Making a Difference Archives - Oxford Seminars Blog

2021: The Year that Inspired my Life-Changing Leap to Thailand

I am a Canadian actor and now ESL teacher and coach, and this is my story. In 2021, the year when the world locked down and self-isolated, the year that I decided to change my life direction, something happened that I had been longing for and thinking about for many years, but never actualized. I have now just finished ...

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Teaching Online – An Experienced Teacher Embraces a New Challenge

My ESL teaching journey began when I ‘retired’ from my career as an early childhood educator and decided it was time to do some traveling. I’ve always been a language nerd and thought it would be fun to do some English teaching abroad. So, I signed up for the Oxford Seminars certificate course, with a plan to complete the ...

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Beyond the Classroom: The Value of TESOL Training in the Workplace

Leamington is a smallish Canadian town on the north shore of Lake Eerie, in southwestern Ontario. It’s surrounded by some pretty lush and fertile farmland, and has been known for over 100 years as “The Tomato Capital of Canada.” In addition to the endless acres of gently rolling farm fields, modern day Leamington is also surrounded by massive greenhouse farm operations, growing hydroponic tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and other produce. As such, the town’s contemporary slogan is “The Greenhouse Capital of North America.” Producing ...

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Why I Love Teaching for Oxford Seminars

I started with Oxford Seminars in March 2015. On the first day of my first course, I was nervous. Teaching a new course is nerve-racking. Still, I had found a vocation in teaching ESL, and I was excited to share my experiences and knowledge with others. Fortunately, the course was a success, and I have now been an Oxford Seminars Instructor for ...

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Tips and Tricks for Teaching ESL Online – Part 2: Mastering Zoom

Before COVID-19, I had already gotten a Zoom account out of curiosity and started to tutor some of my overseas students who used to 'Skype' with me through it. When the pandemic hit and the lockdowns commenced in March 2020, Zoom became my go-to when many of my online students transitioning from an in-class experience to online were struggling ...

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How teaching ESL in South Korea became my passion

How teaching ESL in South Korea became my passion

Teaching English overseas is a great way to see the world while building your resume and funding your travels, but for many teachers it becomes even more than that. For many teachers, like our grad Mary, teaching ESL in South Korea, or Japan, or countless other exciting places around the world, becomes their passion. It changes their lives and ...

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Upcoming Volunteer ESL Teaching Opportunities

Upcoming Volunteer ESL Teaching Opportunities Abroad

Want to make a difference in the world? Teach English and travel abroad as a volunteer ESL teacher. People volunteer to teach ESL abroad for many reasons: You may want to travel and learn the language of another country, or strengthen your resume with additional teaching experience, or you may volunteer to teach ESL overseas for the pure enjoyment of the experience. ...

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Using games to teach English - 4 great ways to engage your ESL students

Using games to teach English – 4 great ways to engage your ESL students

What influences in your childhood development allowed you to learn English? Was it all of the hours sitting in a classroom listening to a teacher? I suspect that the answer would be “no”. Looking back on my English development as a kid, there were multitudes of resources that helped in my English skills development. If such techniques allowed for ...

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Why I decided to teach English in Japan

Why I Decided to Teach English in Japan – Video

Thom, an ESL teacher in Japan for 10 years, talks about why he decided to teach English in Japan, his memories of helping students succeed, participating in Japanese cultural traditions, and how teaching English abroad changed his life. Want to learn more about teaching ESL overseas? Sign up for a free information session near you, or download our course guide. [wp_social_sharing social_options='facebook,twitter,pinterest' ...

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