The Latest Overseas Teaching Jobs!

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will have realized that every Monday, I post a new list of overseas teaching jobs. Here's today's list:

Australia[1], Austria[1], Bangladesh[1], Belgium[1], Brunei[1], Cambodia[1], Chile[1], China[39], Czech Republic[4], France[2], Hong Kong[4], Indonesia[8], Italy[18], Japan[4], Kazakhstan[2], Kuwait[1], Kyrgyzstan[1], Libya[1], Malaysia[1], Oman[3], Poland[2], Qatar[2], Russian Federation[11], Saudi Arabia[14], Singapore[1], South Korea[5], Spain[33], Taiwan[1], Thailand[3], Turkey[7], Ukraine[1], United Arab Emirates[1], United Kingdom[27], Vietnam[4], Worldwide[19]

Although only several hundred jobs are shown here, don't be fooled. There are thousands of teaching positions out there - but as in other professions, most of the available jobs never get posted. Why is that? 

1. Jobs are often filled from within.

2. Jobs are filled from a list of resumes / CVs already on file.

3. Jobs are only posted locally.

Back to # 2 for a second... even though a school in your preferred country / area may not have an opening for you at the moment, it never hurts to send your resume / CV to them anyway. If they like your credentials - education, experience and TESOL, they will keep your details on file until the right opening comes along.  But don't just blanket the schools, do a little research and be selective in the schools you approach. Then, be ready to go. When a school contacts you, they are usually looking for someone NOW. Oh, I'm not saying you should have your bag packed and sitting by the door but be sure your passport is valid and has lots of time left on it. 

If schools don't know about you, they can't contact you so make yourself known. Meanwhile, if you are serious about wanting to teach overseas and don't yet have a TESOL certificate, I recommend you get one quickly. It is one more step in being prepared. Schools like to see a TESOL credential. It shows you have the exact training they are looking for and it's another way to get your foot in the door! We can help you get your TESOL qualification. Click here!

Dr. Robert Taylor

Thailand ranks near the bottom in an English proficiency survey

According to Bangkok's 'The Nation' (English language newspaper) Thailand ranks near the bottom in an English proficiency survey, showing the persistence of one of the key competitive weaknesses of the Thai economy.

Out of 60 countries and territories where English is not their mother tongue, Thailand manages only 55th place - outdoing only Panama, Kazakhstan, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, according to the EF English Proficiency Index.

The survey on adults was conducted by the global leader in international education, EF Education First, which is based in Zurich, Switzerland.

Poor English skills indicate the small base of competent adult English speakers necessary for a globalized workforce.

"Comparison of countries with their neighbours, trading partners and rivals provides a fascinating study in divergent national priorities and educational policies worldwide," Christopher McCormick, head of EF's Academic Affairs and Research Network, said yesterday.

"We found that by engaging in a national dialogue about English, stakeholders can help align goals, improve incentives and focus on teaching English for communication. The economic impact of such a coordinated programme is clear."

All over Asia, Thailand's ranking is only above Kazakhstan. Leading the regional league is Malaysia with a score of 58.99 score, followed by Singapore. The others - India, Hong Kong, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and China - are all over 50 points, while Thailand gained only 44.44.

The survey was conducted in the realization that English is now a communication tool in the globalized era, when work becomes more delocalized and information more decentralized.

Educational institutions, driven by the demands of society, are increasingly embracing English language learning. Many school systems now require English study starting in primary school, much as they do math or science. University professors are delivering lectures in English to prepare their students better for life after graduation.

Is it any wonder that Thailand needs many English Language teachers?  Go here to earn your TESOL certification and prepare to teach overseas!

Should I use 'Sit' or 'Set'?

To most native English speakers, the difference between 'sit' and 'set' is obvious. However, to non-native speakers, it can be confusing. Let's look at what the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has to say.

Like many of our shortest English words, sit and set have lengthy entries in the Oxford English Dictionary. Some of the definitions overlap. Some are interchangeable. 

The most common uses of sit and set are similar to those of lay and lie. “To sit” is to be seated. “To set” is to place something somewhere. In these contexts, sit is intransitive and set takes an object.

Mixing up sit and set is not as common as mixing up lay and lie because the principle parts of sit and set are completely different: 

sit, sat, (have) sat, sitting

set, set, (have) set, setting

However, because sit and set have so many additional uses, efforts to state a hard and fast rule as to when to use one and when the other are futile.

That fact doesn’t stop people from trying. I read a comment asserting that “animate objects sit, whereas inanimate objects set, and that’s that!”

If “that were that,” the following statements would represent standard usage, but they don’t.

The flowers were setting on the table and the men’s tuxes were draped over chairs.

We were surprised by the beautiful gift-wrapped package setting on our bed.

Both “flowers” and “package” are inanimate objects, but sitting is the verb called for in both statements. 

The meanings of sit listed in the OED include this one:

 a. Of things: To have place or location; to be situated. Ex. There were a dozen eggs still sitting on the front porch and the dustbin sat at the back of the house where the binmen had left it.

The flowers were sitting on the table and the package was sitting on the bed.

The expressions “to sit well” and “to set well” have differing meanings.

A certain plan may not sit well with voters. Here, “to sit well” means something like “to please” or “be agreeable to.”

A jacket may be said to set well on the shoulders. The OED definition for this sense of to set is,

To have a certain set or hang; to sit (well or ill, tightly or loosely, etc.).

