Happy New Year

Dear all. 

I want to make use of this space to wish you a happy new year. May the new year bring you happiness at all levels and solve the problems around the world. I know the latter is nearly impossible, but I like to welcome every new year with the highest motivation ever! 

All my best for everyone.

David.

How to become a non-formal ESL/EFL teacher (I)

The globalized world we live in allows the mobility of workers in any field, and our profession is not an exception. Currently, there are lots of language schools everywhere that hire teachers and, although I don't agree with it on most occasions (that's another debate), being a native speaker is a decisive factor. 

Even though some of these schools don't ask for any type of TEFL or TESOL certificates to prove candidates are suitable professionals, the reality is that most of them do. This provides information about how serious a language school is or whether they're just in for the profit. 

In any case, having one of these certifications is more than recommendable, overall if you want to know the basic processes involved in teaching. However, there is a problem: there are too many TEFL and TOEFL courses everywhere. Actually, if you just google TEFL certifications, you will see thousands of places around the world to take this type of course in any modality and at any price you may imagine. 

Which one to choose, then? From my perspective, it is essential to do some research: check whether the certificate offered is recognized and where; try and get in touch with former students; compare the number of hours it's supposed to take; get in touch with companies that hire teachers to see whether the course you wanna take is worth it (and I'm not only speaking about the money); make sure you will have a specialized tutor and the opportunity to have real teaching practice; take an in-depth look at the contents; compare different programs... It's a tough job, but worth it! 

All in all, and I don't get any money out of it, Cambridge CELTA is probably the most "powerful" course. I know it is really tailored and there's not much room for creativity. Cambridge is like that. They propose their own teaching style and believe it's the best (whether it is true or not). Furthermore, all their certificates are recognized worldwide and employers want to make sure they hire the best professionals (wouldn't you if you had your own business?). 

Here you have a very good infographich by Teach Away with the minimum requirements one of such courses should have:

All in all, please make sure whatever TEFL/TOEFL certification you obtain suits your purposes. You will be investing your time and money and you want to be certain your decision is correct. 

David.

How to become a formal education ESL/EFL teacher in Spain.

As you know, there are many paths to choose from to become an English teacher. Years ago, in Spain, if you wanted to have a teaching career in English in formal education, you had to study a B A. in English (English Philology). 

This enabled you to work in the non-formal education sector, mainly in language schools. Working conditions at that time were not the best, to be honest: very long hours with eternal breaks at various times. In my case, I remember working for two different language schools. I taught extracurricular EFL classes in two schools. I had class from 8 to 9 am in the first one (after commuting for an hour and a half from my home) and,then, from 13:30 to 14:30 in the second one after an hour travelling between these schools. Then, off to the subway to travel for an hour (having a sandwich for lunch on the way) to teach from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Let's not talk about salary, but you may well guess it wasn't very high.

Honestly, though, I will never complain about this schedule and the long hours. I had time to prepare all the classes (tasks, handouts, processes, assessment...) and even read literature related to the EFL world. Last but not least, I gained lots of experience which still to this day I find extremely useful.

But what about formal education in Secondary School? By the time I finished my degree, we had to take a course which followed the following format: you registered and received three books (after paying a high fee), read them, attended a Saturday morning session with "experts" (Education PhD candidates), completed the required two-week practical sessions in a high-school on your own (teaching some classes if you were allowed to), wrote a report on your internship and sat a multiple choice exam. Had the books been useful, I would have appreciated this course, but they were not designed for prospective English teachers, but Spanish ones. I still remember reviewing Spanish literature, which I liked but wasn't appropriate for us English teachers. This whole process took between 3 and 6 months. In a nutshell, a waste of time and money. Just worth it for the possibility of being able to teach in the formal education sector.

Nowadays, there's a huge difference. Here in Spain, you finish your B.A. in English and then take a M.A. program in Education. Looks way better, doesn't it? But not all that glitters is gold. 

The idea of having a real appropriate specialized training is fantastic and I am a fervent supporter, but "Spain is different". Why? Well, most professors in these M.A. programs have never taught a class in Secondary School or, if they have, it was a long time ago. In other words, they can't show students the reality of teaching. It's just more theory. Oh, yes! The theory I had studied on my own and had started to implement in my teaching practice! I'm not saying I did it perfectly well. On the contrary, I made many mistakes, but didn't have to pay elevated fees, although nowadays there is a stable system of institutions willing to allow these future teachers to teach while they have to carry out their practical element of these programs.

I've already been the tutor of some students in these M.A. programs (both from public and private universities) and they are surprisingly good at theory, but don't really know how to structure a class. They know many big names (methodologies, writers, researchers...) but have no idea on how to teach a class. They've lost referents in their life and can't articulate a coherent, consistent session. By this I mean many M.A. programs like these aren't really working as they should, as didn't those some years ago, but they enable you to teach in the formal education sector.

Fortunately, the situation is different in Primary Education, as future teachers have to develop their teaching skills by spending a good amount of time in institutions so as to gain real practice experience. Good for them! I've seen many of them in the school I work for and they get that real practice that will be essential in their career. 

As far as I know, the situation for Secondary School is improving with some universities designing a range of M.A. programs that look quite well designed and seem to offer a thorough training for new teachers and experienced ones. One example is Universidad de Alcalá de Henares through Instituto Franklin (www.institutofranklin.net), as they offer a wide variety of programs with an international atmosphere because of professors and students (many of whom come from the USA). In any case, if you are really interested, take a look at the programs that Spanish universities offer, but bear in mind that the requirements in other countries will be more than likely be different. Here you have a link to the different universities in Spain: 

http://www.crue.org/universidades/SitePages/Universidades.aspx 

This is just an abbreviated overview about the situation in Spain when it comes to formal education. What is the situation in your home countries? Is it better, similar or worse? I would love to hear about it!

