ESL Archives - Oxford Seminars Blog

PyeongChang 2018: An Unforgettable Experience

During my time teaching in South Korea, I tried to make it to as many sporting events as possible. Mostly, this consisted of watching Jeonbuk Hyundai dominating the K-League or trying to comprehend what was happening while watching Kia Tigers play baseball. Over the years, there were also some bigger occasions: I managed to see Korea take on Brazil ...

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COVID and the Forecast for Teaching Abroad in 2022

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 ...

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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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Covid Travel Update: Thailand Lifts Quarantine for Fully Vaccinated Visitors

For those seeking to escape the impending winter doldrums and make a break for the famed beaches and market stalls of tropical Thailand – we’ve got some good news for you! It’s recently been announced that as of November 1st, 2021, Thailand has lifted the mandatory 14-day quarantine period for fully vaccinated travelers from 10 specific countries, which include ...

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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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3 Ways Teaching ESL Overseas will Change Your Life

So, you have heard the rumors that teaching ESL overseas is an awesome experience (it is) and have decided to explore the possibility that this experience might be right for you. You are perhaps thinking of taking a TESOL course before applying for teaching jobs and heading abroad (good idea!).  No one can predict how their overseas experience is ...

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Top 6 ESL teaching destinations for new teachers

The Top 6 ESL Teaching Destinations for New Teachers

“All the job postings I see online require teaching experience, so what am I supposed to do if I’ve never taught before?” – That’s a common refrain we hear in the Job Placement Service at Oxford Seminars. But fear not, there are plenty of great positions for new English educators to get into the classroom and flesh out that ...

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Do I know enough about English to teach ESL overseas?

Do I know enough about English to teach ESL overseas?

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? ...

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