1. w
kno
to
eed
youn
g
ry thin
Eve
Peru
ing in
Teach
Ha
ppy
Tea
che
rs a
nd
Stu
den
ts

2. 3 A Note from the Experts:
What Linda Richardson has to say India
n Cl
assro
om
6 Taking the Leap:
Is it for you & getting qualified
8 Busting a Move:
Letter of notice, finding a job, planning your move,
boarding the flight
12 You’ve Arrived!
Arriving abroad, settling in, getting ready for the first day
15 First Day Jitters:
First day at school, planning lessons & exploring your new
home
18 It’s Hard to Say Goodbye:
Saying goodbye to your students & friends… saying hello
to your new home
21 Extras to Help You Go:
Packing list, vaccinations, a page from Craig’s diary
ntina
Arge
ers in
Teach

3. chool
ry S
rima
ese P
Chin
If only i-to-i had been around when I first started TEFLing then
I wouldn’t have...
c Packed a bag full of TOTALLY unsuitable clothes
c Arrived with my Spanish phrase book, when everyone spoke
Catalan (it’s a COMPLETELY different language)
c Swotted up on obscure grammar points when I should have
been learning about ice breakers and milling and role plays.
(But I still love grammar; ten points if you can name the grammar
construction I used in the opening sentence, email me, go on!)
I always wanted to travel; I took a year off from college and
worked on farms in Israel, picked lemons in Crete, waitressed in
Germany, chamber maided in France. All great fun thanks, but
hard work! And very sweaty sometimes too.
Chec
king
Stud
ent’s
Work
3

4. So the next time I headed off I made sure
I had a TEFL certificate in my back pocket.
TEFL opens doors. It gives you the chance
to immerse yourself in another culture, to
learn another language, to earn a living Mak
eshif
t Cha
while seeing the world; it doesn’t get lkbo
ard
much better than that! Of course it can
be hard work too, but you get out of it what you
put into it. Plan your lessons well and you will have fun with your
students. Don’t plan, and they might have fun going wild, but
you won’t.
Be open to your new environment. You are not a tourist looking
for food from ‘home’… bacon butties, bacon and cabbage,
haggis or even the traditional British dish, curry! Eat what your
students eat, shop where they shop. You might be teaching
your students English, but they can teach you so much more.
Different cultures have different outlooks on life, different values,
and different priorities. Be open and you will learn so much that
will always stay with you. Leaving behind a TEFL job and the
students you have come to know and love can be really difficult
but you will always have these memories in your heart, and these
experiences will shape your life.
TEFL may be something you do for a couple of years, and then
move on or back to your previous life. Or maybe, like me, the first
rials
Mate
sroom
4 Clas

5. TEFL certificate will be a step in a life long
journey that can lead from teaching to
tutoring to writing and publishing classroom
materials and to working for a wonderful
company like i-to-i!
on
ards
a Rich
Lind Whatever you do, before you take off,
read this book! It is full of practical tips
- what to pack, what vaccinations to take,
even how to say goodbye. It’s got teaching tips too. What to do
on your very first day, how to get the most out of your lessons.
You are really going to enjoy this book. But more importantly this
book will encourage you to take the plunge. Read this book,
get your TEFL certificate, and off you go!
Linda
Linda Richardson
i-to-i Online TEFL Manager
Rela
xing B
e tween
Less
ons 5

6. a
n Keny
ids i
School K
c Is TEFL Really for You?
First of all, there is no single recipe for a perfect teacher – it suits
so many different types of people… chefs, builders, bankers and
call centre workers to name a few. You do need to like helping
people, you do need to have patience and you do need to be
prepared to look silly in front of other people! Occasionally, you
might have to refer to the art of demonstrating to implement a
lesson plan, so looking silly will be unavoidable… sorry!
c Getting Qualified
It’s so easy to get TEFL qualified that you’ll kick yourself for
not having done it sooner! You have the choice of taking a
flexible online course, face to face training in a classroom or a
combination of both! Whatever you choose, you’ll have the full
support of our TEFL tutors as they provide you with step-by-step
feedback along the way. If you’re not confident
about teaching, and if you feel that plenty of
Chin
ese J
unk
Boat
6

