I taught English in Belarus!

TEFL qualified Gemma Toovey found struggles and triumphs when she opted to teach English in Belarus, a  lesser frequented part of the former Soviet Union. I asked her more…

1)      What are your first impressions of teaching English in Belarus? What is the first thing you noticed? What’s the part you have found most challenging?

Like lots of cultures, Belarus takes a much more ‘relaxed’ approach to work, especially where there are foreigners and therefore visas concerned. My pay arrangements were slightly…improvised. I didn’t really have any idea what I was going to until I arrived and met up with the director of the school. Nothing dangerous but just a little unnerving for a Brit who quite likes to know what’s going on…

There wasn’t really much support or training offered as to how or what I taught;  no resources, colleagues or on the job training.

Having said this, there is something great about being the only native English speaker these students had ever met. I clearly did things in a different way from what their education system had taught them to expect from such a course, and their appreciation of that was clear to see. A really nice rapport developed over the course of the semester and there wasn’t one student I wasn’t sad to leave when the time came.

2)      Was it hard to find and fix up a job?

The way things are done is very much still word of mouth and someone who knows someone…and most of my work emerged that way once I was in the country. The initial contract which enabled me to get a visa was arranged through an existing contact I had. International organisations like International House would probably be the best bet for securing a visa and getting into the country.

3) Can you give me an idea of a typical working day?

My week consisted of two lessons in a primary school teaching 7 year olds from scratch, two lessons at an IT company doing advanced conversation practice with businessmen and women, two evening classes each with two groups of young adults at intermediate and advanced level, and one free conversation class for any of the language school students who wanted to come. It was a bit of an odd working day, but left me lots of time to plan lessons and also meet up with friends. I definitely didn’t feel overworked, but could’ve taken on private students or probably other classes if I had needed the money.

4) How did you find your students? What is the biggest challenge in your teaching and where have you already seen success?

My students were great – they were the real plus of being there. One group especially really adopted me and in the classic Belarusian way, went out of their way to make me feel welcome in their country. They worked hard, but once we had built up a good rapport, I think they really enjoyed the lessons too, and made them enjoyable for me. The kids were the only challenge as far as teaching was concerned – it was my first experience with children and my first experience with low levels, and I still look back and slightly wonder why I ever said yes!

5) If there is one piece of advice you could give to someone coming to Belarus to teach, what would it be?

You have to be thick-skinned to cope with the initial frustrations and the fact that nothing seems straightforward. But it is so worth it; once you get to know them, the people are the most generous and open I have ever met.

Find out more about Belarus.

Why not share your experiences, struggles and joys about teaching English in a largely forgotten location below?

An employer’s time is short.  They are not likely to be HR or personnel professionals and they scan CVs rather than read every word. They don’t want to have to read between the lines, wade through pages of irrelevant experience or guess what type of learner you taught at XYZ language school.

So, if you organise your CV so it can be scanned quickly for the relevant information, you’ll be doing your prospective TEFL employer a huge favour   - and help your CV to stand out above the rest. Read on and also have a look at my Suggested CV template for fictional TEFL newbie Robert Passmore.

Get that job! Make your CV work

How to organise your CV for success

1)      Do you need to trim your CV?
Make your CV no longer than 2 pages – yes, it really does need cutting if it’s creeping onto 3 pages. Their time is short, remember.

2)      Prioritise relevant TEFL information
Ensure all TEFL related experience and qualifications are uppermost, most recent first.  Get them nodding and ticking ‘yes’ against their criteria as early as possible as they scan your CV.
I know this is hard to do if newly qualified but in this case, detail the key elements from your TEFL course. Include type of students and levels taught, course books used and even any particular elements of praise from a reference letter.

3)      Group your EFL experiences together
Unless all your experience is in teaching, resist the urge to list your various positions chronologically.  Instead, put your EFL experience first (begin with the most recent) under a ‘Teaching experience’ header and less relevant experience under an  ‘Other employment’ header. Ideally ‘teaching experience’ should be longer than your ‘other’ category. You can achieve this by including more detail about your teaching – see 2 above.  Why?  Well, this will encourage your prospective employer to see you as an EFL teacher first and foremost and it displays all your relevant experience at a glance.

4)      Include something of your personality – but keep it professional
A smiling headshot photo is a good start. Also,  why not comment under key parts of your CV  about your last teaching job, for example. Teaching is a people profession although do remember that employers tend to be quite conservative so don’t include anything too whacky.