What about informal education? Wait for the following entry to get to know about it!

David.

A Heartfelt Merry Christmas and Everyday!

Dear all.

I would like to wish you a merry Christmas. These are special days to be merry and enjoy life with your beloved ones. I really wish you can do it. If you can't, please let these words cheer you up and lift your spirit. 

Please, make the most of these dates. Exactly the same as during the rest of the year. Life is full of special dates. Actually, everyday is a special day. For you, your family, your friends... Never forget we can make people feel happy and special at any time any day. Let's give Santa a break by becoming him more often and spreading joy around us. 

A heartfelt merry Christmas! And a heartfelt merry Everyday!

David.

Why teaching?

Hi everyone!

I'd like to share with you why I became an English teacher. To be honest, I have only come across with a handful of great teachers in my life that took their teaching practice to a level others never did. 

I'm not talking about methodologies or innovation. They were people who really worried about their students and wanted to help them regarding not only the subject they'd teach, but at a personal level. Teachers who were really there if you had a problem or just felt there was something strange going on with you. Teachers who were first and foremost caring humans. 

Unfortunately, they were only a handful, but I looked up at them. They made you feel important and special. Still today I know teachers like them, but the sad reality when you are in a formal education context is that there aren't as many. This links straightaway with current problems in education (droppers, failure figures, etc.) and it is an aspect that educational authorities tend to forget. Every teacher is different and has a different teaching style, but this shouldn't hide the reality that we have to care for our students. 

I know present workload (and I'm not writing about classes, but bureacracy, excessive procedures and protocols, pressure from educational authorities and a long etcetera) is very heavy and high, even to the point of becoming a real obstacle in our profession.

However, we should stop and think about it. As a teacher, I want to help my students achieve their academic objectives, but their personal ones as well as much as I can up to the limits we can't "trespass". And last but not least, inspire them!

Thus, we must be prepared for an ever changing situation and reality and there is an element that can't be missing at any time: our own motivation. Of course, motivation won't make problems and difficulties disappear, but it will help us cope with them and look for the best solutions. 

When I wake up everyday, I'm really looking forward to being in class with my students. Actually, I can't imagine my life without teaching. I would more than likely feel depressed. I love teaching, specially English. 

When I talk to colleagues and my students I always tell them the same: if I ever lose my motivation, I will quit because it wouldn't be fair for my students to have a demotivated teacher. Of course, there are up and downs, but they mainly come from external sources, not really from our daily teaching practice.

This career is hard, sure, but is really rewarding (usually from the long distance). I just need to see my students learning, reaching their goals and being happy in life. Of course, the boost you feel when they acknowledge you were important in their life is unbelievable. But this shouldn't be our driving force. 

Then, whoever is or thinks of becoming a teacher should think about their own motivation and their goals in their career, but always bearing in mind the central "element" : STUDENTS. 

A little bit about me...

Hello everybody. Before starting to write entries, I'd like to introduce myself a little bit. I began learning English when I was about 10 years old in a small local language school. I still remember the method which was used: 

a) Monday: reading the textbook (of course, not like today's).

b) Wednesday: grammar (explanation and writing sentences until you had written as many lines as James Joyce in his "Ulysses").

c) Speaking about the textbook.

Three days a week for 5 years. And in the meantime, my friends playing football on the streets having a great time. As you may have guessed, I didn't really have a passion for English. However, I have always been grateful  to that teacher, Antonio, as he started my English journey.

The turning point came when my high-school organized this 1-week long trip to England where we'd live with a host-family in Portsmouth. Getting there and being able to actually communicate made me realize that all those boring contents I had studied were of some use. And what use! Still to this day, I believe I wouldn't have become an EFL teacher if it hadn't been for that experience. 

Then, university time to get a B.A. in English (Autónoma de Madrid) and an M.A. in English (Saint Louis University) before starting my Ph.D. in English. During these years, I discovered my second passion as well: literature!

While doing this, I started teaching English (both ESL and EFL) and Spanish as well. I was aware I loved teaching, but not so much! Teaching was my passion and I fell in love with teaching modern languages. I have taught all ages and levels, but I have been teaching in a state-funded school for the last 14 years, mainly students aged 16-18. 

I am the Head of the English Department and the coordinator of a bilingual-bicultural program which consists of having an extra session with students every week where we work on projects with conversation auxiliaries.

I love teacher training and consider it an essential element in any teaching career. Unfortunately, some don't agree with this. I have no idea why, as I believe we are always students learning in an ongoing process that never ceases. 

I hope this blog, with your help, becomes a learning and discussion place for everybody interested in teaching not only English, but modern languages in general. 

David.

A Warm Welcome

Hello, everybody!

My name is David Leal and I'm just a humble, ordinary EFL teacher based in Spain. I have been teaching English for the last 20 years of my life and I have decided to create this blog to write about this wonderful career (with its ups and downs, of course). I acknowledge I can't compare myself (and it's not my intention) to professionals like Russel Stannard, Hugh Dellar or Nick Peachy, among many others.

I just want to share with you my thoughts and impressions on a variety of topics related to this world/these worlds and, ideally, generate discussion. You are all welcome to take part in this blog and have fun with it while learning at the same time by commenting, interacting, sharing information, uploading links to research and articles, etc.

Please, if you don't mind, share it with your colleagues and friends and let's build an inspiring community, so we can learn from each other. Thanks very much in advance. 

David Leal.