TEFL Cuiabá

Personally I started this course just after taking up residency in vietnam. I read recently that when people are transitioning, they often want to take up a new learning experience. That was not my motivation, but it may in fact have provided a useful activity at this time. It gave a sense of preparation, and that I was doing something practical which would serve me and others in the next phase. In doing this course I confirmed to myself that I already had a comparatively good grasp of basic grammar in most of its aspects. I had a traditional education in that respect, and quite a lot seemed to have remained. The terminology does seem to have changed. I was raised with something called the past historic or past definite, and the pluperfect. I do not remember hearing much about modal verbs; - maybe we called them something else too. Active and passive voice though, was old stuff. What was new was the theories of teaching and structuring of classes. The ESA sequence and the two variations were something to bear in mind, and I will be a very helpful model for the future. The importance of the Engage and Activate phases was brought home. So, probably having to do the lesson plans was one of the most practical and useful tasks, although it got me scratching my head from time to time. I also, as a byproduct, learned about a whole “esl Word” out there, that I had never really adverted to. I have some idea where there are resources if I should need to resort to them. In particular, the internet is very rich in support and teaching-aids. With regard to how I will use it – I imagine there are quite a lot of people who will respond to this with a “the world’s my oyster” response. My situation however, places me in vietnam. I hope to use what I have learned with people I have been asked to help. I do plan to use it for part-time work for a salary if possible. Part of the reason for this is that I hope to get a working visa which makes it easier to stay in vietnam. I was happy that I did this course, as I was able to prove something to myself –that my brain is still working although it’s a few years since I last did formal study! I was fortunate too that for a few weeks I did not have too many other demands on me most of the time, and so “my own pace,” was fairly brisk on the whole – much more so than it would have been under other circumstances. I am happy that I did this course, and I have a sense of accomplishment to have arrived at the end of Unit 20.