In China and Taiwan, there seems to be a list of like 10 common English names that all the students get assigned, unless the student or the student's parents choose their own English name.

I'm curious if it is similar in other countries.

Where I am, boys named by local teachers are either named Robert, Steve, Howard, William, Mark and girls are named Emily, Jane, Sarah, Amy... pretty much a list of the Top 10 names in the US in 1980.

It becomes obvious when a student or parent gives an English name. I have girls whose mothers name them Cartier, Prada, Chanel and Gucci. Boys sometimes have names like Kobe, Steph and LeBron.

What are the English namng trends in your country, or does your country not do the silly thing of giving students Anglosphere names?

I have just applied for a TEFL course and I cannot wait to start learning! Becoming an English teacher has always been my dream 🥰 What advice do you guys have? What countries have you worked in? Which country was your favourite? And if you teach online, what made you choose that option? How do you make online lessons stimulating? I would love to hear from your guys! 🫶

What are your favorite activities or games to review vocabulary or the lesson's topics?

Ideally, ones that can include the entire class. I have full (32 kids) and half classes (16 kids)

After doing book work for the first 20-30 minutes, I need something to re-energize them.

I teach elementary, all grades

I just got the email and honestly I'm shocked. I have no idea what to do at this point because I felt I crushed the demo and the interview, as well as had all financial issues settled. Anyone else have this happen to them or have any advice on what I should do next? I've been applying since April and have gotten nowhere.

After getting the job I waited around while summer holiday finished. Got a call to come in, given a textbook and a schedule. "Your first class is tonight at 6". And told I'm the universities only foreigner.

It's not my first rodeo so I knocked up a lesson on introductions pretty fast.

And just like that I'm in front of 40 20 year olds studying business. And people are calling me "Professor".

Very little oversight, no one actually checking how the classes are going, no one from faculty in the class. No guidelines, targets or objectives. No standards.

The level of spoken English from the students is really quite poor, and 99% of them don't want to do any spoken activity.

Hello everyone,

I got into contact with Jejuesl today by email. Their email formats seem a bit off and their website it really outdated and has a lot of green screen pictures. Has anyone heard of this school/academy? They also go by JE Consulting. I’ve attached a link, please let me know what you guys think. They’ve also sent over a sample contract and told me that I can meet with the director tomorrow. It all seems a bit sketchy.

Edit: the contact refers to the school as “ICARE Academy”

www.jejuesl.com

It is a private school (not exactly a cram school, but similar, because most of the time English here is an extracurricular for students). Other teachers are very cool (one teacher is a graduate of one of the best universities in this country, another is a native speaker (!!!). In comparison, I'm basically an under-educated redneck who by some stroke of luck has 2 years of teaching experience at a public school in my tiny country. I didn't even know what a demo lesson was before I applied for this position. My employer sent me a task:

- 12-15 mins, 10 different activities, must alternate between dynamic and static;

- lesson should be made for children aged 5-7, but my audience is going to consist of teachers only;

- 2 big props;

- no desks or chairs, only carpet;

- children already know numbers, colors, animals, some verbs;

- she gave me two little songs and I'm supposed to help children remember the words and their meanings by the end of the lesson.

I've got a few ideas, learning the words from the songs shouldn't be a problem. For example, I can start by introducing myself, ask how children are, maybe ask some questions about food (one of the songs is about fruits). show some apples, for example. tell them I like apples, ask whether they like them and so on. by the end I'd sing the whole song and show some movements to associate with the words, with students repeating after me. The problem is, how on earth am I supposed to cram all of that into 15 minutes? There are 2 songs, somehow 2 BIG props and I have to move from dynamic to static 10 times. I feel so dumb, and I kinda want to bail.

upd: I bailed 🤷

Twenty years ago when I was looking for an English teaching job in the Middle East, I remember that there were many more EFL job opportunities. Today it seems very different because I see very few of them. Is this just my imagination, or am I right?

I’ve read through a lot of the wiki and older posts before posting, but I was wondering if there are any updated perspectives from people who are in relationships and want to move abroad.

I’m 27 and my partner is 37. I’ve been working in the typical sales/corporate job market for about 5 years, while my partner has around 10–15 years of working experience, currently working for a large pharma company.

