What Life Is Like In Russia

There are a number of new republics - former members of the USSR - that are worthy of the TESOL teacher’s consideration. Kazakhstan, offers wide-open spaces, endless steppe, and world famous horse sausage. Azerbaijan, intriguingly, was once a major stop over on the great silk route, and sports medieval minarets and high-quality carpets. Uzbekistan has many architectural splendours and some of the oldest towns in the world, and again many stopovers on the silk route. Georgia, described variously as a part of Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East - depending upon whose geography you go with - obviously has an incredible array of cultures, and a striking contrast between the old and the new - not to mention fantastic food. Belarus is for the nature lover, and those who enjoy the great...  [Read more]

Moscow's vibe fluctuates between formal capital and cultural powerhouse. The Kremlin is at the core of political life, a building with an intimidating architectural style. Go inside – its cathedrals and museums whisper a thousand stories about czars and czarinas, patriarchs and princesses. The Kremlin is Moscow’s crème de la crème. The 12th-century construction began with wood, and blossomed into the world’s largest medieval fortress. Waltz through Red Square past Lenin’s Mausoleum, with his century-old body lying in state, to find palaces, museums and a startling art collection inside the Armoury, including some of the famed Fabergé Eggs. Wander through the world's largest gallery of Russian art. In the contemporary wing, analyze Malevich's provocative...  [Read more]

The Orange Revolution which saw free and fair elections finally bought to the Ukraine in 2004/5 has led to a great enthusiasm for change, and brought about a great sense of freedom. This is reflected in bold fashions and enthusiasm for partying and living the good life, where possible. The population of forty-eight millions fits snugly into a landmass of two hundred and thirty square miles. Ukrainian is the official language, but also Russian, Romanian, Polish and Hungarian are spoken. Religions observed include Ukrainian Orthodox, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox, Ukrainian Catholic, Islam, Judaism and Protestantism. In other words, quite a mix. Since 1989 the transition to a market economy in what was the old Soviet Bloc has led to huge demand for English language skills. Everything...  [Read more]

Online vs. Onsite Courses Becoming certified to teach English as a second language can be done onsite or online. On online course was the most efficient, economical and in many ways the superior way for me. This article explains my background and situation. It also touches on the process I went through to get to this, the final lesson. Online is not for everyone. It takes an open and creative mind to step into the world of computers and electronic tutors. An imagination and discipline were keys to my approach. Imagination was profound when I would take time away from class and Google some blogs about teaching English. Dave’s Café was just one of these places where you could find endless discussions on the joys and perils of teaching English in other countries. These stories were the...  [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]

The acronym TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Although it is commonly used to describe the act of teaching English abroad, it is also used when referring to the training courses that people take to prepare themselves for the reality of teaching overseas, as well as the qualification they are awarded once they successfully complete their training. Once you have secured a TESOL certification you will be in a great position to land an English language teaching job in virtually any country you prefer. Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! If you have done any research into English language teaching you are certain to have come across other acronyms similar to TESOL that can be a little confusing, such as TEFL, TESL and ELT. The bottom line...  [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]