I was standing on the tarmac, waiting to board the plane that would take me further from home than I’d ever been, wondering what in the world I was doing. I was terrified. I was moving to the other side of the world to a place where I didn’t know a single person, couldn’t speak the language, and had ...
Split between two continents, Turkey is a country that lies on the southeastern corner of Europe and the western part of Asia. Turkey is bordered by four different bodies of water, the Mediterranean Sea in the South, the Aegean Sea in the West, the Black Sea in the North and the Sea of Marma in the middle of the ...
Are you on the fence about teaching English abroad? It can be intimidating and exciting all at once, maybe even a little overwhelming. And that's understandable because it's a pretty big decision to make. But, as our graduates explain, it's worth it! One of the Best Decisions I Ever Made Teaching has been something I’ve wanted to do since ...
Are you thinking about teaching English abroad in Taiwan? There is, of course, plenty of people hungry to learn the English language and culture. On the flip side, Taiwan offers a lot for potential teachers. With five mountain ranges, four islands, and plenty of beaches, Taiwan has an abundance of natural beauty for you to explore. Here are a ...
It was with luck that I found myself in Kyoto, Japan for some professional development during cherry blossom season. After spending ten energy-sapping hours in a conference room, most of the participants scurried back to the hotel to rest up for the following day. Faced with a free evening and a small group of new friends, the opportunity to ...
Sawasdee kah! Or should I say, "hello" from Thailand, the "land of smiles". I’ve been living here for awhile now and each day is a totally eye-opening experience. I’m located in Kabinburi which is a rough, 3 hour cramped mini-van ride to Bangkok and about two hours west of the Cambodian border. It’s a small town where everyone knows ...
China, the world's most populous country with over 1 billion people, is an intriguing mix of ancient and new cultures that commands respect and awareness for their way of life. Whether you're thinking of just visiting or are headed over to be an ESL teacher in China, here are some culture tips and guidelines to smooth your way: [caption ...
While going to a new place is exciting, it can also be challenging. We’ve talked about it before, but culture is an area that sometimes takes the most adjustment for a newcomer to a country. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, culture is defined as: The beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time; a particular ...
If you’ve been considering a career teaching English abroad, you’ve likely been doing some research and asking around about certification options, classroom styles and job requirements. Chances are, you’ve run across one or more of the common acronyms like TESOL, TEFL or TESL that are used to describe the various ESL (English as a Second Language) certification programs. Many ...
Italy is synonymous with good food and family. This could be because in Italy, food simply tastes better when the dinner table is piled high with home-cooked food and family is heartily digging in around you. In fact, when most thinking of countries they want to visit simply to sample the food, images of eating pasta and sipping wine ...