Other things to remember

Include a great covering letter with your CV.
Opinions differ on whether you should include a 3 bullet point profile or summary at the top of your CV to give the employer a flavour of your personality and skills. Personally I favour these if not too banal since it can underline your CV message;  something like:

‘ Experienced and qualified EFL teacher with particular expertise with young learners’

might be one of your profile bullets, for example and can be adapted with a different emphasis  depending on the job.

Finally, do check your CV for errors as the best organised CV in the world may be discarded due to elementary spelling, grammar and punctuation inconsistencies.

Have a look at the sugested CV template (the first link near the top of the article) which is designed for a new teacher with minimal experience. As a former EFL employer, this is the kind of CV I would like to see – but do you agree with the organisation and information included here?

Wish you were here? EFL teacher Anne Lowe in Korea

If you are looking to escape this country to teach English abroad, Korea is definitely worth considering. Korea offers some of the more stable TEFL contracts around to native English speaking graduates, including round-trip airfare and paid accommodation. There are also plenty reputable recruitment agencies enabling you to fix up something secure in advance.

New teacher Anne Lowe has recently started teaching in Korea and I asked her to share her first impressions and recommendations for living and teaching there:

1) What are your first impressions of Korea, Anne? What is the first thing you notice? What’s the part you have found most challenging?

My first impression of Korea is that it is so different from what I’m used to back in the United States.  To the writing on the buildings, to the neon on every single building, to the faces walking by–nothing is familiar.  It’s all new and exciting.  The first thing I notice is that there are more people packed into a much smaller space than I’m used to. Real estate is at a premium, so nearly all the buildings have businesses occupying them; the most challenging part is being stared at by everyone.  I’m in a smaller town and they aren’t used to foreigners, plus I do kind of stand out with my lighter hair and eyes.

2) Where are you working and how did you find your job?

I found it through a recruiting company; OK Recruiting.  My recruiter, a woman named Bonnie, was a fantastic help through the whole process. I interviewed with three schools (through her company) and received job offers from them all; I picked my favourite and here I am.

3) Has your TESOL qualification helped you finding work and in the classroom? If so, how?

My TESOL qualification was definitely a big help in getting a job.

It fleshed out my resume since I don’t have any previous classroom experience teaching English.  In the class, it has helped some, but on-the-job training really can’t be beat.

4) How do you find your students? What is the biggest challenge in your teaching and where have you already seen success?

With a few exceptions, my students have all been wonderful. There are always some kids that have no interest in being there, whose parents are forcing them, but they challenge me to really work and draw them out in class.  The most truculent students thus far are the teenagers.  With them, the surest method is to be patient, take none of it personally, and try and make the lessons as relatable to pop culture as possible.  My greatest success lies with those students who are around ages 11 and 12.  They retain the enthusiasm of their youth but they are much more capable of understanding and being understood when they speak English, which really knocks down some barriers.

5) If there is one piece of advice you could give to someone coming to Korea to teach, what would it be?

Everyone says you don’t need to, but for heaven’s sake: make some attempt to learn the language.  If nothing else, learn how to say hello, do you speak English, thank you and goodbye.  Koreans are incredibly forgiving when it comes to foreigners not speaking their language but that first attempt always makes them smile and gets them talking.  Classroom phrases shouldn’t be necessary (all the students should understand simple commands such as “repeat,” “sit down,” and “write”) but it might not hurt.  Above all: speak slowly.

Could you see yourself teaching English in Korea? Are you already teaching there? Share your experiences below:

The same staffrooms are also awash with lively, perky (often young) teachers, fresh from their first stint overseas and energised by the lively summer school atmosphere. Many only entered TEFL as a means to see the world but fell in love with teaching and stayed.

Having been in many a TEFL staffroom, the young ‘n’ fresh example is really a joy to see. However, without at least one eye on the future, it’s surprising how quickly the perky can turn into the jaundiced.

I think this is largely because TEFL is a very odd profession. Fragmented, largely unregulated and with worldwide opportunities, it presents limitless and exciting options on the upside. The downside is there is little structured career progression. This means if you don’t make it work for you, then 10 years after starting your first TEFL job, you could find yourself teaching exactly the same lesson for exactly the same money.

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with this but my guess is that for most of you 18-25 year olds, this is not your idea of a career.

So if there is even an inkling that your gap year could turn into a career, I cannot stress how important it is for your bank balance, job satisfaction and sanity to keep learning and keep progressing. Consider every opportunity that comes your way both personally and professionally.

