Teach Abroad Blog
Teaching abroad
How to Do an Online Teaching Demo
Oh, the dreaded online teaching demonstration. You’re probably thinking to yourself, “This is so awkward! Why do I have to do this?” Well, the school wants to get to know you a little better as an educator, so a teaching demonstration is a good way for them to get a sense of your personality, teaching style, ability to lesson plan, and professionalism. These are all things that are important when teaching ESL abroad. If you’re an old pro at teaching demos, an online teaching demo is not that different from an in-person one. As a rule, your video should be professional, polished, and not bore the person watching it to tears.
My First Year of Teaching
Learn about someone else’s first teaching experience to help set your expectations of what being a beginner teacher will look like.
It Is All In the Name, 21 Quirky and Bizarre ‘Chinese’ English Names
As a new English teacher you might frown upon the names of your new students. Like most language learners, they were given the freedom to choose their own English names and — perhaps sometimes a little too much freedom. Instead of John or Mary, boys will call themselves Hulk, Tarzan, Hercules or Devil, while girls go by the names of: Cherry, Holiday, Apple, Happy, Lolly or Sugar.
Living Abroad
The Conservative Ways of The Middle East
Moving to the Middle East as a teacher has many perks; be it the exciting new culture, the bazars, the tax free advantage, and nice lifestyle. Doing research about your new home away from home is nevertheless necessary to make sure you understand all the “do’s” and “don’t” before you arrive. To help preapre you for a new adventure, we’ve listed some of the more conservative customs of the region. These are likely very different from your home country and very important to the local people.
Tier 1 and Tier 3 Cities in China
1st Tier Cities
Tier 1 cities represent the most developed areas of the country. Large densely populated urban areas with huge economic, cultural and political influence in China. Tier 1 cities attract a lot attention from foreign organizations because they have higher income levels than the national average. These cities are Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Beijing.
Things to note when discussing each Tier 1 city in China:
- Some of the biggest cities globally
- Populations between 10 to 26 million people
- Talents pools for hiring are educated and qualified for most industries
- Have the highest salaries
- Have the highest real estate/home rental prices
5 Things You’ll Love and Miss About China
Having lived in Central China for a year and returning to States for a year and a half, I really missed things about China. Yes, there were certain things I was glad to get away from but for the most part the good out weighted the bad. One thing I missed right away was my spacious two bedroom apartment because living in Southern California it’s a hard thing to afford on your own. There were plenty of other things that I grew accustomed to and missed about China but from my experience these are the top five things that I wish we had back home.