7. training would help then we’d recommend
the top 140 Hour Combined TEFL Course
If you’re already confident about teaching
and would just appreciate some training
in the basics, take a look at our basic
20 Hour Classroom TEFL Course. A Ge
ogra
phy
Less
on
What’s more, you’ll have the support of
over 15,000 other TEFLers to help you! You can
join our very own social networking site Chalkboard, which is
bursting with stories, photos and discussions to help you! It’s totally
free to join and you can use it throughout your TEFL journey to
blog about your experience!
c So Get Started Today!
The sooner you complete your TEFL course, the sooner you can
get yourself overseas and start your exciting adventure!
P Before you know it, you’ll be TEFL qualified and ready to bust
a move overseas!
nya
n Ke
ime i
Play T
7

8. e?
Hom
Your New
Japan -
c Finding a Job
There are thousands of teaching jobs all around the world, in
different schools, kindergartens, private tuition, colleges, English
institutions and universities to name a few. The hardest part can
be narrowing down your dream TEFL destination! Each country
has different entry regulations, so it’s good practice to familiarise
yourself with the visa requirements of each country. You can
check out more information in our ‘Teach Abroad: Top 10 TEFL
Destinations’ e-Guide!
Most language schools advertise on the internet and many like to
arrange a contract in advance. There are hundreds of websites
dedicated to TEFL jobs. It’s estimated that there are over 20,000
new TEFL jobs listed each month. Check out our section on finding
work abroad for more advice and and don’t forget the wider
internet is a great resource for job listings too!
8

9. c Applying from Home or While Overseas?
It’s your decision whether you apply for your
job from home or while you’re overseas in
your destination of choice. There are pros
and cons to each option:
c Applying Before You Fly:
Islan
d Lif
e
The benefits of sourcing a TEFL job in
advance are numerous, this includes avoiding the hassle
of arranging a job on arrival and getting to know the local area
through the magic of the internet. This is a great option for any
first-time TEFLers or for those who might be a little nervous about
just rocking up in a new country and finding a job.
c Applying When You Land:
Fresh off the plane with your CV and TEFL certificate in hand,
many people opt to source a job while in-country. The benefits
of job hunting in person are that you get to see the school for
yourself, not through the internet or reviews from others. You can
also ensure the local area suits your needs before you commit.
This approach works if you’re patient and can afford to fund
your first few months overseas if necessary. Also be prepared to
be approached by strangers offering you a job because of your
appearance, but take great caution with any offers of this nature.
c A Note…
The demand for TEFL is so huge that many schools will employ
cher
d Tea
The Prou
9

10. teachers with no teaching qualification or
degree. This does depend on the country
– you may need to be qualified to get a
work visa in some countries. Also, you
should ask yourself if you’d be happy to
ica
Sign, Af
r teach a class of students if you haven’t
School
had any formal training.
c Letter of Notice
Uh-oh, it’s time to face the boss with that dreaded letter of
notice… no one likes doing that. Even if you are tempted to throw
the letter down on their desk and strut out of there singing Aretha
Franklin songs, we’d advise that you don’t… for the following
reasons:
• There’s still that matter of getting a reference, and although it
is against corporate policy to give you a bad reference, it’s not
worth leaving on a bad note
• You never know when you might need the company again
(not that you’re thinking of coming home anytime soon, but
you just never know)
• The grapevine is a nasty thing sometimes! You’d be surprised
how quickly word spreads. So you might not want to be known
as ‘the one who broke the photocopier with their buttocks
while singing the theme tune to Rocky!’
Teach
ing in
Shan
ghai
10

11. c Planning Your Move
And you’re off! Nearly. There are a few
things to do before you head to the
airport:
4 Book your flights: Will you book a one Jettin
g off
way ticket or a return? We recommend
a one way! You never know where
your TEFL travels will take you.
4 Plan the mother-of-all leaving dos!
4 Photocopy important documents (if
you haven’t broken the photocopier
at work yet)
4 Pack your bag! Use our handy article
on ‘how to pack’ for inspiration!
All you have to do now is ensure you have someone meeting you
at the airport (or that you know where you’re going when you
arrive)…
P With everything sorted we’ll see you in the Duty Free!
India
starts in
School
11

12. nts
Stude
Hello
c Arriving Overseas
“Welcome to XXXX where the local time is XXXX…” you’ve made
it! Now what? First of all… take your time. Don’t overcomplicate
any situation and just take it easy. Airports can be intimidating,
but preparation is key to overcoming this, so have your
documents ready in time and order…
c Checklist:
• Have you got local currency? Change a small amount at the
airport if not
• Do you have a contact telephone number just in case?
• Are you suitably dressed for the weather/local culture with your
valuables safely stored?
• Do you have an address of where you are heading to?
Art L
esson
s, Ke
nya
12

