English Toolbox Tips

On the heels of the expulsion of the British Council, Moscow has just been named the world's most expensive city. English teacher salaries remain relatively low, and visas are harder to obtain than in the past. Oh, well--who wants to pay $10.83 for a cup of coffee anyway?

Labels: EFL, teaching English, TEFL

This eye-opening article warns about TEFL job-site scams. Sample quote:

It turned out that said job scam was one that, besides posting fraudulent job ads on prominent EFL job boards, involved the use of forged official forms and documents from a government ministry... [The] Gulf News reported on an almost identical scam that lured teachers from the United States, Great Britain and elsewhere aspiring to teach EFL in the UAE.

Labels: EFL, teaching English, TEFL

We asked our subscribers how they utilize the interactive files they've downloaded from English Toolbox. Most of the replies mentioned that the teacher e-mails the students the files to work on individually on an office or home PC. But Rebecca M. in Indonesia has incorporated her files into a private blog that her students can access via a password. "This way, they can either do them online, or copy them to use later when they're offline," Rebecca told us. Great idea--you've won an additional five free English Toolbox credits, which will be credited to your account!

(P.S. to Danny: yes, the interactive HTML files work just fine on Macs as well as Windows-based PC's)

Our next contest is for everyone, not just current subscribers. To qualify, simply tell us if you have a plan for when you will leave the English teaching profession. Do you have a target age or number of years in the field before you quit? Are there certain countries you plan to work in, and then retire afterwards? The most compelling answer will reap the sender five free English Toolbox credits, even if s/he does not currently subscribe. Send your e-mails to info@englishtoolbox.com by 31 July.

Labels: EFL, teaching English, TEFL

An interesting article discusses getting your first EFL job, the various recruiting agencies springing up, and what your prospects are when you return home afterwards. Our next contest will also touch on some of these issues.

Labels: EFL, teaching English, TEFL

A thought-provoking article. Excerpt:

Thanks to globalization, the Allied victories in World War II, and American leadership in science and technology, English has become so successful across the world that it's escaping the boundaries of what we think it should be. In part, this is because there are fewer of us: By 2020, native speakers will make up only 15 percent of the estimated 2 billion people who will be using or learning the language. Already, most conversations in English are between non-native speakers who use it as a lingua franca.

Labels: EFL, teaching English, TEFL

We asked last time how you kept in touch with family and friends while living and working overseas. Peggy U. in Cheju-do, South Korea, takes advantage of cheap phone cards and also does a lot of Instant Messenger-ing. "Luckily, we have very fast internet connections here in Korea," Peggy reports, "and so I can see and hear my family using a web cam and microphone. In fact, I just leave the PC on all the time, and wait to hear the bell announcing that someone is online! With the time difference between Korea and Europe, it just makes things easier." Thanks, Peggy, and we hope your five free English Toolbox credits will make things even easier for you!

We're excited to see that more and more of our customers are buying our interactive HTML files in addition to the MS Word documents: indeed, some of you only buy the HTML versions! In that spirit, for our next contest, tell us how you utilize the interactive files you've downloaded. The most creative application will earn the sender an additional five free English Toolbox credits to his/her account. Send your contributions to info@englishtoolbox.com by 15 July; due to the nature of this contest, subscribers only, please.

Labels: EFL, teaching English, TEFL