In texts written about clothing, you will also see “to sit well” used in the same sense:

Just because you can squeeze yourself into a garment doesn’t mean it sits well.

Trousers with a wider waistband sit well.

When speaking of clothing, “to set well” and “to sit well” seem to be interchangeable. 

In the matter of liking or not liking legislation, “to sit well” or “not to sit well” is the way to go.

In speaking of an object that has been placed somewhere, the choice is “sitting.”

That may or may not make the topic any clearer because it can be confusing. Native speakers usually rely on their 'ear' and experience to sense whether a word sounds right.

There are many "sit or set" worksheets and quizzes on the Internet. Search for "sit or set" (include the quotation marks) on Google, Yahoo or Bing. These make good lesson plans.

 

Latest Overseas Teaching Jobs – Nov. 4, 2013

We get these and many other teaching positions every week. They are new positions. While you may think that once school starts, no new teachers will be needed until the next year - or at least the next term, that is not so. Why?

1. Not all schools use the September - June year. In Asia, depending on the country, schools can start in January, February, March, April, May or June. And guess what - this is where the majority of the new jobs are and the need for new teachers is greatest.

2. Not everyone who is hired is the right fit. Like other jobs, teachers are usually on a three month probation. This is to see if they like the school and the school likes them. Sometimes it doesn't work out and for one reason or another a teacher leaves - thus creating an opening.

3. Sometimes a teacher's credentials or references don't check out and the school is forced to terminate him/her.

4. Schools also hire at midterm and new semesters (often because of 2 and 3 above)

5. There are many reasons why a teacher doesn't stay at a school. Homesickness is quite common among young people being away from family and friends for an extended period. Even with the Internet, Skype and other forms of instant communication, not everyone can handle it.

6. Teachers also find other jobs and move on, creating another opening.

The important thing is to give it a chance. It takes time to get used to how things are done in a foreign country. You have to learn to 'go with the flow' and approach each day with enthusiasm. If you do, this will reflect on your students. If you don't, it will also reflect.

Here are the latest jobs...as of November 4, 2013:

Australia[1], Austria[1], Brazil[1], Brunei[1], Bulgaria[1], Cambodia[1], Chile[2], China[43], Czech Republic[2], France[2], Hong Kong[1], Indonesia[9], Italy[29], Japan[3], Kazakhstan[3], Kosovo[1], Libya[2], Malaysia[3], Mongolia[1], Poland[1], Portugal[1], Russian Federation[10], Saudi Arabia[16], Singapore[1], South Korea[4], Spain[28], Taiwan[1], Thailand[2], Tunisia[1], Turkey[5], United Arab Emirates[1], United Kingdom[24], Vietnam[1], Worldwide[16]

Remember...be willing to go where the jobs are plentiful and you stand a better chance of getting hired quickly.

Go here to get your TESOL certification that schools want to see.

Give Yourself a Meaningful Gift this Christmas!

Why not treat yourself this year? Give yourself a Christmas present and be ready to teach English overseas in the New Year? Four to six weeks is all the time it takes to earn a TESOL qualification. With that and your degree, you will be in demand as a teacher of English.

There are thousands of jobs available overseas to people who are either native English speakers or who have a good knowledge of the language and who want to teach English to children or adults , and - you don't have to already be a teacher!

Below are some of the thousands of current jobs. These are from one source. There are many such sources. When you register for our TESOL course, we will show you where to find teaching positions in many countries:

Here are the latest teaching jobs from around the world as of October 28, 2013. Bear in mind that this represents only a small portion of all the jobs out there.

Current Database Status (country/jobs):

Austria[1], Brazil[1], Brunei[1], Bulgaria[1], Cambodia[1], Chile[2], China[45], Czech Republic[3], France[2], Georgia[1], Hong Kong[1], Indonesia[8], Iraq[2], Ireland[1], Italy[19], Japan[2], Kazakhstan[3], Kuwait[1], Libya[2], Malaysia[5], Myanmar[1], Peru[1], Poland[2], Portugal[1], Russian Federation[14], Saudi Arabia[18], Singapore[1], South Korea[5], Spain[26], Taiwan[1], Thailand[2], Tunisia[1], Turkey[5], United Arab Emirates[1], United Kingdom[21], United States[1], Vietnam[4], Worldwide[18]

Wherever you want to go, teaching jobs are likely available but it is harder to get hired in some places. Western Europe is a tough nut to crack. Eastern Europe has many opportunities as does South America. Still atop the list of areas that desperately need a huge number of English teachers is Asia.

It is tougher to get a teaching job in Hong Kong and Japan but South Korea, Thailand, China and Indonesia offer many opportunities. Be flexible and prepared to go where the jobs are to gain experience.

All it takes is a degree and a TESOL certificate . Most schools will even reimburse your airfare! WAIT! No degree? Contact us through our web site! We can help you!

There couldn't be a better time to get started than right now! You could be teaching in one of these countries within a few weeks. As mentioned above, some of our students are hired even before they complete their TESOL course and we are delighted to forward their certificate to their new school!

Go to our web site and get started today on a course that will change your life very quickly! Jobs are tough to get at home. Not so overseas. All you need is a willingness to accept other cultures, a degree in any discipline and our TESOL certificate.  So give yourself a neat and valuable Christmas present this year and be ready to step into a new teaching career overseas in the new year!

Click on this link to start on a whole new adventure and life experience!