In some countries you need a specific qualification to teach English. You can do a course over a year, or a crash course in four weeks. Whether you are learning Entlish or teaching English or learning to teach English, you could learn one hour a week, one hour a day, or eight hours a day for several days to reach the same level.
Does the school where you wish to teach do O level, A level, GCSE, Baccalaureat, EFL, ESL, TOEFL or what? It helps to know the abbreviations. At my first interview in Singapore, to be an English teacher, I was very experienced in teaching English in England, but I was asked if I knew TEFL. I did not even know it was the American system.
Angela Lansbury I feel the same. It doesn't matter whether you are a beginnner or an expert in the language. If have mis-spelled a word I am mortified. Teachers, tutors and toastmasters need to address this perception that mispronunciation and mis-spelling is so upsetting, and instead make it more fun, more acceptable, ok to achieve less than 100%, and easy to count your progress. It should be a joy to learn to improve, a credit to have helped others to improve. What are the worst insults, after ugly and fat, can't add up, can;t spell, bad handwriting, can't sing or sing flat, ... How can we say it nicely? Let me try. How about: "You have written 99 words correctly but one of them is wrong. You have a 99 per cent success rate but if you correct that one word you will be a 100% success." Does that solve the problem?
Work Permits
In the USA it did not occur to me to try to get a work permit teaching English. Americans all spoke English. I thought it was hard to get a work permit.
When I got to Singapore the same thing happened. I assumed it was hard to get a work permit. I heard dire warnings about how my husband would lose his job if I tried to work without a permit.
Then I sat next to a teacher at a dinner party He told me that in Singapore there is a shortage of native English speakers with qualifications. He gave me the name of a school which he told me would be needing teachers. He picked up a newspaper and pointed to advertisements for teachers.
My problem, my delay, was getting a copy of my university degree certificate from the UK.
Next I needed an X-ray to prove I did not have TB (tuberculosis).
After my university degree in London, England, I took a postgraduate cerificate in Education course for a year. The course included experience in a Girl's grammar School and a boys' school.
I had the benefit of another teacher sitting in on the class to answer any query I had.
In some schools you have a library of information and books. Other places expect you to provide materials.
In the UK it was easy to find work books at all levels in any stationery store as well as bookshops. In Singapore I chased all over the city, finding only books for teaching English written in Chinese.
Home Tutor
If you are waiting for your accreditation to be approved, in some places you can get paid as a private tutor. I started teaching primary school children in England for an agency.
Later I progressed to secondary school age. I would dash down to the public library to borrow set text books. At first Shakespeare was the greatest challenge, and all the books would be out near exam time if all the local schools did the same syllabus.
Later each school might choose different books, even each year, then even each class. This meant it was easier to borrow books. But at first harder as you kept having to revise another play or book. Eventually I had a copy or two of complete Shakespeare, and lots of commentaries and revision guides.
Teaching Shakespeare Is Easy
Surprisngly, teaching Shakespeare's plays was easiest. Firstly, you could always buy books of notes for pupils and teachers. Secondly, most books had footnotes explaining long or outdated words. Thirdly, the plays were short enough to be read through in a hurry, unlike some novels.
If the words weren't clear, you coud check in the dictionary.
If you have visited places connected with Shakespeare, or have pupils who have done so with their school or family, you will have interest. It is easy to fill in half an hour talking about places connected with Shakespeare.
His birthplace in Stratford upon Avon, England.
The Globe theatre in London, England.
He is buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford upon Avon.
Shakespeare Day
New regulations came in. The UK agency required police clearance.
EFL Teaching
Then I went on to teach English as a foreign language in Singapore. For that job there were three requirements. I needed my university certificate showing that I had a university degree, in any subject, not necessarily English, so long as I was a native speaker. I worked in private schools full time. At weekends I was a volunteer in a state school helping pupils in English enrichment.
Toastmasters Interntional To Practise Public Speaking and Presentations
Now I spend days and evenings and weekends in Toastmasters International clubs training speakers.
Why is it that as a speach coach, teacher, trainer or member of Toastmasters International, if you count ums and ahs (there is a post called ah counter) you are listened to politely. But as language evaluator, sometimes called grammarian, you have to be extremely careful not to be seen as critical. In fact you are often told not to use the words, 'I have only one criticism ...'.
I wrote in Facebook:
I feel the same as people speaking English as a second language. It doesn't matter whether you are a beginnner or an expert in the language. If have mis-spelled a word I am mortified.
Teachers, tutors and toastmasters need to address this perception that mispronunciation and mis-spelling is so upsetting. Instead make it more fun, more acceptable, ok to achieve less than 100%. Also it should be easy to count your progress.
It should be a joy to learn to improve, a credit to have helped others to improve. What are the worst insults, after ugly and fat, can't add up, can;t spell, bad handwriting, can't sing or sing flat, ... How can we say it nicely? Let me try. How about: "You have written 99 words correctly but one of them is wrong. You have a 99 per cent success rate but if you correct that one word you will be a 100% success." Does that solve the problem?