13. P Well then, what are you waiting for? Let
the adventure begin!
c Settling In
How are your new digs looking then?
A little bare? Hopefully you won’t be Lear
ning
Num
spending much time at your ranch, bers
as you’ll be out socialising and exploring,
but it’s important you feel comfortable in your new place!
Unpack, relax and plot routes to familiarise yourself with your local
surroundings. Key tip: keep track of landmarks in case you get lost,
and always carry around your address with you.
c Getting Ready for the First Day of Class
Do a dummy run of your commute to work so you can time it to
perfection, Remember in other countries things won’t always run
to time (as they might do at home) and getting lost might be a bit
difficult! Get your clothes ready and laid out to minimise things to
worry about.
Set your alarm clock the night before, then set another alarm!
Don’t be late on your first day!
Don’t worry about remembering everyone’s name! You’ll get
there in the end. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself for the
first week, and just take it all in. It’s also a good idea to take
eru
on, P
et Less
Pupp 13

14. photos from back home or other real objects
into your classroom to liven up your first class.
Things to find out before you open that
door to the classroom:
sroom
ese Clas
A Chin
• Is this a new group of students?
• Do they know one another’s names?
• Do I need an ice breaker that works
on names? Or an ice breaker to get
them talking to ascertain how good
their English is? Or both?
Your
Day o
ff, C
hina
14

15. s
dent
r Stu
g You
M eetin
c First Day at School
This is it… Judgement Day. Only kidding, lighten up! Yes, it’s nerve-
wracking and your stomach might be dancing to a Run DMC
beat, but they’re just students and believe us, they want to learn
from you! What are you afraid of? Half the battle is won because
the students actually WANT to be in the classroom and they have
a healthy respect for you.
c Key Tip
Remember to give your students the opportunity to practice their
English skills. It’s easy to slip into the habit of spending all of the
lesson in the front of the class doing all of the talking, but they are
not going to learn if they are just listening to you all day.
c Planning Lessons
You want your lessons to be fun, and you want them to work.
Ice-b
reak
ers
15

16. You want your students to walk in the door
looking forward to their classes.
You want your students to walk out the door
knowing some new English!
The magic word is preparation! To make Gett
ing
to K
now
your lessons matter; ensure you can You
answer these questions before you go
into the classroom.
1 What’s the aim of your lesson? Is it a new topic –
for example going shopping, colours, the weather?
2 What is the new language in the lesson? Are there any new
structures needed. E.g. ‘I’d like’ or ‘how much…’
3 What skills will be developed during the lesson? Speaking,
reading, listening?
4 How are you going to break up the lesson into different stages/
different activities? What will the students be doing at each
stage? What will you be doing at each stage?
Don’t be nervous… be prepared! Use every resource available to
keep your lessons fun and educational… try our neat little e-book
full of 20 free tried and tested classroom activities!
16

17. Exploring Your New Home
Don’t let yourself get all cooped up like a
chicken in your spare time, get out there and
see your new ‘hood! Get off the beaten
track, use your new local contacts to get
l
Loca
e Like a some amazing deals and visit amazing
Explor
places you wouldn’t find as a tourist.
You might be working from Monday to Friday or you might work
over the weekends, whatever the case it’s important to get out
there and explore using your spare time. Don’t be scared to
try something new… after all you’ve already moved to a new
country so don’t try telling us you’re not afraid to try new things!
You can’t fool us!
Want to see how it’s done? Read TEFLer Sophie Wong’s recipe
about ‘How to Have the Perfect Weekend here; she’s currently
TEFLing in Taiwan! Or how about TEFLer Bridget’s ‘There’s Nothing
Weak About the Weekends’… fresh from Thailand.
Oh and keep the social networking with friends back home to a
minimum… if you were really having such an amazing time, would
you be sat at your computer? No! You’d be out enjoying yourself
for real!
If you’re ARE online though… help the TEFL world by sharing tips
and blogging on Chalkboard.
Get o
ut Ex
plori
ng
17

