Here are a few tips on preparing yourself for your first day of class:

• Dress professionally. First impressions with your students are extremely important so it is always good to look as businesslike as you can to set the stage. If you dress too casual, they will not give you the respect for you that they should
• Get to the school early. There is no worse way of getting started at your new job than showing up late on your first day. You don’t need to get there early everyday, but the first day will make a great impression on your boss, co-workers and the students
• Meet the staff if you haven’t already
• Don’t be too friendly. You don’t want your students to think that they have just landed a pushover as their new teacher, so set the tone on your first day that you are to be listened to and treated with respect
• Speak slowly, loudly and clearly. You want to be able to judge the English levels of your students, so be sure to tone it down until you know what they are capable of understanding
• Introduce yourself and allow the students to ask you questions. This will open up a conversation to help them get to know you
• Ask the students to introduce themselves so that you get to know them as well as their English ability. Be patient, as the students might be a little bit shy. Use jokes or a funny story about yourself to get them comfortable and talking
• Take some notes on the conversational abilities of the students so that you can prepare future lessons that correspond to these abilities

(thanks Kevin)

…make sure that she is missing more than just an Adam’s apple..

Student Level 1 – Beginner

May speak a little, but usually not at all. May recognize some letters, but have trouble pronouncing them.

Understanding is very limited and may range from no apparent comprehension, to comprehension of short phrases or key words.

May not read/write in own language, or with minimal ability to phonetically decode words. If words can be decoded, there may be no understanding of their meaning.

Usually has little or no slight word recognition. Usually has little or no ability to phonetically decode words. If words can be decoded there may be no understanding of their meaning.

Student Level 1 – Upper Beginner

Minimal speaking ability, with limited vocabulary, usually constrained to topics of personal information. Speech is frequently interrupted by hesitations while searching for needed words/structures.

Can understand only a little, usually with the help of gestures, and only if words are spoken at a slow pace. May tend to repeat phrases/questions just heard rather than respond to them.

Writing is usually quite limited, e.g. to name/address, and some high-frequency words. Can read alphabet and numbers and basic words or sentences.

Student Level 2 – Intermediate

Can speak with simple sentence structures, using present tense, but attempts at linking or sequencing sentences prove difficult. Speech is fragmented, i.e. a mixture of sentences and phrases, or single key words strung together without function words. Will struggle to search for words. Vocabulary limited to personal information, daily life, or similar familiar topics. Pronunciation problems often make speech hard to understand. Listening ability is often better than speech production, with the ability to understand basic instructions/questions, often by picking up on key content words rather than necessarily understanding everything.

Writing is mainly limited to single words, phrases and simple sentences, such as personal information required for filling out a form. Frequent errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Can read basic information presented in simple sentences within a known, usually practical context, such as basic forms, lists, familiar classroom material.

Student Level 2 - Upper Intermediate

Speech is mostly understandable, although it is still limited to learned structures and familiar contexts. Basic structures are in place, using past, present, future tenses and active rather than passive voice. Will still hesitate, and search for the right words. Can tell a basic story in sequence.

Can write down information of a personal, familiar nature, and take down short notes, messages, lists. Meaning is usually communicated despite frequent errors, although some misunderstandings may remain.

In general, basic language skills are seen to be developing at this level. In conversation, can respond although still not elaborate or initiate much change in direction or speak at great length without guidance. In general, can function adequately within a known framework.

Student Level 3 – Advanced

Speech connected with minimal hesitations, if not entirely fluent yet. Has ability to describe in detail, paraphrase, and ask for detailed clarification when necessary. Shows confidence in ability to express different ideas.

Able to understand main ideas and some details from longer segments of connected speech, in a wider range of contexts. But comprehension may be uneven depending on familiarity with topic, and how simply information is presented.

Writing is produced with some confidence, especially in personal or practical areas. Elements of organization are evident, and writing is generally understandable. Able to read with full understanding.

