May Celebrations Around The World

Amanda Stern Destinations Alumni Experiences Are you planning on teaching abroad, but worrying about how you can get involved in the community and leave a memorable impression on the locals? Language barriers may make this seem like a harrowing task, but fear not, the following is a list of a few jumping-off points for those planning to take the plunge into their new community. Celebrating multiculturalism in a community is a worldwide phenomenon, even for unassuming towns. In our rural port-town in Japan, we have multiple events throughout the year to promote understanding and celebrate the various cultures and people who have made Japan their home, temporarily or forever. These events included Filipino traditional dance...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Stories are an important part of any culture, English speaking or not. They can be oral or written and can showcase how culture works and their history. Whether old traditional stories or new popular current stories, the tales we share with young children can shape their developing ideas and values. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Rochelle L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. When working with young children in Early Childhood settings, stories help children to make sense of their world, safely express their emotions, and explore new ideas and values. For example, a story that focuses on friendships might help a child who...  [Read more]

Julia Erbacher Alumni Experiences I am American. My hometown is Buffalo, New York. 26 I have an Associates of Science in Music and Bachelors of Arts in Spanish. I also have been TEFL certified and DELE certified with a C1 level of Spanish speaking from the Cervantes Institute. My first experience abroad I went to Peru, then Madrid, Spain, and finally back to Spain in another region of the country. I studied at the International Institute in Madrid through the University of Albany. In my hometown, I graduated from the University at Buffalo. I was looking for the next learning adventure in my life, as well as the desire to improve my Spanish speaking skills. That is why I made the decision to apply for the Conversation Auxiliar Program through the...  [Read more]

Dan Sloat Destinations Alumni Experiences Volunteer teaching in Nepal is thoroughly rewarding! The need for engaging and enthusiastic teachers is so great and the positive impact you can make, even in a short period, is significant. Personally, I had a modest classroom of 16 students comprising a broad range of ages and competency. Those kiddos were quite a handful, but being their teacher was an incredible privilege. Their maturity was striking and yet, at the end of the day, they are still growing boys. They would get rowdy at times and often pulled pranks on each other. I loved their curiosity, their excitement for learning, and their playful spirits. Between lessons they would often draw pictures for me. I suppose I’m the...  [Read more]

Christian Davey Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Once you’ve decided to move abroad for work, I’m sure you’d like to know the pros and cons of the place? Sure, a quick browse online can give you some idea, but it probably won’t go into anything specific or any real depth. Well, look no further as I’m going to give you five positives and five negatives about teaching English in Taiwan. Let’s start with the positives, in no particular order. If you're wondering if Taiwan is safe to loiter or take a stroll on the streets at night, you don't need to worry. Taiwan is one of the safest places in the world, you can go to a restaurant or a coffee shop and leave your belongings, such as...  [Read more]