How To Backpack Through Europe On A Budget

Autonomy is a crucial aspect of language learning as it empowers students to take control of their learning process. In TESOL, fostering autonomy in students can lead to increased motivation, engagement, and ultimately better language proficiency. When students feel in control of their learning, they are more likely to take risks, experiment with the language, and persist in the face of challenges. This sense of ownership over their learning journey can significantly boost their confidence and independence as language learners. There are various strategies that TESOL teachers can employ to promote autonomy in their students. One effective approach is to encourage self-directed learning, where students set their learning goals, choose resources, and monitor their progress. Teachers can also...  [Read more]

A large number of people every year choose Europe as their destination for teaching English abroad, the majority from North America. However, for many it can be quite daunting as very few employers look to hire their teachers in advance. Unlike in some other regions such as Asia and the Middle East, foreign teachers generally have to fly into their country of choice and then start looking for a teaching job by contacting potential employers in person. Although this approach works fine for most teachers, there are a few other options for those who want a job lined up in advance. Russia has seen a strong rise in demand for TESOL qualified teachers in recent years and average salaries have risen accordingly. It is also becoming more popular with teachers as a large proportion of...  [Read more]

There are many reasons why the Czech Republic is a very popular destination for teaching English abroad including its warm and friendly people, a fascinating cultural heritage, and some of the best beer in the world. One other crucial factor for many teachers is that it is possible for non-EU citizens to obtain a long-term work visa, which is not always the case in some other parts of Europe. The most common method is to enter the Czech Republic on a standard 90 day tourist visa and then start the application process from within the country. Most teachers apply for a Zivnostensky List (Zivno), which is essentially a business license that permits you to work for any school you choose. The application can be made at a government zivnostensky office in person or you can use a local...  [Read more]

Just when you thought that choosing the right TESOL course would be simple, you realize there are various different levels to choose from! In fact, TESOL certification comes in a variety of levels, including TESOL level 4, TESOL level 5, and TESOL level 6. Before selecting a TESOL course, it is critical to understand what each of these TESOL levels entails. This will assist you in evaluating what level is best for you to achieve your goal and what courses you need to get the teaching job you want. It is important to understand that TESOL certification levels are based on the UK credentials framework. This framework is categorized in levels 0 through 8. See the diagram below to see what kind of qualification each level relates to: The AS and A levels in the United Kingdom are equal...  [Read more]

  Just to finish off this particular section on lesson planning, we're going to go through a couple of procedures that should take place during the study phase periods, particularly when we're doing the activities. It is quite important that before we actually go into a study activity that we go through a process of showing how that activity is going to work and one acronym that is often used for this is D-E-GO. The D part of this stands for a demonstration of the activity. Now, it's very important that you don't try to explain how the activity is going to work but rather you actually demonstrate the process. An example of the demonstration of the process of the activity could be something as simple as taking the first question and using it and writing it on the board. This will...  [Read more]

Opportunities for teaching English in Spain are varied and widespread, with potential job options available in almost every small, medium and large city in the country. However, deciding which one of these is the right choice for you can be difficult without actually visiting the country first. If you have the time and funds it can be a great idea to head to Spain and then decide on a location once you are on the ground, but for most teachers this is not a realistic option. Instead, have a read through the following list to see if anywhere of these popular spots fits the bill. The Spanish capital is home to over 3 million people and there are enough of them learning English right now to ensure that ESL teaching jobs are not hard to find. Public schools and private language centers...  [Read more]

With around 100,000 foreign teachers working across the country each year, China is now the world leader in ESL teaching jobs. This recent boom has been brought about by a buoyant economy that has given more and more families the financial freedom to provide a good education for their children. There are an estimated 300 million people currently learning English in China, so potential jobs are widespread and relatively easy to come by. As there is often a shortage of available teachers in many areas, schools are increasingly offering high salaries and other bonuses in an effort to attract teachers to their door. The exact figure you can expect to earn will vary considerably depending on the type of employer and the location you choose, but the average is between $1,000 and $2,500...  [Read more]

GOTefl started as a division of SA-Recruitment, a teacher recruitment company established in 2004. SA-Recruitment has successfully placed hundreds of teachers internationally, and has a strong understanding of the opportunities - and challenges - of working overseas.​ The GOTefl division became so popular and we were regularly approached by potential candidates that did not fulfil the requirements for our SA-Recruitment’s mainstream teaching positions and these candidates were turned away. So, we decided it was time for it to become a stand-alone organisation managed by the same knowledgeable and experienced team of recruiters, offering the same high level of personalised service and ongoing support - now just in the TEFL space. GOTefl works with schools all over China and Thailand...  [Read more]

First we should define what is meant by accreditation. In general, business, industry, educational companies, and institutions are by regulation or voluntary means, subject to some form of external checks by an accrediting body. In terms of the ESL teaching industry there is no single overarching body that does this. Historically the growth of the ESL market, which has taken place worldwide, has resulted in many such accreditation bodies coming into being. Accreditation agencies are generally made up of a variety of sources, such as universities, examining bodies and private companies of varying size and coverage. When and how the accreditation takes place is up to the individual accreditation agencies, but over time a number of generally accepted worldwide measurement indicators...  [Read more]

  Our online TESOL courses offer many different features and one of the most popular with our trainees is their high level of flexibility. There are no set times when you have to be online and no fixed timetables for any part of our online courses, which allows you to fit your studies around your own personal responsibilities and lifestyle. You are free to decide for yourself when to study and how much you want to do at any one time. This freedom means you can take one of our online TESOL courses and still carry on with your existing commitments, such as work, family, or study. As there are no timetables to stick to, you can log in to your study dashboard whenever you have a bit of free time and do as much as you can with the time you have. The only real restriction we have with our...  [Read more]

