What's it like to teach English in a foreign country without knowing their language?
It's great. In terms of teaching it's easy to teach someone another language, if they want to learn. And English is even easier as there are very few people in the world who don't know at least one word in English, even if it's just OK or hamburger. I use gestures, photos, pictures, repetition, and lots of enthusiasm to teach learners of all ages. Before I was a teacher it seemed very mysterious to me too, but after a CELTA and lots of observation of other teachers it became clear. It is hard to explain, but look for some videos online of TEFL classes and you can see some techniques. And for the students, they have more motivation to speak to you in English (or whatever language you are teaching) if you don't understand their native language. And that's what communication is all about; overcoming problems using language.
Do schools in countries such as France, teach English as a foreign language in school, like how schools in America offer French as a foreign language?
Things may have changed since my time in middle and high-school in France (I am 32, after all).The norm was : when you are 11 or 12 and just entered middle-school (called 6ème or “sixth”, the equivalent of a US 6th grade), you start your first language. In most cases, it is English, although a minority of students was known to choose German. It is a choice.After that, when you are 13 or 14, in what is known as 4ème (“fourth”, the French grade system counts backward - equivalent to a US 8th grade, I believe), you have to choose a second language. Usually most people took Spanish, for the sake of (supposed) ease, as it is quite close to French.I do remember, though, that people who had taken German as a first foreign language were required to take English as a second.The results of these language classes are about equivalent to what you find in America: students who had taken years of English, Spanish and/or German but could barely speak any.But as George Géal-Killy and Katie Aich have pointed out, things have changed over these years. Regional languages options were added (Briton, Basque, Occitan…) and they teach earlier.Keep in mind that any change in the language-teaching policy takes decades to be seen in the general public. I believe in 2004, Spain started introducing English as an early age for school children and bringing in young language assistants called “auxiliares de conversación” from English-speaking countries.Obviously, the first wave of kids who have learned English that was are just about ready to enter adulthood around now.
What jobs are available in your home country after teaching English in Korea?
The same jobs that are there now. What jobs are available to you now? Those will be the same ones available to you when you get home.Teaching abroad is not going to make you more qualified for other jobs in your home country unless it’s related to teaching English to kids.After teaching in Asia for 6 years I was able to find a job in a private after school program in the USA. You can make the experience look kinda good on your resume, but don’t expect it to open any doors to things back home.A year or two is fine abroad.Does teaching English abroad look good on your resume?Here’s a video of teachers in Korea.
I'd like to teach English to kids in some European country. What do I need to do?
Usually some sort of certificate in TESOL would be enough to get you started. Courses run on average from several weeks to several months; they can be taken in colleges or some sort of private organizations. However, I have to mention that what country you're a citizen of will matter a lot. Usually countries where English is not the main language prefer to hire citizens of the USA, Canada, England, Australia and/ or New Zealand since in those countries, English is the main language spoken. So, even if your English is excellent but you're a citizen of non-English speaking country, you might face some problems getting hired.
Other ethnic backgrounds refusing to teach their children English?
I am not sure if "refusing" was the most accurate word to use but you probably get the idea.... For example - The other day I was at the grocery store and to my left was a polish woman having a conversation with her 4 year old in the Polish language. Another time I was at the laundromat and heard a mexican woman and her small child talking in spanish to one another. I notice this everywhere I go. All the time. It seems (though I am not sure) that all of these people live in the United States but they are still teaching their toddlers/children their language rather than English. I am just curious as to why they would make things more difficult for them when it seems the primary language is still English in most places. Your thoughts??
Why are so many foreign english teachers in Thailand gay!?
Yes I think its terrible that many of these teachers are more interested in exploiting impoverished boys than teaching English. I think the government needs to do more to get these kids off the streets and do thorough background checks on these teachers before allowing them in the country. Children must be protected at all times from possible pedophiles.
How do I teach my mother tongue to my kids in a foreign land?
I managed to do this successfully with my four kids. As others have said, I always spoke to my kids in my mother tongue (English) at home at all times, and even out and about, unless we were in a situation where we needed to include non-English speaking people in the conversation. I speak Japanese with my husband, so they were hearing it at home, but I never spoke to them directly in Japanese when they were young if I could help it. It wasn’t until the kids were much older and very firm in their English that I relaxed that rule. My daughter (19) and I speak in Japanese fairly often now that she is in the US for college. It’s convenient to have our own private language when she has three roommates hanging around, and other friends in and out of her dorm room!There is the possibility that casual conversation with only one parent at home when the kids are young won’t be enough, especially if the children don’t have friends and other non-family members in their lives who speak the minority language. My kids have always had some English-speaking friends, so that helped a lot.However, if you are the only one speaking to your children in your native language there is a way around the problem of not enough exposure to various speakers of that language. I think the most important thing I did was to read to my kids in English every single day, even into the teen years. It’s our thing to do together, and over the years we shared so many great stories that we still talk about today. It was a bonding experience with me, and it was a way to get that exposure to English, and also to help them learn a ton about my culture through reading historical fiction, or other fiction set in the US, and to learn about other cultures as well. Because of our daily reading my kids all have very solid English, and excellent vocabularies. Read, read, read!
What has your experience teaching English abroad been like?
I am currently teaching English in China, and it is an incredible experience.After I graduated from university, I realised that I wasn’t ready to enter into the conventional graduate job market. I felt I didn’t have all the skills (nor the self-confidence) I would need to make a success of it. Here’s where teaching English abroad has come in handy.Skills development:On a daily basis I now present material to classes ranging between 30 and 120 students. My presentation skills, and public speaking ability has increased phenomenally. The first time you walk into a class with 120 kids (I say kids - my oldest students are only 4/5 years younger than me) staring up at you is an incredibly daunting experience. I can safely same I am not easily shocked anymore! Being in a Chinese town has also made me a bit of a local celebrity - there are only 2 foreigners in this town. When we go out in public there are lots of people taking photos of us; shopkeepers are very excited to help us; as are waitresses and fellow gym - goers.Personally:On a personal level, teaching abroad has been incredible! I have had the opportunity to visit so many cool places that I wouldn’t have otherwise seen. So far, I’ve been to Beijing, Shanghai and Zhangjiajie (avatar mountains). This weekend I’ll be heading up to Xi’an to see the Terracotta Army!Advice:My advice to you! DO IT!! Be sure to pick a country that you’re interested in exploring and/or learning the language of. It really is the most incredible and rewarding experience!
How do I teach English to a non-English speaking 6-year-old child?
A2A. I agree that speaking naturally and naming things as you go along is a very good start. Go places like a park, a shop, a museum, etc., whatever is interesting to the child. Talk about what you observe.Also, combine the visual with the auditory: Short films, story books, etc. are a great resource. Repeat. Point to the pictures as you read or watch.Music is also wonderful, particularly for speaking and pronunciation. Sing along. Clap hands, Dance. Act out the story.Keep everything fairly short and recycle some things. Go back to the song or book you learned a few days ago to reinforce the vocabulary.Have fun. Make it joyful.