Something Interesting About Japan

Japan can present the traveller with a bewildering combination of culture, manners, beauty, architecture and personalities. Whether one goes to Fuji San - mount Fuji, to admire it’s serene beauty, or one parties all night long in Roppongi - the nightclub district of Tokyo, one is constantly taken aback and presented with the unexpected. At times a shade frustrating, such as when you are on a train so crowded that you go three stops past the one you wanted because you cannot move. Hence, the ‘gaijin’, or foreigner learns to laugh about these things and accepts them as a part of life. A population of one-hundred and twenty seven millions is jammed into a landmass of one-hundred and forty five square miles. Indeed, the population density in the big cities is amazing. The official...  [Read more]

China is not so much a country as a huge world in its own right. The ambition of the nation is to be the world’s largest economy, and most educated observers expect that it is only a matter of time before this aspiration is met. But it is not simply the economic dynamism and the strange contrast of cultures that draws the traveler. Thousands of years of history, philosophy and culture are clearly evident, and in a sense all of the political events of the 20th century, are merely a grain of sand on the beach of Chinese history. Cantonese and Mandarin are the official languages; however, in a country of around one point three billion spread over nearly four million square miles, there is a cornucopia of different dialects and idioms. The reality is that Cantonese will serve you well in...  [Read more]

As Vietnam continues to develop rapidly and become more economically liberal, the demand for learning English has increased dramatically and, as a result, Vietnam has now become an attractive destination for a TESOL course. Our TESOL course in Ho Chi Minh City is highly regarded and after completing the course you will find plenty of job opportunities for teaching English in Vietnam and elsewhere in the region. Vietnam has, in the recent past, suffered an image problem, largely due to the conflict there in the ‘60s and early ‘70s. However, the country is developing rapidly and is attracting more and more visitors due to the incredible beauty of the country, the fascinating culture and the friendliness of the people. There are many beautiful beaches that run along the Vietnamese coast...  [Read more]

Problems for learners in a Country of your choice: Italy In this paper I will address the issues I face as a teacher from the context of living and working in Italy, as well as the common problems my students encounter while learning and speaking English. I also want to draw attention to the input culture and society has on language, and look at how these factors influence dynamics within the classroom. Of course, it is nearly impossible to view ones self outside your own given cultural perspective, so as a result of this I will also be discussing my own assumptions on how I "imagined" people might act, compared to the reality of the situation. Often I neglect to take into account these differences, simply because I was raised in America, where I am used to a different set of cultural...  [Read more]

Situated within the east of the country, Tashkent is the Republic of Uzbekistan’s capital and largest city. It is also Central Asia’s most populated city with a population of about two and a half million people. Tashkent was made the capital of the country when Uzbekistan became independent after the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991. Tashkent is a fascinating and dynamic capital where the long history and rich culture of Uzbekistan can be seen in the city’s interesting architecture, in particular the exhibition halls and metro stations. One of the best ways to experience the way of life in Tashkent is to pay a visit to one of the many local markets which serve as social centers for the local population. Tashkent has an excellent public transport network that makes it possible to...  [Read more]

Home / CELTA Trinity Courses / Athens Athens is always a popular choice with CELTA trainees as it has a thriving market for qualified English language teachers. The city is also overflowing with historical sites and is within easy reach of several beaches and the calm blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. For a quick insight into all that Athens has to offer, click here to enjoy a virtual tour. As well as its many attractions, Athens also provides a welcoming and safe environment in which to live, study and work. If you then add the great climate, delicious local cuisine, and the vibrant nightlife, you can begin to see why the city has been one of Europe’s most popular for decades. No visit to Greece would be complete without heading to one of its many stunning islands,...  [Read more]

Home / CELTA Trinity Courses / Athens Athens is always a popular choice with CELTA trainees as it has a thriving market for qualified English language teachers. The city is also overflowing with historical sites and is within easy reach of several beaches and the calm blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. For a quick insight into all that Athens has to offer, click here to enjoy a virtual tour. As well as its many attractions, Athens also provides a welcoming and safe environment in which to live, study and work. If you then add the great climate, delicious local cuisine, and the vibrant nightlife, you can begin to see why the city has been one of Europe’s most popular for decades. No visit to Greece would be complete without heading to one of its many stunning islands,...  [Read more]

English is one of the most commonly used second languages across much of the world and it is currently being studied by tens of millions of people from all backgrounds and cultures. How and where they choose to study can vary considerably, but one thing that most English language students have in common is that their studies are led by a tutor known as a TESOL teacher (or something similar such as ESL teacher, TEFL teacher, etc). The role of a TESOL teacher is to slowly build up their student's abilities in the four language skills; reading, writing, speaking, and listening, to enable them to reach their individual study goals, which could be for work, study, travel, or a variety of other reasons. Please note: the acronym TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. ...  [Read more]

Should Students Be Allowed to Use Their Native Language in the Classroom When I first began teaching lessons during the TESOL Course I found myself almost automatically saying to the students, “English please,” after all it is an English class. However, I began to question myself about whether or not this was “correct” practice or if the students should in fact use their native language to assist them in the learning process. After doing some research I found the TESOL Law Code of Ethics. The Law of Ethics provided many vague and open-ended ideas. It suggested things along the lines of, “The foreign language teacher shall direct her whole professional effort to assist the students to develop his/her second language speaking ability.” It also mentions that TESOL teachers are to...  [Read more]