Job Discussion Forums

[Brandon1986]

Regrettably, I opted to do an expensive online 120 hour TEFL course instead of an in-class course. I’m planning on moving to Vietnam in November and although I’m still considering doing a TEFL course there I’m going to try to see how well I can do with my online TEFL. I want to make sure I’m as prepared as possible to be a good teacher. Any suggestions on topics I should try to master before I get there? I'm working on learning the phonemics chart right now.

If you've worked with teachers that only had an online TEFL....what skills do you wish they possessed that most of them didn't?

Or any good video series or Youtube channels I should pay close attention to?

I know I should have done an in-class TEFL and I'm seeing the potential benefits as I prepare to teach....and I know many of you are getting tired of under qualified teachers coming over and lowering wages and taking the jobs but work with me here! I'm trying the best I can



Thanks!

[7969]

[nomad soul]

[ExpatLuke]

Classroom management. Teachers who didn't get any reaching practicum usually come into a classroom with no idea how it should be run. The kids immediately sense this and go nuts.

You can learn how to plan a solid lesson from an online cert, but with little idea in how to manage a class of up to 20 children your best lesson plan will sink.

That and not having any practice with modeling activities, most inexperienced teachers rely on a Vietnamese teaching assistant to do everything they should know how to do themselves.

[Brandon1986]

Thank you for the fantastic advice. I especially like the advice on classroom management and properly preparing before teaching...I wasn't expecting those and they make perfect sense.

I took the Bridge TEFL .... TEFLONLINE.com 120 hour course, I shouldn't say it was super expensive, it was around $450...but I wish I would have put that money toward an in class course.

[nomad soul]

Between now and the time you head abroad:

- Contact your local non-profit refugee/ESL literacy organizations about volunteering as a classroom assistant. This would give you the opportunity to work alongside seasoned ESL teachers and to ask how to modify lessons and instruction for younger leaners. (Many adult ESL teachers in the US have also taught k-12).
- Contact your local non-profit refugee/ESL literacy organizations about observing ESL classes. You'll be able to see how teachers manage the lessons and time.
- Contact your local libraries about volunteering for their children's reading program; ditto for area children's hospitals that rely on volunteers
- YouTube is a good source for instructional videos; you'll likely find a variety on teaching children. Some will be stinkers, so try to stick with British Council videos or series put out by "real" teachers.
- Take a look at the British Councll's site for resources on teaching children: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/teaching-kids

Once you get to Vietnam and have secured a job:
- Ask to sit in on a couple of the other teachers' classrooms for about 30 minutes. It will give you an idea of how you would manage your own classroom.
- Ask a couple of teaching colleagues to do an informal observation (with feedback) of you teaching your class.


Lastly, check out Dornyei and Czizer's following 10 Commandments for Motivating Language Learners, which were a useful guide for me regardless of the English language domain I taught:

1. Set a personal example with your own behavior.
2. Create a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere in the classroom.
3. Present the tasks properly.
4. Develop a good relationship with the learners.
5. Increase the learner’s linguistic self-confidence.
6. Make the language classes interesting.
7. Promote learner autonomy.
8. Personalize the learning process.
9. Increase the learners’ goal-orientedness.
10. Familiarize learners with the target language culture.

Source: http://www.zoltandornyei.co.uk/uploads/1998-dornyei-csizer-ltr.pdf

[Brandon1986]

Nomad Soul - Thank you for taking the time these are wonderful points and suggestions.

[nomad soul]