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superturbo
Joined: 03 Mar 2009
Posts: 44
Location: UK
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 Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 6:24 pm Post subject: How many of you use ESL as a way to travel? |
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| I was just wondering how many of you have been influenced to become ELT due to a love of travelling? Also, how much of your life has it become? |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 6:33 pm Post subject: |
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Dear superturbo,
The chance to see a lot of the world was a major factor in my deciding to go into and stay in EFL. For over twenty years, I taught abroad, and, in the process, got to see so many places that I'd always wanted to visit.
As far as I know, we get only one opportunity to look around this planet, and what surprises me is that so many people don't seem to have much interest in doing so.
Regards,
John |
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william wallace
Joined: 14 May 2003
Posts: 2869
Location: in between
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| Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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| That was a primary motive during the "Golden Age" of ESL,but now , I'd say that this motive is for a scant few. |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 12:29 am Post subject: |
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Dear william wallace.
"That was a primary motive during the "Golden Age" of ESL. . ."
Well, at 66, I suppose I qualify as a "golden ager."
Regards,
John |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 12:53 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| how many of you have been influenced to become ELT due to a love of travelling? Also, how much of your life has it become? |
How much of your life has WHAT become? Travelling, or teaching English?
I got into this in order to teach English (especially writing). That's actually what I wanted to do (and that's why I did a PGC TESL as my first step). I decided years ago that I wanted to make working with English my career theme (prior to teaching English I was a writer for arts companies, radio stations and communications companies).
I came overseas to get experience because overseas experience is pretty much required for jobs in Canada. I came to Japan. I didn't leave. I have more of a life in Japan than I did in Canada, and after only five and a half years it feels as much of my home as Canada. That's about it, for me. I travel, but not all that much (and often it's to a country in Asia, or Canada).
I think the people who are in this for the travelling are the people who tend to move to a different country every year or two. Nothing wrong with it, but "a rolling stone gathers no moss" and so it can be difficult to move into higher positions (like universities) without experience (and often local language skills) in that country (maybe other countries are easier to do this than Japan- especially since if you are, for example, in a area like South America then 'local language skills' tend to be 'Spanish' for most countries [except Brazil] so it's a world language useful in many countries. Japanese is not like that. Nor is Korean).
It entirely depends what you are looking for- constantly moving means that everything is alsways new and 'wonderous'. But staying in a single country means that that country will become your home. It's not uncommon for people to start doing the first, and then switch to the second after a few years. |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 12:57 am Post subject: |
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| I planned to, didn't get past my second country, due to marriage. |
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Marcoregano
Joined: 19 May 2003
Posts: 872
Location: Hong Kong
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| Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 1:57 am Post subject: |
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I think a lot of 'travellers' get into TEFL because they are more comfortable with the idea of living and working abroad than the average stay-at-home type of person. But in many ways working in 'TEFL' and 'travel' are mutually exclusive. By definition, if you are working, you can't travel!
I did most of my 'real' travelling (eg. a year wandering around South America) before I got into TEFL. Since becoming a TEFLer I haven't done much proper travelling because I haven't had the free time, but have had lots of short holidays in Asia and seen some places that way that I wouldn't have seen if I'd stayed working in the UK. |
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rmcdougall
Joined: 28 Feb 2009
Posts: 71
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| Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 3:53 am Post subject: |
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No!
View EFL as a journey.
Travel can mean 5 countries in 10 years, or 10 in 20.
One of the reason I enjoy efl is reflected in a song written in the 70's. I suggest you listen to it when feeling stuck or unhappy.
It's called "Rable on"
Leaves are falling all around, It's time I was on my way.
Thanks to you, I'm much obliged for such a pleasant stay.
But now it's time for me to go. The autumn moon lights my way.
For now I smell the rain, and with it pain, and it's headed my way.
Sometimes I grow so tired, but I know I've got one thing I got to do...
[Chorus]
Ramble On, And now's the time, the time is now, to sing my song.
I'm goin' 'round the world, I got to find my girl, on my way.
I've been this way ten years to the day, Ramble On,
Gotta find the queen of all my dreams.
Got no time to for spreadin' roots, The time has come to be gone.
