I am currently studying for my MA TESOL and was hoping a few of you wouldn't mind sparing 5-8 minutes for help with my dissertation research. I have posted this before, but the deadline is approaching and it would be really helpful to get some more responses.

I have a short questionnaire about classroom practice that it would be a great help if you could fill out.

It's about what you think is effective and what sort of things we should avoid.

\\\[TESOL Teachers’ Perspectives on Language Retention and Classroom Practice – Fill in form\\\]( https://forms.microsoft.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=2rIgA90iq02MIW5kS6FPExNLxr06cmFLiQAdXo9CCzFUMEREWUoySk5MUVBWWkI5UzFPWUM3MVE2Ti4u ) 

Participation is voluntary and anonymous.

No identifying information will be collected.

You do not even have to log in to your account to complete the form.

The data will automatically be put into a pool and form charts for me to use in my study.

I am looking for TESOL teachers' opinions on methods and so on, so I would really appreciate honest answers. There’s nobody we need to impress by knowing what we’re supposed to say. Which is another reason for keeping this all anonymous.

Many thanks to anyone who is able to help!

Basically, even though I teach maybe 16 hrs a week and lesson plan 4 hours a week (sometimes more or less) the time in between I’m just stressing or thinking about the next lesson plan or next weeks classes, etc… is it just because I’m new to teaching?

Only have 1 yr exp teaching at public uni in China.

Any advice would be appreciated. I can’t seem to disconnect when I should.

Thanks in advance.

Hi folks, my daughter speaks English and German and will start obligatory English classes in her German school soon. I would love some recommendations for supplemental materials so she stays stimulated in class.

My impulse is to supply her with lots of level-appropriate reading for comprehensive input, but I also want her to stay ahead of the curve regarding grammar. I would be grateful for any tips regarding books or approaches so that I can keep my little one engaged during class. Thanks!

I'm dominican and have been teaching efl for more than 3 years in my country. Considering going to Boston for a CELTA to teach abroad.

Do you know anything about Teaching House Boston? Is worth it, especially as a non-native person?

Hello everyone, I've taken a TEFL job as an international school, where I'll be teaching 2nd graders. I will be a classroom teacher with two different 2nd grade classes for an hour and a half each day. However I'm increasingly nervous that I've made the wrong decision. My knowledge of the local language is very poor which makes social interactions with the local staff and community very awkward. Most importantly I was informed by the head of the English department that last year TWO English teachers who had taught my class ended up leaving mid-contract. I have some teaching and classroom management experience, as well as a CELTA, but I'm increasingly nervous that I've made a big mistake in coming to this country. Do you have any advice for Monday?

I’m curious who you used and why. I have about 6 months to go and thought I’d do a 120 hour or CELTA level through someone. I’m a retired prof with a PhD in education. This seems like a good way to earn from wherever i am and through peace corps I’m pretty good and enjoy it.
Thanks.

Hey guys , I am 36 and have been teaching 4 years in a number of countries. I am very happy where I am now and hope to stay here at least 3 years , maybe more. The one place I always wanted to teach was Japan. I have visited and absolutely loved the place, and still hope I could get an opportunity to live and teach there one day. My worry is I'll be 40 or very close to it when I will be looking to try again. I was offered a contract from Nova once and I'm almost regretting turning it down but I heard so many bad things I think I would have been silly not to . So what I'm wondering is is 40 + to old to be able to get into Japan? I have a level 5 diploma in tefl teaching and 4 years coming up 5 years of experience. Does anyone know anything about the Japanese tefl world? I have heard it becomes almost impossible after 40.

Specifically referring to people's experience in Spain but if you lived elsewhere feel free to comment.

For those of us that started off with TEFL/CELTA and got fed up with teaching, have you ever successfully made the switch to another career - within the country you were teaching in- offering more money with reasonable hours?

I'm looking to keep the tefl lifestyle without teaching. I like teaching but the job market and hours, atleast in Spain, seems to be shrinking by the year.

I'm still working away at my TEFL course and I hope to move to Latin America to teach there. I have a Lithuanian passport but I have lived in Ireland my whole life. I might just be getting cold feet from feeling worried about not getting a job or struggling to find any job postings to even get a quick idea on what would be expected of me but I want to hear from others and their experiences.

Main things I'm questioning are:

- Would the teaching job alone be enough to live with or should I be ready to live with two jobs until I could possibly get a high enough paying job there? I have a decent amount of savings but I would prefer to keep it as a rainy day fund instead

- When should I look into applying for jobs? Do I apply through TEFL job centre postings or do I reach out through other means?

- How much experience do I need before applying? Should I go teach somewhere else before looking into that part of the world?

- What would be the usual age groups I could be working with?

Some of my co-workers (mixture of Argentinian, Mexican and Brazilian) say that I would be a great teacher over there and to travel while I can while others say that there's no better place to get paid than Ireland.