On the professional front there are many examples of people who have made TEFL work for them and turned it into a career. One lady, for example who was teaching English to pilots in Khazakstan went on to write an English for Pilots book for Oxford University Press. Others become teacher trainers, language school owners, materials developers or work for publishers. Some become specialists; teaching English for academic purposes, for example, taking the chance to leave their comfort zone and try something new.

TEFL is a ‘people’ profession and opportunities can arise simply through your everyday contacts. I know of one relatively new teacher who was offered a partnership with his boss to open a new school. This happened simply because the boss liked and trusted him – factors that clearly trumped paper qualifications and experience. TEFL can be like that.

So, if you want to get on in TEFL,  ensure you look for ways to keep on keeping on; you can teach that lesson better, you should brush up on that sticky grammar point and do consider the DELTA after a couple of years to help you get into management. Upskill and keep abreast of the new technology that is set to revolutionise the way we learn languages in the future.

It is a very wide TEFL world but if you’re not sure what you want out of TEFL yet, then here is some general rule of thumb guidance; if you start to lose interest in teaching and learning, then it’s time to get out and get yourself a ‘real’ job.  And do it before it’s too late!

What are your plans in TEFL?

As 9 year old Pedro dangled my bag out of the 3^rd floor window in Portugal menacingly, I regretted 2 things; firstly, that I hadn’t taken my bag with me when I slipped out of class to photocopy something and, secondly, that I had gone the private language school route at all!

The reality is that most private language school timetables will include teaching children – and while I personally grew to enjoy this over time, I realise that teaching English to large classes of sometimes unwilling primary or teen learners is not everyone’s bag (no pun intended).

If you really cannot imagine yourself standing in front of 12-30 little Pedro’s, then consider freelance EFL teaching where you will generally teach 1:1 or small groups of focussed and more motivated students. Freelance teaching usually pays better than school work and you are more in control over the hours you teach. The downside is you will have to source your own students which can be time consuming. Also, work cannot be arranged from outside of the country so you will need to ensure you have sufficient funds to keep you going while you build up your business.  However, for the keen and enterprising, here are some ways to maximise your freelance teaching opportunities once in situ.

Maximising your freelance teaching opportunities

1)      Teach English online:  this form of learning is growing worldwide and is already very established in Korea and France, as more people take advantage of free internet phone services such as Skype. It does not pay well but can fill in unwanted gaps in your timetable. As you build your student database you can also offer Skype-to-Skype teaching to your own busy professional learners as an option. Telelangue http://telelangue.com/ is just one big company offering this service in France.

2)      Contact your local chamber of commerce: some countries have large and influential networks and I know that many EFL teachers in France have sourced work through their local chamber and are now engaged in lucrative in-company teaching.

3)      Build your own twitter, Linked in (for business) and Facebook profiles. Follow and engage with local community and business groups.

4)      Network:  go to English language bookshops and talk to other teachers about where they found their students. Take advantage of any free ad space you can use to advertise your services such as notice boards at universities, book shops and internet cafés.

5)      Get cards printed in the local language and put them in places where they’ll be seen by your target market:  this could mean leafleting the car park of a local school, college, university or business park. One EFL teacher I know leafleted his local village in France with a ‘New Year resolution – learn English’ message and was rewarded with a steady stream of 1-1 students.

6)      Just be in 1 place long enough: another English speaker living in Italy hadn’t considered teaching English but neighbours and friends were soon asking for English tuition. This prompted her to take a TEFL course and she now runs her own school. The key here is that she was part of a community and was easily and readily contactable.

7)      Start volunteering in your free time: the local school is a good place to start. Yes, we are back to teaching children, but on your terms! Offer a free fun lesson once a week to the school and then offer paid options such as small group or 1-1 children tuition to the parents. A colleague in Portugal started a very lucrative mobile nursery service. She visited the local kindergartens where the children had all paid a small amount to sing songs, count to 10 and so on.

8)      Do some research before you go: in Sweden, Japan, France and Germany, for example, business English is in high demand. You might want to take a TEFL with a specialisation that reflects the local market.

A final word

Freelance students will still expect a professional service. Look the part, invest in getting business cards printed, make sure you are easily contactable and ensure students clearly understand your cancellation policy. Think; where will you teach and consider safety issues if travelling to a student’s home. Check out the visa regulations before entry and that you are allowed to work legally in a freelance capacity.

In the end, like many EFL teachers, you may end up combining a few hours for a private language school with freelancing. If so, I hope I have not put you off the private language school experience.  In the end I did manage to coax Pedro into removing my bag from danger and we went on to have many ‘interesting’ classes together.