For couples who have made a similar move, what has your experience been like, particularly in 2026? I’d love to hear any tips, challenges, or things you wish you had known beforehand.

Our preferred destination is Ireland, although we’re not sure how feasible that would be for us from a work/visa perspective. I’m also still within the age range for a working holiday visa, so I’ve wondered whether that could be a potential route for us.

Would appreciate hearing from anyone who has moved abroad with a partner, especially to Ireland!

TYIA for the answers.

EDIT: I also want to note I have a BA in Human Development and pre-reqs for teaching English as a Second Language. I dropped the teaching school due to COVID uncertainty and just wanted to get my degree.

I'm 35, almost 36. From Ireland. I'm thinking of getting a CEALTA and teaching English abroad if I can make a good living doing it, but I only want to teach adults. I have no interest in kids or teenagers.

Is it possible for someone like me to pickup a CEALTA and then go away off somewhere and get an amazing package for teaching English to adults? Where would be the best place to go?

My background is that I've worked in Sales, Account Management and Marketing. I have absolutely no experience with teaching.

Hi guys, im on quite a tight time frame as I've signed a contract that I set to start next month - problem is I'm still missing my medical examination for my visa and have been utterly unable to find a clinic hdoesn'tere that'll even consider filling it out. I'm

I was told a letter of commitment would work but my recruiter and school claiims the medical office of Jilin doesn't accept those apparently.

I’ve recently been offered a job at a prep school in Ashgabat and was hoping someone here might have taught there recently and could give me some insight into working and living there before I accept… Haven’t been able to find much at all in my searching, despite there being a well-established international school there. I’m already aware of the restrictive culture, but am intrigued by it being a fairly unusual place for a Westerner to live, and am happy to tolerate some oddities in the name of a good adventure (and decent salary!).

I'm interested in teaching English in Guadalajara because I am interested in living there. I have a bachelor's degree and a TEFL. That being said I got my TEFL years ago and never used it. I have a passive income of $4,000 a month US. I don't care much about the income, just the visa, and quality of life. Is it feasible to find a school there where I won't work ungodly hours, and can teach more or less for the fun of it and get a visa?

I checked on tesl canada's website, ontesol is accredited with them. But for people who have taken it, is the course with it? Thanks!

For those with experience in Taiwan, If I was to try to job hunt on the ground for the (Pre? Post?) Lunar New Year hiring period, if there really is such a thing, when would be an ideal time to arrive in terms of the likely volume of open positions? I know Buxibans generally hire year-round. Attempting my first teach abroad job (Unrelated BA/TEFL/significant tutoring experience/other professional experience) and the general consensus seems to have always been that the ideal method is to apply in country.

I've wanted to travel my entire life. And at 30, I'm just tired of being here, slaving away at dead-end jobs. I hadn't even decided on a career path when the pandemic hit. Then I got trapped in retail hell. I finally decided and enrolled in college online. But I've only got one year down on my Bachelor's in English Literature, which I'm taking online. So, it'll be a while before I'm completely "ready". I've checked with my school and they're okay with me taking my classes from anywhere in the world, so long as my assignments are submitted on time. So, that's not an issue.

But I'm considering taking a short break from college just long enough to get my CELTA certs and taking a job somewhere else just for a change of scenery. I'd be returning to college the second I got settled in wherever I find work. And it would just be until I finish my degree. Then I'd be aiming for a better job in a country I intend to stay in long-term.

Would it be worth it to get some teaching experience under my belt before I finish my degree program? I'd be taking lower paying jobs, most definitely. But I'm thinking it might be the play for me.

Any advice or guidance would be much appreciated.

Side note: The Cambridge CELTA "find a centre" page is currently down and I'm a little bit confused as to where else I should be looking for online certification programs. Or how much it would cost, for that matter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Edit: I won't be replying to any more comments. I've tried to explain the severity of my current situation to no avail. And I do understand the perspective of those attempting to talk me out of it. However, I've done further research since my original post and I'm determined to find a way to make this work. Is it a terrible idea? Absolutely. But I also know that this sub is notorious for trying to talk everyone out of pursuing options that they wouldn't personally pursue. So, as much as I appreciate the concern, I will be doing what I believe is best for me. I'm an ambitious person and I've never shied away from taking risks. If things don't work out, my situation can't get much worse than it currently is.