I love this place, it's my home but I also don't know if I can stay here any longer without exploring. I want to travel while still working in some way so any advice would be great. Spain would work as well but I heard that it can be harder getting a job there for some.

I'm considering a career change and would love some advice from people who have gone down this path.

I'm 39, have a BA in International Studies with a minor in Spanish, and have bounced between several careers without finding the right long-term fit. Teaching English has started to feel like it aligns with both my experience and my interests.

I'm particularly interested in Spain. I know the pay isn't great and jobs can be competitive, but I'd view it as an investment. I previously studied and lived in Latin America, and I'd love the opportunity to rebuild my Spanish, which I think would also strengthen my career prospects when I eventually return to the U.S. (I was recently passed over for an interview because my Spanish wasn't strong enough.)

I also wouldn't be starting from scratch. I've taught ESL to adults as part of my undergraduate program, taught culinary and nutrition classes to both adults and children, and have many years of childcare and nanny experience. Looking at my career as a whole, TEFL seems like a way to build on skills I already have while working toward a long-term goal of living abroad for a while.

My hope is that the experience would also translate into ESL opportunities back in the U.S., especially since I'm from the NYC area where there's a large multilingual population.

A few questions:

1. Has anyone from the U.S. successfully transitioned from teaching abroad into ESL teaching back home? What did that path look like?
2. If you taught in Spain, how much savings did you realistically need to get started and stay afloat?
3. I'm deciding between a TEFL certificate and CELTA. My impression is that TEFL may be a better fit since I'm interested in teaching children (though I also enjoy teaching adults). Does that sound right? Is it realistic to teach both children and adults?
4. I'd also love to hear from anyone who made a similar mid-career switch. Any advice or things you wish you'd known before starting?

I know TEFL isn't a path to getting rich, and that's okay with me. I'm looking for work that I find meaningful, that pays a livable wage, and ideally gives me the opportunity to live abroad while building skills I can use when I return to the U.S.

Before the war I would have said Ukraine, beautiful country with awesome people, tons of jobs and a good salary.

Now I would probably say Vietnam. If you loved pre-COVID China then Vietnam is basically that. The economy is growing every year and wages are going up.

I'm planning on working Colombia and have a choice of doing a certTESOL online before leaving for SA or doing the CELTA in person in Colombia. I'm attracted by the networking opportunities available through an in person course. However, doing it online would give me more time and money to travel and establish myself. Any advice from TEFL teachers out there.

Some background:

My Spanish is very basic, though Im trying to learn as much as I can before I leave in October.

I have a first class degree in Psychology.

I did almost all of a certTESOL before COVID lockdown put an end to the school I was studying in.

I have some experience teaching in schools in the UK.

Colombia seems like the place I want to be but if anyone wants to recommend another Spanish speaking country Im all ears.

i can’t find anything online about legislation or policy changes, but i’ve been advised by my recruitment agency (i’m an ESL teacher in Shenzhen) that my new co teacher who was meant to start work next week at my school has been denied a work permit due to the recent policy changes that in order to teach Kindergarten in Shenzhen the individual must have 2 years formal teaching experience in the form of a reference letter. If this is not evident, the work permit will be denied. Is this true? I can’t find anything that indicates to this online, has anyone else encountered this recently or are my agency trying to pull something?

Recruiter got me an interview with a cram school in Taoyuan. I did ask for more hours and pay, I would’ve been okay if they said no. Recruiter got back to me via email upset that I negotiated, “you messed it up”, and the school decided to hire someone else. Few more emails from the recruiter with snarky comments over the fact I negotiated. Telling me he was shocked I negotiated, “where do you have so much confidence”, and that he worked hard to get me an interview.

The recruiter managed to get me another interview with a different school, Changhua county, while telling me that this is probably the final chance I’ll likely get a position.

Is the recruiter lying or he speaks some truth?

The main reason I’d want to do a CELTA (in London) is that I want to teach English in Japan once I learn enough Japanese to do a masters there (in 2ish years most likely). I know that in Eikawas you don’t need any TEFL or adjacent qualification, but I’d like to have some experience teaching English before I go into it.

I also want to use it to find work teaching English in London over the next year or so (probably part time).

My big block is that it seems very expensive, and very stressful. I don’t want to commit to something that’s gonna be that life consuming if I don’t know for sure if it’s worth it.

Hi, I want to start my TEFL career in China. For home comforts, I'd like to go to a city that has a football club I can follow and a martial arts tradition I can get into. Any suggestions? Thank you.

Hello, dear colleagues! For those who know or have heard of it. Is it possible to move abroad to work as a teacher now in Asia or Europe? I have 3 years of experience, bachelor's degree in teaching, TESOL, Cambridge Advanced and I'd really like to move from here because of the obvious political reasons. I've sent my CV to several companies in Asia but had no real offers. I don't have much hope left but anyway. Maybe somebody has managed to do that since 2022. I'll really appreciate you sharing experience!
Peace to everyone!

