Why TEFL Newbie?
So you can get the straight scoop from someone who has lived overseas for 20+ years, taught English in four different countries from two to five years in each and can share some real world experience with you. You can know my name: Ted Tucker. You can even get my email address. No one is hiding behind an avatar or a puffed up name.
It’s not all perfect, it’s not all easy. But you already know that you can’t fully trust the Internet’s forums and bulletin board’s hidden agendas. Where complaints about a country are often as not sour grapes of someone who got fired; or puffed up wage suggestions might be the result of ego building. Most of what you find “out there” is pretty good stuff, but TEFL Newbie is here to help you sort the wheat from the chaff.
Life abroad isn’t for everyone, but it can be a real delight for the right people.
The intention of this blog is to help you know if you are the “right people.
I hope you are. There is a big wonderful world waiting for you out here.
Come on board!
Ted | 
August 12, 2009 3:22 PM
7 Comments
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By Tony Longoria, April 3, 2010 @ 5:04 AM
I am not certified YET but am working on that. I am a 45 y/o dad with full custody of my son who is in high school and should graduate next year in may. I am really excited about being certified and going out there and experienc this. As I read through all these blogs from different people throughout the world imparting their knowledge with different “eager” students unlike the “American” students. I say this as I myself am an American. Please don’t get me wrong, we do have some wonderful students that are earnest in learning in school with good english skills. A very good majority of our students do not care to learn anything at all and on top of that their english skills are in the pits. Call me “old school” if you want, but I was raised different. My parents come from old mexico and learned english. My siblings and I were born here(USA), Republic of Texas (I had to throw that in there as I am from San Antonio). Our first language was spanish but we had to learn english and speak it correctly but also NEVER under any circumstance forget our (my parents’)tounge. Also never, ever intermix languages when speaking,it’s either one or the other. Having known a little of my background sir, do you think it might be a good idea for me to take a refresher course in english at the local community college as I have been out of school for so long? Where do you stand on that? I thank you kindly for any ideas or advice if you will. I also thank you for sharing with us your knowledge and experience out in the “field”. Respectfully, Antonio “Tony” Longoria. Remember the Alamo !!!!!
By Ted, April 3, 2010 @ 5:24 AM
Hi Tony,
I don’t think that a college English course would help much (wouldn’t hurt either). Most good TEFL Certification (EFL teacher training) programs will have a strong component of grammar. Having grown up with English – even as a second language – you likely have native speaker skills. Most of us, even if English was/is our first and often ONLY language – don’t remember much of the specifics about grammar. Take a good look at the course at http://www.TEFLBootCamp.com/ – it is a TEFL Certification program – but there is also a lot of free information there about teaching English.
Not ALL students in this part of the world are eager to study English, but you are correct – the attitude towards school, education and teachers is much more positive.
By Tony, April 6, 2010 @ 4:22 AM
TEFL Schools: Hello Mr Ted …. this is Tony from San Antonio and hoping you had a good Resurrection (easter) weekend. Thanks for the information you provided to me last week. I’ve been probing around for TEFL schools and have found 1)i to i. 2)Oxford and 3)International. Do you know of any others? Somebody mentioned one named “Cactus”, to me it sounds like an odd name for a school, unless it’s from Arizona. Any suggestions Mr. Ted? Many thanks again. Sincerely, Tony
By Ted, April 7, 2010 @ 7:53 AM
Hi Tony,
Most TEFL programs are okay. Cactus is just a large referral website that makes a commission from whomever they send you to. So – if you see a school that interests you on their website – just try to figure out who it is and contact them directly and ask for a discount (as they won’t have to pay Cactus).
For online – TEFL Boot Camp is as good as any and FAR less expensive.
By cherbear, April 8, 2010 @ 2:31 PM
I came across your blog from tefldaddy and I must say that its been one of the best tefl sites yet, almost more so than dave’s esl cafe. I have been looking into doing a tefl course but they are rather expensive and sadly the city that I live in offers a course at a community college far from me and its rather expensive around $1,700 bucks!
From your other site you mentioned something about volunteering teaching esl and reading the teflbootcamp. I looked up the pro-literacy advocates and to my surprise they had a local branch near my house and I talked to a manager and I signed up for a training class. I have say thanks so much for the idea now this way I can not only get some training but now I will possibility gain some esl teaching experience. On top of that I’m thinking of taking a teaching profession class at the local community college.
This is definitely something that I think other people should possibility look into as another way of gaining some experience while helping out their local communities.
By marguerite, August 31, 2010 @ 5:44 PM
“That I waited until I was 37 to do it! Had I known, I would have gone as soon as I graduated from university in 1976.
I don’t dislike America, it’s just that it is all too familiar. I have already spent 37 years there and there is too much to see, too many places to experience and enjoy.”
What you wrote is exactly how i feel right now today. I am 37 and was thinking these exact same thoughts. Thank you.
Question – why do you say living overseas is not for everyone?
By Ted, September 1, 2010 @ 11:05 AM
Hi Marguerite,
Why do I say living overseas is not for everyone? Because some people can’t handle the uncertainly, the distance from family, the culture differences and much much more. Watch for a post on this topic in the next month or so.
Bye!
Ted