  Here are helpful tips how to identify the various future tenses in the English language and complete worksheets successfully. The video also helps you to structure an effective lesson around the future tenses in an EFL classroom around the world. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. Unit 13 introduced the new topic of ?teaching pronunciation and phonology? and the first aspect discussed was pronunciatio. I have learnt that pronunciation is...  [Read more]

  Here are helpful tips how to identify the various past tenses in the English language and complete worksheets successfully. The video also helps you to structure an effective lesson around the past tenses in an EFL classroom around the world. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. Unit 6 gives information on the past tense in English gramma. The past tense consists of four forms; past simple, past continuous, past perfect and past perfect...  [Read more]

Due to the ever growing popularity of English language learning, the number of TESOL certification providers is also increasing. Considering the fact that there is not much in the way of regulation in the TESOL industry, prospective applicants should be cautious when choosing one. Luckily, there are certain steps you can take in order to check the validity of a program you are interested in. In a nutshell, what you should look at in the first place is the course provider’s accreditation by an independent body. If a TESOL course is accredited by a third party institution, it means their academic standards have been thoroughly checked and recognized. When considering a specific TESOL course, try to carry out some proper research of the provider’s credibility. Start with their own...  [Read more]

When it comes to choosing the best online TESOL certification course you need to consider all the main options, what you want the qualification for, and what you hope to achieve with it once certified. First we will look at all the main online course options. The different types of online courses are easily separated by the average number of hours they require to complete them. Weekend courses: These are often marketed as “taster courses” and are done mainly at weekends to give those who are already employed a chance to see what TESOL is about. Due to time constraints (they usually last about 10 hours in total) there is limited material covered in terms of teaching and learning, but they can be useful to help you decide if doing a full course would be worthwhile for you. Short...  [Read more]

  The next example of a game that we can adapt very easily for classroom use is the game of Jeopardy and in this particular game, what we can do is to have a set of levels for our questions, I'd say one through five, where one is going to be the easiest example and five is going to be the most difficult and then, in each of these sets of boxes, we can have various grammar points, such as tenses, perhaps modals, vocabulary and maybe even conditionals. So what the students can do is they can pick a particular topic first of all and within that topic, they can pick the level of the question that they want and then we can have a set of cards that have been created to fit into these slots and we can ask them that question at that level. So, a very simple adaptation of the game jeopardy...  [Read more]

Making the decision to leave your home country to teach English can be a big move for many people and it inevitably brings some concerns along with it. One of the most common issues that can cause some degree of worry is the fear of losing close contact with friends and family. Those you leave behind might also have similar concerns, so it is likely to be good for everyone if you are able to maintain your close relationships while you are enjoying your overseas adventure. Although human nature often leads us to make excuses when it comes to maintaining long distance relationships, it is really down to you as the one hitting the road to make the effort. Those left at home will understandably have little concept of your new work schedule, the time zone changes, and the simple...  [Read more]

While preparing for your overseas TESOL adventure you will probably have plenty of things to think about and organize including travel arrangements, visas, vaccinations, and a leaving party or two. Even if the only thing you have to do is pack your bags, you still need to decide what to take with you and what to leave behind. Despite the fact that most people now own a mobile phone with a built-in camera, you might still want to consider investing in a separate, high-quality camera. Mobile phones are reliant on their battery life which can often be quite short if you are away from a powerpoint and taking a lot of pictures. It is worth remembering that during your time away you are likely to do plenty of exploring, often in areas that are short on mobile charging stations. One...  [Read more]

If you plan to head overseas to teach English, one important factor to consider is the amount of cash you will need to cover your initial start-up costs. Depending on where you end up teaching, your are certain to have some unavoidable expenses that might include the cost of a TESOL certification course, travel to your chosen destination, and funds to support yourself until you get your first paycheck. The cost of your initial TESOL training will depend on which type of course you choose to take. At ITTT our popular online courses start at less than $200, while an intensive in-class TESOL course costs in the region of $1500 to $2000, without flights, accommodation, and other daily expenses. However, your choice of course should not be based entirely on its cost as there are several...  [Read more]

As the UK is an English speaking country it does supply a large number of TESOL qualified teachers to work in countries all over the world. However, due to the high cost of living, many of these complete their training through an online TESOL course or at a training center located overseas where the overheads are less and the demand for qualified teachers is particularly high. The truth is that the vast majority of first-time teachers from the UK head abroad to find teaching jobs initially as positions within the UK itself will normally be snapped up by experienced teachers who are returning from teaching overseas. Due to economic factors there are less in-class TESOL courses available within the UK as there were a few years ago. However, there are still plenty of different options...  [Read more]

Mexico is one of the leading travel destinations in the world. What makes Mexico so appealing for travel? The food, the people, the culture, the natural beauty and so much more. Mexico offers its visitors a taste of every possible landscape that you can imagine, from sandy dune deserts to snow pine forests or buzzing cities to majestic beaches… you name it and Mexico’s got it. If sightseeing is your thing when you explore then take your pick; Mexico has Mayan and Aztec pyramids like Templo Mayor or Calakmul, colonial jewels like Museo de Bellas Artes and Castillo de Chapultepec. Mexico’s past is not all that glorious, but its future is brighter than ever. Impressive urban developments throughout the country place it as one of the most important economies in the world. Puerto Vallarta...  [Read more]