- Oxford Seminars
- February 2, 2022
- Countries, Getting TEFL Certified, Japan, Life Abroad, Mexico, Oxford Seminars, Switching Cultures, Teaching ESL, TESOL Jobs, Travel
It's pretty fair to say that COVID has been like a very big, very wet blanket, thrown over so many of our plans since it emerged in 2019. Many of us have had to adjust our career goals, our travel plans, and our lifestyles to accommodate this almost surreal situation. Now however, after more than two years of frenzied ...
Let’s stay positive! Since the global pandemic has already given us more than enough tragic news over the past two years, I wanted to keep this blog uplifting by looking at some of the positive aspects of teaching both online and in-person classes. Aside from providing a small break from the rather pervasive negative news cycle, there’s also a more instructive reason for focusing on the bright side of whatever teaching environment you ...
In the long-lost world before the Covid -19 pandemic, I was a woman with a bachelor’s degree in drama, exploring careers in the theater industry. I had the opportunity to be a drama leader in many programs and camps for children between the ages of 5-17 years old. I had great experiences and opportunities, but I still struggled to figure ...
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 ...
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 ...
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' ...
As an Oxford Seminars instructor, one of the most common concerns I hear from teachers-in-training is that they might not know enough about English to become an effective teacher. Is such a fear justified? The short is answer is no. If you speak English comfortably, you can learn to teach it! But what if I don’t know much about grammar? ...
Thinking of teaching English abroad? Let me tell you how it enriched my life and opened me up to a world of travel. After completing a bachelor degree in music, I decided to travel to Japan to perform and teach instead of immediately immersing myself in graduate studies. I wanted to be absolutely certain about the field of work I ought to prepare to ...
Your very first ESL class is likely to be one of the most anticipated experiences of your ESL journey. Having some ideas for ESL classroom activities on your first day up your sleeve will help you to get started. Here are some of my favorites: 1. Find someone who… In this activity students are given a number of sentences ...
Teaching English as a second language isn't always about teaching straight from a book. As Oxford Seminars' instructor Peter Connell explains in this video, sometimes it, first of all, requires you to evaluate where your students are. From there, you can reach into your bag of teaching tricks to give them exercises and lessons that will best suit them. This ...