“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…
“Is it OK for me to put students right when they say something unacceptable?” “Should I express my political views in class?” The worst moment in my teenage years was when my parents had invited some family friends. All the members of their family came, including Wayne, the daughter’s new Read more…
“I find that I start a course with the best intentions and then my level of motivation tails off. How can I keep myself energized and creative?” I have carried out various surveys of students regarding their experience with teachers (not just EFL, but also at school and university). A Read more…
“What can I expect from an in-person Celta course?” We spoke to a young Scottish teacher who has just done a Celta in Prague. Was the course as you expected? I had expected the course to be extremely intensive and give an overview of how to teach English. I was Read more…
I teach business English but know nothing about business. I feel like an impostor – is that normal? “Impostor syndrome” refers to a feeling of inadequacy or self-doubt experienced by some teachers who feel that they are not qualified or capable enough to teach English to non-native speakers. This can Read more…
What do teaching yoga and ELT have in common? A surprising number of things, particularly with regard to individual lessons but also for large groups too. Terminology As a yoga teacher I know not to tell my client to put their thumb on their ‘ischial tuberosity’. Saying press your thumb 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…
“Is it acceptable to use the term non-native speaker?” I am a non-right-handed, non-male, non-young teacher of English as a foreign language. However, I am white British, and the language I teach is also my first language. For some (both employers and learners) in TEFL; this puts me in a 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…