| Teaching ESL/EFL is a lot of fun. I love it. I have been | | | | of teaching ESL/EFL. You have to read the latest |
| teaching different types of subjects for over 20 some | | | | publications, books, and also attend seminars in this field |
| years, and I have to admit that teaching ESL/EFL has | | | | to stay inform. And why do you do this? For the sake |
| the been most rewarding experience in my life, | | | | of your students. |
| emotionally and financially. Some background of myself | | | | Tip#3: Expect to spend a lot of time and money |
| first, I have been teaching English as a Foreign | | | | (Actually this should be a subheading of tip#2). You will |
| Language in Japan for over 12 years. I own two | | | | spend a lot of time making copies of materials. You will |
| schools in a city where one English school is | | | | spend a lot of time (and money) at bookstores looking |
| somewhat hard to maintain, let alone, stay profitable, | | | | for the latest texts to use, or books to supplement |
| but I have done it, year after year - even when my | | | | your main text. |
| competitors are closing their schools or their number of | | | | Tip#4: If you are teaching privately on your own, teach |
| students are decreasing, my schools goes the | | | | only 2-5 students for the first year. This will give you |
| opposite direction. | | | | enough time to create a better curriculum. If you are |
| And I have managed to do this with advertisements | | | | teaching for a public school system, then pray you |
| that are published one time, every two years. So, I | | | | teach no more than 15 students per class. |
| think I have some knowledge in this field to make me a | | | | Tip#5: Stay within your spending budget. In the |
| little qualified in what I am talking about. I will give you a | | | | beginning use a few materials, if possible have your |
| teacher's point of view, not a lot of theories that | | | | students pay for them. If you work for a public school |
| usually are said and remain in the classrooms at | | | | system, still stay within your budget, because your |
| universities. I don't want to be too wordy, so let's just | | | | public school will not reimburse any supplementary |
| get to the tips that I am suppose to give you in this | | | | materials for your classes, at least the public school I |
| article: | | | | used to work for. If your school does reimburse your |
| Tip #1: You have to love teaching! If you think you are | | | | money, then LUCKY YOU! |
| going to make a lot of money in this field,at least from | | | | These tips should help you get started and stay |
| the beginning, then you better just stop reading this | | | | motivated for a long time. If they don't then there is no |
| article. Your enthusiasm in anything, your passion in | | | | hope for you, and sadly, no hope for your students. If |
| anything will always show externally. Who is it for? For | | | | you have read this far then I think you will do just |
| your students. | | | | GREAT! Happy teaching and Aloha. |
| Tip #2: You must constantly be learning new methods | | | | |