My Next Adventure -- Teaching ESL!

What am I going to do for the rest of my life?  I've asked myself that question so many times -- certainly, after each of my three retirements!  I have finally figured out that it's the wrong question.  What I need to ask is "What am I going to do NOW?"

The Next Activity -- TESOL or TEFL

I recently figured out my next phase.  I was searching for something I could do when I go back to Guatemala -- something other than lead a women's group.  I can't give inoculations or help the Mayan weavers but I can teach!  And the people in San Marcos definitely need some English if they want to be involved in the tourist industry.

I hunted around for an ESL course and discovered some wonderful, quite expensive courses in Buenos Aires or Seville.  What I needed was a course I could do at home.  I didn't want to go to my local junior college (the parking is horrendous), so I checked out online courses.  I didn't check far because I found a company that seems highly professional and only charges $295 for the basic course plus tutor.

I suspect the company is British since they use the term TEFL rather than TESOL.  Also they use words like "appropriacy" which is not in an American dictionary.  Nonetheless-- even if I have to learn to speak British, the course so far is excellent

Doing TEFL

I have completed about a third of the units in the course.  The units seem to be divided between pedagogy (interesting) and grammar (boring but obviously necessary).  I am learning a lot about reaching lower level students to prepare for the people in San Marcos, Guatemala.  At some point I make take Business English and seek out Chinese business people but right now I'm happy with the lower level challenges.

My tutor, David, lives and works in Phuket, Thailand.  I think the trials of correcting student submissions must be outweighed by snorkeling in the Andaman sea.

Try It -- You'll Like It and Learn Something Useful!

So far I am quite satisfied with TEFL.  I spend a couple of hours or a bit more per unit, so I should finish 20 units in about 50 hours.  I have already sought out -- for experience -- a school here in Santa Rosa that has many non-English speaking students.  I hope to start working with them while I dream of being back on Lake Atitlan.

Who knows?  If I really get involved in this work, I might try for David's job in Phuket.  That's one place my Thai-speaking and cooking husband might agree to go!

For more information on my course: www.teflonline.net