Useful Websites
About the author
Angela Lansbury
Does the school where you wish to teach do O level, A level, GCSE, Baccalaureat, EFL, ESL, TOEFL or what? It helps to know the abbreviations. At my first interview in Singapore, to be an English teacher, I was very experienced in teaching English in England, but I was asked if I knew TEFL. I did not even know it was the American system.
Angela Lansbury I feel the same. It doesn't matter whether you are a beginnner or an expert in the language. If have mis-spelled a word I am mortified. Teachers, tutors and toastmasters need to address this perception that mispronunciation and mis-spelling is so upsetting, and instead make it more fun, more acceptable, ok to achieve less than 100%, and easy to count your progress. It should be a joy to learn to improve, a credit to have helped others to improve. What are the worst insults, after ugly and fat, can't add up, can;t spell, bad handwriting, can't sing or sing flat, ... How can we say it nicely? Let me try. How about: "You have written 99 words correctly but one of them is wrong. You have a 99 per cent success rate but if you correct that one word you will be a 100% success." Does that solve the problem?
Work Permits
In the USA it did not occur to me to try to get a work permit teaching English. Americans all spoke English. I thought it was hard to get a work permit.
When I got to Singapore the same thing happened. I assumed it was hard to get a work permit. I heard dire warnings about how my husband would lose his job if I tried to work without a permit.
Then I sat next to a teacher at a dinner party He told me that in Singapore there is a shortage of native English speakers with qualifications. He gave me the name of a school which he told me would be needing teachers. He picked up a newspaper and pointed to advertisements for teachers.
My problem, my delay, was getting a copy of my university degree certificate from the UK.
Next I needed an X-ray to prove I did not have TB (tuberculosis).
After my university degree in London, England, I took a postgraduate cerificate in Education course for a year. The course included experience in a Girl's grammar School and a boys' school.
I had the benefit of another teacher sitting in on the class to answer any query I had.
In some schools you have a library of information and books. Other places expect you to provide materials.
In the UK it was easy to find work books at all levels in any stationery store as well as bookshops. In Singapore I chased all over the city, finding only books for teaching English written in Chinese.
Home Tutor
If you are waiting for your accreditation to be approved, in some places you can get paid as a private tutor. I started teaching primary school children in England for an agency.
Later I progressed to secondary school age. I would dash down to the public library to borrow set text books. At first Shakespeare was the greatest challenge, and all the books would be out near exam time if all the local schools did the same syllabus.
Later each school might choose different books, even each year, then even each class. This meant it was easier to borrow books. But at first harder as you kept having to revise another play or book. Eventually I had a copy or two of complete Shakespeare, and lots of commentaries and revision guides.
Teaching Shakespeare Is Easy
Surprisngly, teaching Shakespeare's plays was easiest. Firstly, you could always buy books of notes for pupils and teachers. Secondly, most books had footnotes explaining long or outdated words. Thirdly, the plays were short enough to be read through in a hurry, unlike some novels.
If the words weren't clear, you coud check in the dictionary.
If you have visited places connected with Shakespeare, or have pupils who have done so with their school or family, you will have interest. It is easy to fill in half an hour talking about places connected with Shakespeare.
His birthplace in Stratford upon Avon, England.
The Globe theatre in London, England.
He is buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford upon Avon.
Shakespeare Day
New regulations came in. The UK agency required police clearance.
EFL Teaching
Then I went on to teach English as a foreign language in Singapore. For that job there were three requirements. I needed my university certificate showing that I had a university degree, in any subject, not necessarily English, so long as I was a native speaker. I worked in private schools full time. At weekends I was a volunteer in a state school helping pupils in English enrichment.
Toastmasters Interntional To Practise Public Speaking and Presentations
Now I spend days and evenings and weekends in Toastmasters International clubs training speakers.
Why is it that as a speach coach, teacher, trainer or member of Toastmasters International, if you count ums and ahs (there is a post called ah counter) you are listened to politely. But as language evaluator, sometimes called grammarian, you have to be extremely careful not to be seen as critical. In fact you are often told not to use the words, 'I have only one criticism ...'.
I wrote in Facebook:
I feel the same as people speaking English as a second language. It doesn't matter whether you are a beginnner or an expert in the language. If have mis-spelled a word I am mortified.
Teachers, tutors and toastmasters need to address this perception that mispronunciation and mis-spelling is so upsetting. Instead make it more fun, more acceptable, ok to achieve less than 100%. Also it should be easy to count your progress.
It should be a joy to learn to improve, a credit to have helped others to improve. What are the worst insults, after ugly and fat, can't add up, can;t spell, bad handwriting, can't sing or sing flat, ... How can we say it nicely? Let me try. How about: "You have written 99 words correctly but one of them is wrong. You have a 99 per cent success rate but if you correct that one word you will be a 100% success." Does that solve the problem?
Useful Websites
About the author
Angela Lansbury
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