School Days
Anyone thinking that taking a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course is a walk in the park where as long as your warm body is present is a guaranteed pass is sadly mistaken!
At least that’s the case when taking the TEFL Certification course offered by the Text-and-Talk Language Development Academy based in Bangkok Thailand.
Have just complete an interesting first week (30 hrs) of the very intensive (120 hr) course. Where I discovered the names of tenses that although used every day I had never heard of in my Canadian education. Seems kind of weird sitting in a classroom in Bangkok learning things about English, my native language, that will enable me to successfully teach it to others.
Along with a brush up on English grammar we are getting a look at Asian culture in general with special emphasis on that of Thailand where most of us will start our teaching experience. Of course all facets teacher training from lesson planning to presentation are being covered. We also have to adhere to a dress code which seems to be a bit of a problem for a couple of the younger members of the class.
Our small class started out with just 4 but a 5th joined Thursday (going to be difficult for him to catch up) is all male & represents 5 western countries. Two young guys, a Brit & a German, 2 30 something’s, 1 from Ireland & 1 from the US & last but not least this young at heart, not very patriotic Canuck.
As class finished Friday we were given our homework assignments & warned that last week was the easy one & we had 3 more weeks of extremely intensive work to look forward to.
Shall try to keep posting my progress as time allows.
Tags: Travel
busman7
lol well that will keep you out of trouble!! FOCUS 🙂
you’re never too old to learn…i love taking classes…i love school!!!
you’re very lucky to be able to do this….you can never learn enough 🙂
maybe you’ll be able to pick up some German along the way lol
good luck!!! and have fun!
Kind of ironic though that the course I am taking & the new career I am embarking on involves teaching English, the subject I most hated in school. Now all these years am finally learning what I didn’t bother to then. Fate I guess!!
lol!!! yup fate is at work here…love it! don’t you just love learning this time around? incredible how as young kids we can’t wait to get out of school and work and as adults we dream of going back to school and ditching work! lol
That’s right couldn’t wait to get out of high school but it seems that all through life I have been back taking courses on everything from small business management to Boy Scout leader training to alternative energy products sales & repair & now this makes my 3rd course in teaching.
However this time we are learning ways of taking a dry subject like English & make learning it interactive & fun by the use of games & interesting exercises. Something that was never done when I was in school.
Actually we will just be teaching English conversation but need to know all the grammar in order to do the job right & answer questions. Teaching English as a foreign or second language is a whole different kettle of fish than just teaching.
Anyway fate determined that I was never to be separated from a classroom for an extended period at anytime during my life so might just as well give in to it & make the classroom a way way of life now. Could be worse things LOL
English is the one subject that will increase your ability to live abroad. I have taught english in Zambia and Spain. Friends I have met along the way have taught english in China, Korea, Japan, and Pakistan. Sounds like a great place to get your license. Enjoy it. I am jealous.
Lyamulilo thanks for confirming what I believe & one of the reasons why I am taking the course. Others being even though I don’t need a TEFL certificate to teach in Guatemala, where I was offered a job, at the school in Antigua where I took Spanish lessons last year, it will make me a lot better teacher & doing a competent job a lot easier. That added to the fact I thoroughly enjoyed my time learning Spanish there & can see no better way of keeping occupied during retirement makes teaching English the ideal for me. Of course the added bonus of helping to legally obtain extended stay visa’s is also good.
Then again good old fate had a hand in giving me the extra time in SE Asia waiting for the rainy season in northern Oz to end! 🙂
This is a great place to take the course & after hearing the extensive research one of my classmates did on the school (I, typically, said wow good idea, signed up, then checked out the school), talking to former students (one lives in our building & teaches at the private school around the corner) & having completed week one of the syllabus can fully recommend Text-and-Talk as a quality school!
That’s really incredible info there Dave….gives me something to think about too 🙂
i love learning…and imagine teaching and traveling…what a way to see the world!!
go for it Busman!!
Always pays to keep your eyes open to opportunities when traveling as I had checked into taking a TEFL course at Trent University in Peterborough where they required one to take a 2 yr teacher course to get the certificate which still left you lacking a degree.
Which makes Text-and-Talk’s course a much better deal for me + it has the added bonus of being geared to Asian students in general & since based in Thailand, Thai students in particular.
should be no issue to have it geared towards spanish speaking students? is passing a 70? lol
this will keep your mind healthy and young and out of trouble!! LOL!!! (hopefully) lol
The whole course is about teaching students whose mother tongue is not English & knowing a lot about the Latin American culture will make teaching there a breeze especially after my Spanish lessons last year.
The Asian culture is so different from the west that it is necessary to spend time learning about it.
Yeah a pass is C grade, 70—got a B (the busman a B in English–that’s a first) on my first exam so it’s looking good so far & with this course there’s no room for Mr Alzheimer in my head LOL
lol that’s great!!!! good for you!! i’m told Zacy how you are back in school and loving it! you should see the size of his eyes!!LOL
Tell Zacy uncle busman says school is cool 🙂
It’s the challenge that makes it interesting + we have an excellent Brit ex-pat for a teacher & the fact that TEFL is not for most teachers but it’s advantages for a traveler are awesome!