| We all had that teacher at school who was absolutely | | | | spend an evening, but things like working hours, |
| dismal: boring, ineffective, nasty… Make sure you don't | | | | extra-curricular commitments, holidays, training and the |
| turn into him/her while teaching abroad by steering | | | | school's reputation could make or break your |
| clear of the 7 deadly TEFL sins: | | | | experience of teaching abroad. Ignore them at your |
| Sin 1: Talking too much | | | | peril! Get more information about what you should |
| You can speak English, so don't really need the | | | | check for here: |
| practice! Your students on the other hand can't – | | | | Sin 5: Overcorrecting your students |
| give them as many opportunities to practice their | | | | We've all had it – the impatient ******* who won't let |
| English as possible and cut down on the dreaded TTT | | | | you just have a go – they have to step in and take |
| (teacher talking time). | | | | over, and all that happens is you get more and more |
| Expert TEFL tutor, James Jenkin, said: "I'd studied | | | | wound up. That's how your students feel if you keep |
| languages and I thought I'd be a good teacher because | | | | correcting them when they're trying to talk. Just relax |
| I knew about grammar. I used to stand in the front and | | | | and let them have a go – the worse that can |
| lecture. I wish I'd done some worthwhile teacher training | | | | happen is they make a mistake, and if it's totally |
| before I started – it took me a couple of years to | | | | gobbledygook, just wait until they've finished before |
| realise that being a good teacher is about helping | | | | correcting them. Constant interruptions can really |
| ‘learners' get involved and practise with each other | | | | damage learners' confidence. |
| to develop their skills." | | | | Sin 6: Talking too fast |
| Sin 2: Not doing a TEFL course | | | | What's one of the first phrases you learn when you |
| Imagine getting behind the wheel of a car, having never | | | | start another language? After you've got the hang of |
| done a driving lesson before. That's a bit what | | | | ordering beers, it's almost always ‘Can you speak |
| stepping in front of a TEFL class without a TEFL | | | | a little slower please'. It is fiendishly difficult to make |
| certificate is like – you're very liable to crash into | | | | sense of a second language when the speaker is |
| things! Neither you, nor your students will gain much | | | | talking incredibly fast – make it a little easier for your |
| from the experience and you'll find that it could soon | | | | students by speaking slooowly and clearly, and |
| descend into chaos! What's more, not doing a TEFL | | | | enunciating every syllable. |
| course will seriously limit the jobs you can apply for | | | | Sin 7: Scruffiness |
| and the amount of cash you can earn. | | | | Unlike the healthy mixture of derision and disrespect |
| Sin 3: Disrespecting local customs | | | | we have for teachers here in the west, most teachers |
| Did you know that touching kids' heads in Buddhist | | | | in other parts of the world have quite a high social |
| countries, such as Thailand, is massively disrespectful? | | | | standing. As a result, turning up for work looking like |
| Suddenly that pat on the head doesn't seem like such | | | | you've just crawled out of bed is something of a no no |
| a good idea! Wherever in the world you're teaching, it's | | | | – both students and other teachers will think you |
| important to research local customs to make sure you | | | | don't care about your classes. Much better to make a |
| don't end up upsetting or offending anyone. | | | | bit of an effort and get the respect of your students |
| Sin 4: Not checking your job conditions | | | | and peers. |
| Poring over your contract and checking your job | | | | What do you think? What's the deadliest TEFL sin in |
| conditions may not sound like the most exciting way to | | | | your book? |