TEFL Bucheon

It was earlier in the year when we decided to become 'homestay' parents. Having no children of our own, we knew our lives were about to change. I had a feeling, a good feeling that this was going to be a mutually enriching experience. Over the Christmas/ New Year break, a fiery passion was developing within me. I blurted out to my husband, “ I want to live overseas for a period of time and I want to learn a language!” He said, “ Sounds great to me.” That's where it all began. I got to thinking some more. For a long time I have wanted to take my dental skills overseas as a volunteer. I want to make a difference to other peoples lives, who's aren't as fortunate as mine. Not even sure what that means exactly yet. Perhaps it is a sense of achievement that I crave. Feeling satisfied, being satisfied, justifying my life? It is this that has fuelled my drive to continue and complete this course. It's like I can hear the cheers from the sidelines screaming, “ Keep going Lisa, you're almost there!” I often tell my husband that he “can do anything. The skies the limit.” And “we only limited by our imaginations.” I'm starting to take some of my own advice, I'll see where it leads me. We started to do two things: the first was to enrol with a language school and apply to become homestay parents. The second, was to commence the tefl course. We were off to a slow start with the course. I knew that as soon as we did start, that that was an acknowledgement and commitment to completing the course. It was a bit scary. The homestay preparation was very easy in comparison, complete some paperwork, apply for Blue Cards, prepare the spare rooms for students who will be living in our home and studying english as a second language. We are up to our seventh student now and are now well in the groove of sharing our home with strangers. When you are learning how to teach english to students who are just like the students living with you, they are not strangers. We all are decent people, learning about other cultures, respecting and embracing each others disparities and understanding that we are all so different but so similar at the same time. I love it when a student says, “ Lisa, can you help me with past perfect and past simple?” Up until a few months ago, I had never heard of these expressions, ever! I get to practice what I have learned on real students, in my own home, even before I have stepped into a classroom. How good is that? Or like the first time I was asked to prepare a lesson that included 'real' exercises. I got to road test them on my homestay student and she did it, learned something from it, and it worked! I was thrilled. This study has taken me the full six months to complete. I'm happy that it has. It wasn't a race. I was in no hurry. There were time when it tested my commitment and focus, even moments when I thought that it may be beyond my capabilities. But now however, I am ecstatic to announce that I have completed this course, learned so much more than 'english' and have another reason to believe that, you really can do anything.