Category: Teaching
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Topics to Avoid While Teaching English in China
The good news is that while teaching English in China you’re generally free to plan your own lessons on any topic of your choosing. However, there are some topics that are taboo, and other that are best avoided, simply because the students find them boring. There are of course the three T’s: what happened in […]
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When Teaching EFL Should You Use the Textbook?
I’ve just completed my first semester as an EFL teacher. Before that I had taken the CELTA teacher training course. On the course our students we taught followed various textbooks. All of our lessons faithfully followed the book from week to week. Each of the 6 trainees in each group would take one particular section […]
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Are My ESL Students Actually Learning Anything?
While doing my CELTA at International House, one phrase from one of my tutors stuck in my mind: Did your students actually learn anything? I’ve made it through my first semester (around 3 months) teaching English in China. I now have just over 200 hours of teaching under my belt. So I’m still a rookie […]
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Are Chinese Students Shy? This English Teacher Thinks Not!
If you’ve ever considered teaching in China (or maybe elsewhere in Asia) then you’ll no doubt have heard that Chinese students can be quite shy. You may have heard stories of the teacher teaching English to the sounds of crickets or tumbleweed. So is this really the case? I’ve found that Chinese students can sometimes […]
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So Who Exactly Studies for the CELTA TEFL Certificate?
I did my CELTA in 2015. On my course were 18 attendees (including myself). For our teaching practice we were divided into 3 groups of 6. So who exactly signs up for a CELTA and puts themselves through the gruelling training regime? One thing that was different on my particular CELTA course was that I […]
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Do You Need to Speak Chinese to be Able to Teach English in China?
So to the million dollar question: Do you need to be able to speak Chinese to be able to teach English in China? The simple answer is NO. Having said that, knowing some Chinese will make your life in China much easier. You might also find that it gives you the edge in job interviews. […]
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The Perks and Benefits of Teaching English at a Chinese University
In this post I’ll run through the perks and financial benefits of teaching English in a Chinese university. Chinese university jobs aren’t the highest paid teaching positions in China. For better salaries you need to teach young kids, or teach at international schools. However, University jobs offer lower teaching workloads, less stress and more vacation […]
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Where to Find University Teaching Jobs in China
If you’re interested in teaching at a Chinese university, then bear in mind that the peak period for job applications is in April – July. This is so that all the formalities can be completed for a September start. There is also a certain amount of recruitment for the 2nd semester that begins in early […]
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Cast Adrift in the Classroom – What The CELTA Course Doesn’t Teach You
So I did my CELTA back in 2015, and 2 years later I got my first ever teaching job. Coincidentally (or maybe not) I started my first teaching job the same month as my sister stated her PGCE training*. However, while on the first day she was learning about teaching, I was being thrown in […]
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Do You Actually Need a CELTA To Teach English Overseas?
If you want to teach English overseas then you sometimes need a teaching qualification. Generally the best thing to do if you want to teach English in another country is to find out what is required, then work backwards from that. I’ll give you one specific example of a country. If you want to teach […]