Job Discussion Forums

Nate · Joined: 05 Sep 2003 Posts: 61 Location: Korea

Hello,
I was wondering what you all thought were the best books about TEFL and the experience in general?

I am not looking for guidebooks or lesson books. I would find books on teaching in another country (not how to teach) pretty interesting. I am more after journal type books with accounts of everyday life.

If the books happen to center around southeast Asia or Latin America that would be great (but certainly not required).

Thanks for any suggestions. Very Happy

Nate

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

Teaching English Abroad by Susan Griffith

It's a general guide book on how to get certified, how to search for work, and guidelines on working conditions in dozens of countries around the globe.

PatS · Joined: 17 Oct 2003 Posts: 25 Location: Northern California

Hi, Nate,

I posted a similar question yesterday on the Newbie forum, so besides following this thread, you might check there, too. The thread is called Bloggers?.

A few Blogs have been discussed, here's another you might enjoy:

http://daninchina.blogspot.com/ .

Also, if you're interested in reading about westerners adjusting to other cultures, there are lots of great books out written by Peace Corps volunteers. You can do a search on Amazon and come up with several.

I'm also interested in reading about the TEFL experience, so if you come up with some good leads in your search, please post them here!

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

I can't remember the name of the book but I think the author was called Joachim Shmidt(sp?) He is a German EFL teacher and he writes a diary about his teaching experience. Does anyone know the name of the book? I'd recommend it.

Steiner · Joined: 21 Apr 2003 Posts: 573 Location: Hunan China

If you're interested in China, read Peter Hessler's "River Town." He was here with the Peace Corps and the book is quite good.

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

Yeah, Mr. Hessler's book is stupendous. Certainly an account of what a Peace Corps volunteer/English teacher's life in Southwest China outside of Chengdu and Chongqing could be like.

His writings about contemporary China (he's based in Beijing now) periodically appear in the New Yorker (as a feature titled "Letters from China").

Regarding Japan, check out "A Snake in the Shrine: Journeys with Nobby through Middle Japan" by David Geraghty, a Kiwi who spent time teaching English in private schools in Tokyo, but who often got away from the Big Smoke by exploring the Japanese countryside with one of his Japanese mates.

It's more about his journeys and friendships with the Japanese but he does offer a peek into the life of a Western English teacher in Japan.