In general, at this level, the confidence to deal with less familiar, unexpected language situations has begun to develop. Shows ability to control direction of conversation, initiate topics, elaborate on a subject with less guidance, and to self-correct when needed.

Thought we’d give you a laugh. It’s not too long, but it sure is funny! Enjoy!

1) Money Matters:

i) Don’t forget about airport taxes. Make sure that you bring enough money to cover you at the airport as you don’t need any delays that might make you miss your plane.
ii) Bring a money belt (or two). Remember not to put all of your money, credit cards or passport in the same place - even the money belt - because if one is lost or stolen, they all are; be smart with your money and passport and hide it throughout your luggage.
iii) Take a carry-on bag that you can use for day trips; you do not want to be stuck carrying around your large backpack everywhere you go.
iv) Buy traveler’s checks. Make sure that when you get your checks, you immediately record the serial numbers somewhere safe in case they get lost or stolen.
v) Avoid taking jewelry or anything fancy that might direct attention your way.
vi) It is good to carry some cash on you, but not too much. $50 at a time should be enough to get you through your daily activities.
vii) Make sure you check the expiration date on your credit card before you leave; this will be the most important thing that you have, as your passport and travelers checks can be replaced; without your credit card, you will be stuck without any means of getting money if you need it immediately.

2) Packing Tips:

i) Buy a good backpack. Do not think that you can get away with traveling with a suitcase, as you will find that it will cause you more headaches than its worth. It is also best to spend a little more on a backpack so that it doesn’t fall apart on your while you are on the road. Most people who travel once get ‘the travel bug’, so look at it as an investment and spend a little extra money on it.
ii) Make sure you remove all of your old tags and replace them with your current contact information and address. Be sure to buy a lock (or locks) for the zippers on your bag; they don’t have to be heavy locks, but this will deter people from going through your stuff if they are given a chance
iii) Do not pack too much. Especially when you are on the road for a while, you do not need to bring clothes for each day of the week, for example. Bring fewer clothes and wash them more often. You will most likely be buying things along the way as well, so it is good to leave a little bit of room in your pack.
iv) Pack all of your toiletries and any breakables in plastic bags. Try and keep the fragile items in your carry-on.
v) Roll your clothes to avoid wrinkles and to save room – you will fit a lot more in your pack if you roll and don’t fold.
vi) Try to avoid bringing a towel – it takes up a lot of room in your pack and dries very slowly, which is not good if you are on the move every day. If you can, try to buy a sarong.

Is it possible to sign a contract for less than one year?

Some Schools will allow you to do this, but usually only if they are desperately in need of a teacher. It is not good for the students, nor appreciated by the parents, to have a new teacher for their kids ever few months, which is why this is not regularly practiced. You will also not receive the full benefits (plane tickets, severance pay, etc.), that are offered in the one year contract.

Is it possible to extend my contract for another year after I am done my first year?

Yes it is. If you want to stay with the same school, you will not have to leave Korea to get another visa.

I just finished my one year contract – can I transfer to a different school without getting another visa?

No, you can’t. You will need to take a visa run, usually to Japan, to get another visa with your new school. There are only two cases where you don’t have to leave Korea to get a new visa: One is if you re-sign with your school and the other is if your school files for bankruptcy and you have an offer from another school.

How do I get out of my contract if I don’t like the school that I am currently working for (therefore breaking my contract)?

You will need a letter of release from your current school. With this, you will be allowed to work at another school, but you will still have to go through the visa process again.

Who will buy my plane ticket for me?

The school will pay you back for your plane ticket about two weeks after you arrive in Korea. In the past, schools would buy tickets for their teachers in advance, but some people took advantage of this and took the free flight to Korea without ever showing up at their school, which is why teachers are to buy the ticket first now.

Am I allowed to take on side jobs or work part-time for another school while I am working for my school that I signed a contract with?

