“How can TEFL and ironwork possibly have anything in common?” A sandwich. That’s what my career has been like: two slices of TEFL (one much thicker than the other) with a hefty slice of blacksmithing in between. Yes, blacksmithing: for fifteen years, my husband and I ran a blacksmith’s forge, Read more…
“What is an EFL school director and why does anybody want to be one?” The pros As somebody who makes decisions quickly, I enjoy being able to decide something and implement it without having to discuss and negotiate at length. In my case, my husband is co-owner, so our discussions Read more…
How I went from the classroom to the dance room We asked a former non-native English teacher – with the Cambridge Proficiency and Celta – to tell her story of how she moved from TEFL to DJing. ‘Everything happens for a reason’ … It’s never seemed like that for me. Read more…
“I am thinking about moving into HR. Any thoughts?” I spent 22 years teaching English. Kids, university students, business people, senior citizens, high schoolers, 1-1 courses, group courses, online, offline– from total beginner to near native levels. I did my CELTA, Cert IBET, FTBE, 1-1 Business Training certificate, masters in Read more…
“What image do EFL teachers have?” “What is your real job?” I have been working in the English teaching industry for nearly twenty years now, and during this time, I have heard this peculiar question several times both by native-speaking acquaintances and by the students I teach. The first time Read more…
“How and why did you move from TEFL into scientific editing?” I didn’t actually make a conscious decision to move from TEFL into scientific editing (i.e. correcting and proofreading research papers and proposals written by people whose first language is not English). The conscious decision was to get out of Read more…
“Would you recommend ELT as a career these days?” This is a huge question, as so much depends on who the advice is aimed at. ELT is a global industry, and conditions and career prospects vary enormously around the world. But for the sake of brevity, let’s stick to the Read more…
“What does being a director of studies involve?” The role of Director of Studies (DOS) or “academic manager” as it is sometimes called, is one which is perhaps unique to private language schools. Generally speaking, the DOS is responsible for the educational side of the school, leaving the school’s director Read more…
“What are the pros and cons of being a professional translator?” Freelance translation work can be something of an emotional roller coaster. The downsides The biggest downside for me is the isolation. My days are spent sitting at my computer on my own, battling distractions of every sort – from Read more…
“Is it worth setting up by myself as a trainer / consultant?” Aside from the seemingly obvious attraction of freedom and independence, what are the real pros and cons of becoming an independent? After more than 20 years since setting up my own language and communications training consultancy, I’ve had Read more…