Off the Beaten Track

Have you ever thought about going to Qatar to teach, or perhaps return there after a few years working elsewhere?  One of our team, who spent three years in Doha, caught up with a former colleague who is still working over there to see how things have changed.  We discuss some of the most common questions raised about life for TEFL teachers in Qatar and the changes which have occurred over the last few years.

Have you ever considered teaching in The Czech Republic?  Here, teflhub interviews Mike, a British teacher who has been lecturing at a school in one of the most beautiful cities in the world: Prague. We discuss some of the most common questions raised about life for TEFL teachers in this fascinating country over a meal of delicious dumplings in the U Kroka restaurant in Prague’s Old Town.

Have you ever considered teaching in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?  Here, teflhub interviews James, a British teacher who has taught for companies all over the Kingdom. We discuss some of the most common questions raised about life for TEFL teachers in this country which has been a common destination for TEFL teachers.

Have you ever considered volunteering as a TEFL teacher?  teflhub is running a series of articles and interviews to help you decide if you’d like to take the next step in what must be an incredibly rewarding experience. This is an updated version of an interview with the Peace Boat which is an international NGO based in Japan.  Teachers of English (and Spanish) help the international group of passengers communicate and in doing so, help achieve the Peace Boat’s goals:  promoting peace, human rights, equal and sustainable development and respect for the environment. To find out more, read on…

Vietnam is a favourite destination for TEFL teachers.  The country with a population of nearly 100 million runs along a 3,440 km stretch of the Indochina Peninsula.  Mention Vietnam and people usually conjure up images of James Bond-like island scenery, terraced rice paddies climbing misty mountains, and news reel footage of its remarkable history.  Here teflhub asks one of its staff, Delv, to reflect on his experience there in order to find out more about this intriguing country.

TEFL teachers can usually reflect on the wonderful experiences they have had teaching around the world.  There is another opportunity to experience a very rewarding teaching position right on your doorstep:  by volunteering as an English teacher. Demand for government funded, full time ESOL courses far outstrips supply so thousands of migrants (refugees and asylum seekers) across the UK are placed on waiting lists. For such people, desperate to learn how to communicate in English, third sector organisations (charities) are where they turn to. Such organisations are able to deliver ESOL classes only through the goodwill of volunteer ELT teachers. Here teflhub interviews Dr Mike Chick who volunteers on such a programme with the Welsh Refugee Council.

This is an interview with Conversations with Foreigners (aka Volunteer in Cambodia) which is a voluntary organisation based in Cambodia who run three-month contracts for their teachers.  Mention Cambodia to most people and they automatically conjure up images of the temples of Angkor Wat, but there is a lot more to this fascinating country – the beautiful varied scenery, the mouth-watering food, and an aspect which is mentioned again and again: the wonderful people.      

Have you ever considered volunteering as a TEFL teacher?  teflhub is running a series of articles and interviews to help you decide if you’d like to take the next step in what must be an incredibly rewarding experience. Here we interview a teacher from the Red Sweater Project which is based in Tanzania.  A position here would offer you the opportunity to go on safari in the Serengeti with Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro, as a backdrop.  Does that whet your appetite? Then read on:  

Many TEFL teachers choose to extend their adventures by taking an alternative route home after they finish a contract.  If you are working in the Far East, you could consider taking the Trans-Siberian Railway for part of your journey.  There are three primary routes, one which runs through Russia the whole way from Vladivostok to Moscow, and the other two which start in Beijing and run north directly into Russia or via Mongolia.  If you didn’t get off the train at all, the trip would take around six days.  Here a British teacher, Dave,  describes the highlights of the journey he made in 2002 which took him from Beijing to Moscow with stops in Mongolia and Siberia.

To fly or to take the train, that was the question