And to' our health we drank a thousand times, it's time to Ramble On.
[Chorus]
Mine's a tale that can't be told, my freedom I hold dear.
How years ago in days of old, when magic filled the air.
T'was in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair.
But Gollum, and the evil one crept up and slipped away with her, her, her....yeah.
[Chorus]
Gonna ramble on, sing my song. Gotta keep-a-searchin' for my baby...
Gonna work my way, round the world. I can't stop this feelin' in my heart
Gotta keep searchin' for my baby. I can't find my bluebird! |
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denise
Joined: 23 Apr 2003
Posts: 3419
Location: finally home-ish
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| Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:09 am Post subject: |
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I got into EFL to teach. The traveling is great too, but there really isn't as much of it as some potential teachers would hope. It is a full-time job, and until you work your way into the better jobs you really don't get all that much vacation time. Traveling is then limited to weekend trips, national holidays (when everyone else is traveling, so not the best time), and those in-between gaps when you're moving from one country to the next. I'm one of those people that gambate mentioned--I move countries every year or two--yet as far as international traveling, I visit maybe one country per year. I was never a backpacker, though--I think they're the ones who get into this job hoping to see the entire world in a year or two
d |
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rmcdougall
Joined: 28 Feb 2009
Posts: 71
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| Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:48 am Post subject: |
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| One or two year contracts are readily available to qualified professionals. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:57 am Post subject: |
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| rmcdougall wrote: |
One of the reason I enjoy efl is reflected in a song written in the 70's. I suggest you listen to it when feeling stuck or unhappy.
It's called "Rable on"
Leaves are falling all around, It's time I was on my way.
Thanks to you, I'm much obliged for such a pleasant stay.
But now it's time for me to go. The autumn moon lights my way.
For now I smell the rain, and with it pain, and it's headed my way.
Sometimes I grow so tired, but I know I've got one thing I got to do...
[Chorus]
Ramble On, And now's the time, the time is now, to sing my song.
I'm goin' 'round the world, I got to find my girl, on my way.
I've been this way ten years to the day, Ramble On,
Gotta find the queen of all my dreams.
Got no time to for spreadin' roots, The time has come to be gone.
And to' our health we drank a thousand times, it's time to Ramble On.
[Chorus]
Mine's a tale that can't be told, my freedom I hold dear.
How years ago in days of old, when magic filled the air.
T'was in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair.
But Gollum, and the evil one crept up and slipped away with her, her, her....yeah.
[Chorus]
Gonna ramble on, sing my song. Gotta keep-a-searchin' for my baby...
Gonna work my way, round the world. I can't stop this feelin' in my heart
Gotta keep searchin' for my baby. I can't find my bluebird! |
1. Led Zepplin is awesome!
2. this song was written in the 60's. It came out on Led Zepplin II (1969).
3. It's "Ramble On" not "Rable on" (I especially like the Lord of the Rings references!!!! That's not cheeze at all!!!!)
I think a more accurate song (at least for me when I think about going from country to country) would be:
I got to keep moving, I got to keep moving
Blues falling down like hail, blues falling down like hail
Mmm, blues falling down like hail, blues falling down like hail
And the day keeps on worryin' me, there's a hellhound on my trail
Hellhound on my trail, hellhound on my trail
If today was Christmas eve, if today was Christmas eve
And tomorrow was Christmas day
If today was Christmas eve and tomorrow was Christmas day
All I would need is my little sweet rider
Just to pass the time away, to pass the time away
You sprinkled hot foot powder, mmm, around my door
All around my door
You sprinkled hot foot powder, all around your daddy's door
It keeps me with ramblin' mind rider
Every old place I go, every old place I go
I can tell the wind is risin', the leaves tremblin' on the tree
Tremblin' on the tree
I can tell the wind is risin', leaves tremblin' on the tree
All I need is my little sweet woman
And to keep my company, hey, hey, hey, hey, my company
(Robert Johnson, 'Hellhound on my Trail' originally recorded June 20, 1937) |
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rmcdougall
Joined: 28 Feb 2009
Posts: 71
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| Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:03 am Post subject: |
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| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
| rmcdougall wrote: |
One of the reason I enjoy efl is reflected in a song written in the 70's. I suggest you listen to it when feeling stuck or unhappy.
