
very skilled in communicating to future teachers what classroom needs and demands are. For example, TFLI’s ESL/TESL Director Angie Harris had experience teaching in South Korea and was able to give me very useful advice as I was searching for jobs and eventually landed a job in Korea. All of the TESL instructors have varied cultural experiences and are well equipped to help TESL students cope with new teaching and cultural situations.
The TESL instructors also encouraged us students to learn from each other. When I was a TESL student, I often had to collaborate with other students to complete class activities, and that spirit of collaboration has helped me build better relationships with both my coworkers and students. In a society where group work and activities are important, I am often able to draw from my TESL classroom experience to help my Korean students achieve more by working together. I cannot give enough praise to TFLI’s TESL course. I could go on and give so many examples of strategies and games and ac-tivities I learned through the TESL course which I use in my eve-ryday teaching, but the main reason I respect the TESL course is because the instructors showed by example how to genuinely care about people in need. I was not just shown how to teach grammar and pronunciation, I was taught how to care about my students and their lives, not just their language ability. I was taught that a teacher is someone who builds a relationship with students and that as a language teacher, my mission is to use language to help my students meet their needs and goals in life. This is the greatest lesson I learned through the TESL course and wether home or abroad, it infiltrates my teaching.
What advice would you give to students who want to teach in South Korea?
Be open-minded and willing to learn. South Korea is a very westernized country and an easy abroad experience in many ways. But the more entrenched you become in a work environ-ment, the more noticeable Korean traditions and values 
will be-come. These values may be quite different from your own (such as working overtime out of “duty” to the school or your boss, etc) and can sometimes be frustrating to cope with.
In South Korea, there are many opportunities to be with people like you. Try to make Korean friends and learn from them about the culture. Koreans are very friendly and are very eager to show you Korean culture.
One last thing: Try to like kimchee! Kimchee is an amazing health food, a staple in the Korean diet and eating it will please your new Korean friends!
What is your best experience so far teaching in South Korea? My best experience so far teaching in South Korea has been making incredibly loyal friends who have helped me in so many ways adjust to my life here. My Korean friends are some of the most caring people I have met and they have taught me a lot about friendship and about compassion for foreigners.
What is an interesting classroom story that you have?
I was co-teaching a class on the weekends for gifted Korean students. On the first day of class, my coworker and I elicited information from the students about what their “dream class” would be like. We were shocked by some of the answers such as “no hitting students,” “no bullying,” “no cursing at the students.” etc. We quickly assured the students that they were in a safe place and that we would not even consider doing such things but after mulling things over, we wanted to do something even more to celebrate the new freedom the students had in the 
classroom. Taking from what the students said about their dream class, we created a “Students’ Bill of Rights” for our class and asked the students how they wanted it distributed. One of the students said “We want it written in chocolate!” and the rest of the class agreed. My coworker and I brainstormed over ideas and the next week, we presented a huge chocolate cake with our “Students’ Bill of Rights” written in chocolate icing on it. The students were so surprised and pleased and the positive relationship and trust we had with our students after this set the tone for the entire semester we taught that class.
Kami in Kenya 2007-Present Kami is back in Kenya, please visit her blog:
www.kamiinkenya.blogspot.com How has TFLI's TESL course prepared you for teaching in Kenya?
It has helped tremendously. The students are varied from all different cultural backgrounds to different learning levels. The training you receive during the course more than prepares you for what you experience while abroad. The
resources
provided are priceless. Many times I found myself referencing the book we studied from and the many teaching tools and creative ideas we used while in the TESL course.
What advice would you give to students who want to teach abroad?
Check the validity of who you are going to work for. Also, bring over things from your own country to show and talk about in your classroom. Make it personal. The students really like learning about you and where you come from.
What is your best experience so far teaching abroad?
My best experience by far is meeting and getting to know my students from all over the world. Kenya is a melting pot of so many different nationalities. The relationships always seem to expand outside the classroom. And of course, seeing the students’ progress in learning and speaking English!
What is an interesting classroom story that you have?
One day my classroom was being used by someone else, so I had to teach in the school’s auditorium. On their HUGE stage was this rather large chalkboard. So I taught on stage while the students sat way down below. I would jump off and on while teaching so I didn’t seem so far from the students. I was exhausted by the time the class ended. Plus, the students really got a kick out of it.