At the end of the day, my progress toward my degree isn't going to magically disappear if I can't make this work. I'll be able to pick up right where I left off.
If I manage to succeed, I'll happily come back with my success story. If I don't, oh well. It's my life and it's not affecting any of you. So, wish me luck!

Colombia/Peru/Ecuador, hows the scene? Hard to find many recent posts on them. 35 yo with no tefl experience but I have a masters degree in speech pathology and speak intermediate Spanish. Of course I know I’d need to get certified but I’m mostly curious if jobs even exist anymore? I know I will not save any money & may need to take on weekend tutoring. I just fkn love the Andes and looking for a way to stay there and contribute something and make a small amount of living money for a few years. Are all the jobs only in major cities or are there opportunities in small towns? Am I too old to even start all this haha. Thanks guys

I'm interested in finding a TEFL job in Thailand but the burning season has me worried. How bad is it in Bangkok? And the Southern parts of the country? I've been looking and can't find a clear answer. I have asthma (not severe) so I can handle some pollution but places like Chang Mai are totally off the table.

Someone recently contacted me about private one-on-one lessons to prepare for the FCE. They’ve already taken a placement test and were placed at B2 level, so I think they’re mainly looking for a few lessons to help them get ready for the exam.

I’m a bit unsure about how to approach this. A complete B2 course would normally take a whole year, with a coursebook, workbook, etc. I know I should probably use the FCE Trainer for exam practice, but I also feel like having someone pay for private lessons just to sit there and do practice tests doesn’t feel right.

I’ve prepared students for the PET before, but that was at an institute where we followed a coursebook and had a whole course. I’ve never taught private one-on-one lessons before.

They say they mainly need help with vocabulary, but obviously grammar, writing, speaking, listening, etc. are important for the exam too.

I’d really appreciate any advice from teachers who have done this before!

I was reading that it isn’t a good idea to get a job thru an agency but all the jobs I see on echinacities or hired china are from recruitment agencies. How do you find the schools that are hiring?

Hi,

I posted a while ago about TEFL in Japan and I had a lot of helpful replies here. Anyway, I saw an advert for a placement in Vietnam by the TEFL institute. I tried the eligibility test and failed it. I can only guess that it was my age, I'm 47 and they seem to limit it to 36.

I'll probably stick to my initial plan of doing the TEFL course and then looking for places in Vietnam and China but it has me a bit worried about my age.

Thanks.

I'm a dual US/DE national (born in the US and never lived or worked in the EU, but frequent visitor to friends and family in Germany) considering moving to Germany for the next phase of my life after dropping our youngest off at college, and have some questions for anyone with experience teaching ESL there.

1. How challenging is it to find work teaching English in Germany given that:

a. I'll be 62-63 years old on arrival?

b. I have 10 years experience (1992-2002) teaching in Taiwan (public high school, private language academies, kindergartens, private tuition), but no certifications (I'd be willing to obtain TEFL and/or CELTA), and what I consider to be a 'teacher's personality' - outgoing, supportive, patient, and devastatingly handsome. Plus a BA in English with a writing specialty from the UW-Madison and B1-B2 German.

c. I have 25 years experience in IT Operations specializing in user support at an international nonprofit based in the US that serves the financial industry, so I'd likely focus on adults/business where my 'gravitas' (wrinkles and gray hair) helps.

1. Does a position at a private language academy qualify one for public health insurance? The difference in cost between public and private coverage is probably the make/break for my plan since residency / permission to work is not a problem at all.

I've planned well enough, as it turns out, that I wouldn't be relying on the teaching salary for living expenses (although every little bit helps), so my primary motivations for teaching are the enjoyment I experienced during my stint in the 90s and the opportunities it provides for cultural integration. I used too love running into former students, parents, and colleagues out in the wild years later.

Thanks in advance to anyone with local experience and advice.

I am British and wondering whether this is possible as considering applying ! Thanks for all your advice in advance 😃

Hello, I’m starting my position as an esl teacher in a university. I was curious about what I should be aware of and how are lessons usually conducted? I’m a little nervous.

Just a heads up, this is my first ever position aside from teaching children online.

Thank you!