The short answer is no. In your contract, it will state that you are not to work for anyone other than your school. In some cases, schools will allow their teachers to work part-time elsewhere, but this will require some paperwork for both schools and they are usually not willing to do this.

Am I allowed to stay in Korea for a little while after I am finished my contract or do I have to leave the country as soon as my visa expires?

You are allowed to stay in Korea for an additional 30 days if you report to the immigration office and make them aware that you are doing this. You will need your passport, alien registration card and your plane tickets that specify which dates you will be leaving. Note that it will be illegal for you to work during this period.

When most people ‘take the plunge’, and head half way across the world to teach ESL, the thinking is that they will be home in a year -the length of the contract they sign - but they tend not to consider how their lives, as well as their views on life, will be affected and changed by the experience. A very large percent of teachers will stay for one additional year after completing their first contract, usually staying in the same country; but why limit your experience to just one new culture? As Evelyn Davies explains from her article on visarus.co.uk, there is a lot to learn from different cultures and that not all ESL students are the same.

Japan has an international reputation of having smart and hardworking students. This is the image that is projected to the international community and reinforced by a report by the OECD; which listed Japan as number 5 in the rank of smartest students in the world. So it comes as a huge shock when a native EFL teacher enters a classroom of rude, loud students playing with their cell phones, sleeping, applying makeup or even plucking their eyebrows (in my case these were boys). To discover that the most used English word, other than the colorful language picked up from American Rap music, is “No”; and, that the students have little or no interested in learning a language that has been forced onto them.

The overall level of English ability is very low in Japan even after 6 years of study and even university graduates who have studied English longer still, on the whole, have a very low level. Compounding this is the general low level of speaking skills of the Japanese English teachers.

From online resources I see that Russian students are enthusiastic learners, they have a willingness to challenge and discuss and their level is much higher than those of Japanese students. Certainly this was true of the Japanese and Russian university students I taught in Australia.

The reasons people decide to go to Japan and Russia in the first place are basically the same: A new culture, a new environment, money (for Japan, not Russia), personal development, professional development, adventure and of course sex (usually men not women). The gender and age of the teacher is also a contributing factor. So then why do teachers leave and specifically leave Japan to go to Russia?

For an experienced EFL teacher it is not for the money. It will be one of the other reasons including, maybe for some, the satisfaction of teaching students who want to learn.

Japan has a culture that is very different from many other countries; the same can be said of Russia. While thousands of people are flocking to Japan and general world knowledge of Japan is increasing; Russia still holds the allure of the unknown and I am confident that those who take the leap into the unknown and unfamiliar will be rewarded with experiences that they never expected. And that is exactly what I am expecting.

Even though this site is dedicated to helping teachers learn how to teach properly, we wanted to show you an example of how NOT to teach (if you can even call what this lady is doing teaching)

***Warning: Watching this video will make you as bored as the poor children in this class were

Costa Rica is not usually affiliated with a place that people go to teach English, but it is certainly a place to consider, especially if pay is not your number one concern. Below are the general terms that schools offer to their instructors (this may vary with locations and schools):

Hiring and Interview Procedure:

You do not need a degree to work in every school in Costa Rica, however some schools may require you to have one and/or TEFL certification. Schools will require you to send your resume in order to apply. An interview is usually arranged if the school is interested; in person if you are already in Costa Rica or over the phone if you are not.

Teaching Contracts:

Full medical coverage
Two-week vacation
Christmas bonus
Additional bonus based on performance

Standard Contracts:

The average contract is for approximately 30 hours a week, at around $6 US or less per hour. Taxes are around 10% and a government sponsored pension plan is the norm.

Housing:

Housing is not provided, but schools will assist with finding you a location close to the school. Since housing is paid by the teacher, some start up money will be needed - $1500 for living expenses and accommodation is a good amount to get you started.

Compared to many other teaching opportunities around the world, Costa Rica doesn’t rank too high on what it offers you financially, but if money isn’t as important to you as where you will be working (i.e. by the beach), it might be the place for you.