It's called "Rable on"
Leaves are falling all around, It's time I was on my way.
Thanks to you, I'm much obliged for such a pleasant stay.
But now it's time for me to go. The autumn moon lights my way.
For now I smell the rain, and with it pain, and it's headed my way.
Sometimes I grow so tired, but I know I've got one thing I got to do...
[Chorus]
Ramble On, And now's the time, the time is now, to sing my song.
I'm goin' 'round the world, I got to find my girl, on my way.
I've been this way ten years to the day, Ramble On,
Gotta find the queen of all my dreams.
Got no time to for spreadin' roots, The time has come to be gone.
And to' our health we drank a thousand times, it's time to Ramble On.
[Chorus]
Mine's a tale that can't be told, my freedom I hold dear.
How years ago in days of old, when magic filled the air.
T'was in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair.
But Gollum, and the evil one crept up and slipped away with her, her, her....yeah.
[Chorus]
Gonna ramble on, sing my song. Gotta keep-a-searchin' for my baby...
Gonna work my way, round the world. I can't stop this feelin' in my heart
Gotta keep searchin' for my baby. I can't find my bluebird! |
1. Led Zepplin is awesome!
2. this song was written in the 60's. It came out on Led Zepplin II (1969).
3. It's "Ramble On" not "Rable on" (I especially like the Lord of the Rings references!!!! That's not cheeze at all!!!!)
I think a more accurate song (at least for me when I think about going from country to country) would be:
I got to keep moving, I got to keep moving
Blues falling down like hail, blues falling down like hail
Mmm, blues falling down like hail, blues falling down like hail
And the day keeps on worryin' me, there's a hellhound on my trail
Hellhound on my trail, hellhound on my trail
If today was Christmas eve, if today was Christmas eve
And tomorrow was Christmas day
If today was Christmas eve and tomorrow was Christmas day
All I would need is my little sweet rider
Just to pass the time away, to pass the time away
You sprinkled hot foot powder, mmm, around my door
All around my door
You sprinkled hot foot powder, all around your daddy's door
It keeps me with ramblin' mind rider
Every old place I go, every old place I go
I can tell the wind is risin', the leaves tremblin' on the tree
Tremblin' on the tree
I can tell the wind is risin', leaves tremblin' on the tree
All I need is my little sweet woman
And to keep my company, hey, hey, hey, hey, my company
(Robert Johnson, 'Hellhound on my Trail' originally recorded June 20, 1937) |
Yeah, Ramble On.
69? Really? I have a hard time remembering anything between 66-75. And am proud of the fact. |
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rmcdougall
Joined: 28 Feb 2009
Posts: 71
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| Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:06 am Post subject: |
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I have a long bus commute to and from work.
This cheers me up and reminds me of why I got in to EFL:
Lord, I was born a ramblin man,
Tryin to make a livin and doin the best I can.
And when its time for leavin,
I hope youll understand,
That I was born a ramblin man.
Well my father was a gambler down in georgia,
He wound up on the wrong end of a gun.
And I was born in the back seat of a greyhound bus
Rollin down highway 41.
Chorus
Im on my way to new orleans this mornin,
Leaving out of nashville, tennessee,
Theyre always having a good time down on the bayou,
Lord, them delta women think the world of me.
Chorus
[repeat and fade]
Lord, I was born a ramblin man...
(Allman Brothers. Amazing!) |
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superturbo
Joined: 03 Mar 2009
Posts: 44
Location: UK
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| Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 7:17 am Post subject: |
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One thing I'm beginning to love about these threads is how quickly they get off topic lol!
Thanks for your replies!!! |
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Gusss
Joined: 08 Nov 2008
Posts: 81
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| Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 10:47 pm Post subject: |
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For me it was the opposite way round. I have always travelled and English is the only commodity I have that in every country I have been to people have wanted to buy. At first i was a sound engineer but there was scant need for sound engineers in the Amazon - loads of people wanted to learn English though............
The only problem I have is sometimes I want to move around a bit and not want to be tied down by year long contracts. |
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