ESL

Think about it: D’you wanna dance? can take on entirely different meanings depending on whether you have a) just had a drink, b) just punched a guy in the face or c) both.

Teaching English is a lot of fun and a great way to travel and see the world, but don't forget that it is a job and with this comes responsibilities and sometimes stress.

Thinking of travelling to Eastern Europe for something different? Ever thought about teaching English in Ukraine? First, an English lesson for foreigners to Ukraine. It’s …

Teaching English in Ukraine Read More »

Today is the day; the day you will walk into the classroom not as a student, but as a teacher. You palms are probably sweaty and your mind probably racing with a million thoughts about what could go wrong; Will the kids cry? Will I forget the vocabulary? Do I have all my materials? What if I don't know what to do next? I want to tell you that all of the above will happen, but trust me, it's all part of the experience and you will look back on those nerve-wracking moments fondly.

So, you're a first-time English teacher, fresh off your TEFL course and you walk into a classroom in an Asian country feeling nervous, anxious and excited to teach your first kindergarten class and suddenly, a couple kids start crying and the others stare at you with fear in their eyes. What could possibly make them have such a strong reaction to your presence? Well, aside from being young and missing their parents, there is one other important thing that is out of your control, your appearance. It's not your hairstyle, or the clothes you're wearing either, it's the color of your skin, the color of your hair, the shape of your body and of course, those weird sounds you make when you speak.

Africa. Just saying the name puts a massive smile on my face. One of the reasons I love Africa so much is that the names of all the places I’ve been to there sound so phonetically pleasing…stick with me on this one folks. All the places I’ve spent time in either end in an ‘ooooh’ ‘aaaaaahhh’ or ‘eeeeeee’ which makes me smile just saying them; Kenya (ahhhhh) Nairobi (eeeeee) Kembu (oooooh) Uganda (you get the picture)… Leeds, the city I live in, just doesn’t have the same ring to it…sad face. I’ve been to East Africa three times so far and hope to go back time and time again. Two of those visits were spent teaching English in local schools, in classrooms consisting of me, wooden desks and at least 40 amazing children…quite a challenge, but one I can’t wait to do again.