18. ye
oodb
ing G
Say
c Saying Goodbye to Your Students & Friends
Whether you’ve been teaching English for a few weeks or a few
years, saying goodbye is difficult for everyone involved. Foreign
teachers are a huge novelty to other teachers and especially to
your students, so leave on a high note and allot time for a decent
goodbye… there’s no creeping out the back door here! Have a
picture taken with your class and if you can, leave one behind for
them to have as a memory of you.
Swap contact details with EVERYONE! You never know when
you might need to contact them again (but maybe give certain
people contact details that won’t invade your privacy if you’re
unsure) and it’s great to get an update of how your students are
doing every now and then.
c Moving On
Have you got a return ticket back home or are the adventures
continuing elsewhere? You’d be surprised at
18

19. the amount of people who go on to TEFL
in more than one location and forget
about heading home. What’s to hurry
home for anyway?
If you’re heading on to a different Your
stud
ents
will
country, don’t forget to research visa miss
you
regulations and check baggage limits
on airlines. You don’t want to be hit with
an unexpected bill. Leave a forwarding address at your last
address if necessary too.
c Returning Home
Try and anticipate the reverse culture shock. When you set
off for your TEFL adventure overseas, you expect things to be
totally different. But when you return back home, you think that
everything will be exactly the same as when you left – which is
actually rarely the case. You’ll probably be really excited to get
back home and see your friends and family… but what happens
when the novelty of being home has faded?
You might feel distanced from your friends and family because
you’ve experienced a totally new culture and way of life, but
it’s important not to forget your experience. Try and find a way
of to fit your TEFL experience into your life back home. Taking up
cooking/language classes can be a good idea.
em!
lmiss th
you wil
And 19

20. It might seem as though nothing has changed
in the time you’ve been away, even after
a few years. You will begin to notice about
how much living overseas has changed
you. Be prepared to be bored and/
exotic or drift apart from some friends, but the
be as
on’ t
Ho me w best relationships never seem to die.
Home will always be home, and eventually
you’ll settle back in to home, or head off on even
more TEFL travels!
...or a
s col
ourfu
l!
20

21. 1 3
How am Must remember to join
choose w I going to this forum to chat to
here ..
go and I want to other TEFLers out there.
TEFL??
!
2
Oh yeah!
Job application
jackpot!
Do NOT lose this
link to
the most helpfu
l TEFL jobs
info I’ve ever se
en!
TEFL Chalkboard
I must
check
Top 10 o
TEFL De ut this
e-Guid
stinatio
ns 6
e... ember
Oooh! Must rem
5 to take so me lesson
oom
4 Packing L
ist! plan and classr
I’ve got to es with me!
Vaccinations! activiti
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book an appoin
Packing
Must rem Found th List!
ember to is blog a se 20 free
check th what to p bout I found the
e most u this
medical p to date ack! activities in
ook!
advice o
this hand n helpful e-b
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21

22. ing
Teach
Craig
7:30am – Wake up and shower. Choose between a traditional
breakfast of miso soup & rice or stick with the classic of toast &
orange juice.
8:00am – Leave house and cycle along the coastal path to a
junior high school.
9:00am - Lessons start. Teach the joys of the English language.
12:30pm – Eat school lunch with the students. Talk in a mixture
informal English and Japanese. Deflect rumours about my love life
every single day.
1:00pm – Clean the school with the students and other teachers.
1:15pm – Plan the following day’s lessons with teachers before
cycling to elementary school.
1:30pm – Quickly prepare fun lessons before the
onslaught of energetic children.
Japan
ese C
ount
rysid
22 e

23. 1:45pm – Lessons start. Hand out stickers for
my reward scheme (hint: they love them)
3:30pm – Return to the Board of Education.
Grab a ‘Pocari Sweat’ energy drink along
Som
the way. e of m
y St
uden
ts
3:45pm – Plan lessons for the following day.
Talk to my boss about sport/fish/politics/English jokes.
Head home
6:00pm – Try cooking Japanese food for dinner
7:00pm – Go to football training with students/Go to taiko
(Japanese drums) practice/Teach my adult language class/Meet
friends for dinner and drinks.
10:00pm – Reply to emails or Skype home with friends and
family. Read books/study Japanese/try to understand Japanese
television.
11:00pm – Go to bed at a sensible hour like a good boy (with the
air conditioning on maximum in the summer)
11:05pm – Look forward to tomorrow.
c You can chat with Craig Hunter
on Chalkboard here!
ht
oat NIg
Toky
23

24. www.onlinetefl.com