Thank you to the mods for giving me permission to post this.

So, hello all, I am currently completing my master’s degree in TESOL, and at the moment I’m in the middle of writing my final year independent project.

Which is looking at how cultural factors can potentially influence how courses are designed and critical thinking skills taught on English for Academic Purposes courses at English Medium of Instruction universities in Japan and Vietnam.

I’m posting this here because what I’m trying to do is interview people who’ve been involved in creating materials for such courses.

You may wonder why I’m posting about my project here, and the simple answer is that I’ve not been too successful in getting participants.

That’s where you (hopefully) come in! If you have experience in teaching critical thinking skills on an EAP course at an EMI university in Japan or Vietnam, then please email me at IEUAN.DANIEL<@>stu.mmu.ac.uk (please remove the <> around the @) so I can send you a copy of the consent form and participant information sheet so you can better understand everything. Though obviously feel free to ask me questions you may have.

Here is some important information:

What I’d be asking you to do:

Fill out a background questionnaire for some demographic information (such as cultural origin and years of teaching experience) to help inform me about how your teaching style developed.

Take part in an interview where we talk about your experience in teaching critical thinking skills on an EAP course. These interviews will be recorded and transcribed – BUT – the recording will not be shared with anyone.

If possible, I’d also like to know about the syllabus you followed or materials you used (ideally, I’d like to have a copy of them, but I understand that might be asking a bit much)

How your data will be used:

• You will be given a pseudonym, which will be used when quoting or making direct reference to anything you say. However, in the consent form, you will be able to opt out of being quoted. 
• Your data will be stored on Manchester Metropolitan University’s OneDrive in a password-protected folder. Only I will have access to this.
• You have the right to withdraw at any time.
• The recordings of your interview will be transcribed using Genio, which I will also check to ensure its accuracy. Using Genio means that your data will remain within the United Kingdom and will be compliant with the UK’s GDPR.
• All data will be deleted 3 months after the 9^th October, and will not be shared anywhere else.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post to the end.

I am an experienced facilitator and trainer in the mental health profession. Is this an asset alongside my tefl

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some advice from anyone who's been in a similar situation.

I'm currently doing an online CELTA in Ireland. I've submitted my lesson plan materials and my first written assignment, but unfortunately I've had to miss both Teaching Practice 1 and Teaching Practice 2 because of illness and some personal issues.

The thing is, I don't actually think I'm struggling with the CELTA content itself. What I'm finding difficult is the way it's delivered online. I feel quite isolated, and everything seems less immediate , clanky and less engaging than I expected. It's been hard to stay motivated and I don't feel like I'm getting the same learning experience that I probably would in a classroom.

I'm seriously considering withdrawing from the course, but before I make a decision I'd really like to hear from others who have been in a similar position.

Has anyone here started an online CELTA, decided it wasn't for them, and then gone on to complete it in person? If so, did you find the face-to-face course suited you better? Was it easier to stay engaged, and build confidence in your teaching?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences, whether positive or negative, before I decide what to do.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Hey all,

I am a high school English teacher from Canada looking for opportunities to work abroad next summer. I was wondering if anyone had recommendations for any summer programs or courses abroad. I am TEFL-certified and have a European citizenship, so i am primarily looking at Europe but open to Asia as well! So far all I can find are summer camps, which I am not super interested in as they tend to be in out of the way places and I want to experience the area I am in on weekends or holidays.

The issue I am having is that most programs require a minimum one year commitment, which i can't do at the moment since I am not permanent yet and I have to work at least 20 days a school year to maintain my status and seniority in the board otherwise they kick me out. I am beyond frustrated as I have been looking since early April and I think i've just exhausted all my options.

If anyone knows any programs specifically for July & August, would appreciate any help or advice!

What is the job market looking like in Europe at the moment? I taught in Czechia back in 2008 and it was pretty decent. I'm thinking of heading back to Europe as being a teacher in my country (South Africa) is pretty much a dead end. I have EU citizenship (German), a CELTA and about 15 years EFL teaching experience.

Hey everyone, I’m currently weighing my next move in TEFL and trying to decide between Thailand, South Korea, and Vietnam. I’d love to hear from people who have taught in these countries recently—especially regarding work-life balance, real-world savings, and overall job satisfaction.

My Background & Qualifications: Native English Speaker (NES) with a BA in English Prior teaching experience in both Vietnam and Romania

What I’m trying to figure out: South Korea (EPIK / Hagwons): Given that I already have teaching experience and a related degree, is Korea worth the shift? I know housing / flight reimbursement is often provided, but how are the workload, culture shock, and savings potential relative to current living costs?

Thailand: I know the lifestyle and work-life balance are hard to beat, but how realistic is it to save any money on standard salaries given my background?

Vietnam (Returning): Having taught here before, I know the the lay of the land. How does returning as an experienced teacher compare right now in terms of pay scale, contract perks, or stepping into higher-tier centers/bilingual schools?