Spendthrift's Guide to Teaching ESL Abroad. Benjamin Jelen

levels and variations. However, if you have no experience or formal qualifications, be prepared to teach a few children in your path to development. If you absolutely hate working with children, then be ready to do a lot of sorting to find the right job during your first job hunt!

      The benefit of General English classes are that they are fairly easy to teach. They generally do not require a large amount of preparation, or experience; you probably already have most of the basic knowledge you need to be instrumental in such a class. Most of this knowledge will come from your innate sense of the language you speak. Furthermore, basic classes are a great way to get your feet wet and learn the basic do’s and don’ts of managing a classroom (which is critical.)

       EAP

      EAP stands for “English for Academic Purposes.” Students in EAP classes are generally studying for either High School or University entrance examinations. Generally, EAP students begin their studies in Middle School or Junior High; though more common “General English” curriculums are being constantly modified across the globe to ready students for EAP programs as early as elementary school. Most of these programs aim to (or should aim to) teach students skills which will be critical to them in academic life; critical reading, critical listening, patterns of written organization, and basic grammar. Generally the goal of any EAP student is to pass “the test”, and many courses and schools (so-called “cram schools”) revolve around test taking and raising students’ standardized test scores. In many countries students will take these high-pressure tests several times a year and attempt to get a higher and higher score. This can be a lot of pressure for adolescents and High School students – and there is a lot riding on these tests. In some countries, competitive test preparation begins as early as age 8! (The country is Japan, if you are wondering.)

      So, what tests am I talking about? Common tests that measure EAP proficiency are…

      1. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

      a. iBT (Internet Based Test)

      b. cBT (Computer Based Test)

      c. PBT (Paper Based Test)

      2. Cambridge Examinations

      3. IELTS (Cambridge University Proficiency Tests)

      4. The Trinity Examinations

      TOEIC!?!??!

      The names you see above are basic industry standards. They may as well be brand names like Kraft or Coca-Cola. By far the most popular test is the “TOEFL iBT”. It is produced by a company called ETS (English Testing Services), and is a fairly complicated test; with its own format. The iBT is increasing in popularity year by year, being limited only by internet access in developing nations. In many developed English speaking countries, the test is the standard for foreign students to be admitted. However, foreign countries also use the test for High School and Junior High School admissions to competitive “English Language” or “Foreign Language” schools where English is the language of instruction.

      The downside of the iBT and TOEFL, is that it is a very specific testing format. This is one of its major criticisms. Many educators feel that it is not an “authentic” measurement of English ability (and there are plenty of students with high test scores that cannot function outside of this test to prove it!)

      If you don’t have experience with the format or taking any of these tests, it can take a few weeks or months to learn. Therefore training is critical for your success as a test trainer. Students are usually under a great deal of pressure, and they are generally very knowledgeable about test procedure- so don’t burn a bridge by getting in this area of teaching until you are really ready. It will be obvious if you don’t know what you are doing.

      As a teacher, teaching the TOEFL can be fun, but if you’re the type of person who dreaded your English SATs, then this may not be the right choice for you. This is not to say that I haven’t had great fun in TOEFL test preparation classes – just that they are not the norm.

      Advanced EAP programs also exist in Universities, and “Intensive English Programs”. These positions are usually reserved for educators with a high level of qualifications, and experience. If you are starting out, start with learning the tests themselves, and how to teach them.

       ESP

      ESP stands for “English for Specific Purposes” or “English for Special Purposes”. Both of these terms are relatively new acronyms as the industry goes. ESP is generally equated with the layman’s term “Business English”. Business English, or ESP, is taught all around the world to executives and aspiring professionals, as well as students of business. Business English is generally geared toward improving job performance in English. As such it usually focuses on common business behaviors and practices like teleconferencing, writing e-mails, small-talk, basic greetings, cultural training, face-to-face meetings, and job interviews, to name a few. It is taught by freelance teachers, University lecturers and Professors, English language training companies, and companies that work in coaching, or short seminar courses.

      ESP companies generally put a high premium on business experience, training, and qualifications when it comes to instructors. This is not to say that you can’t get into business English as a neophyte; just that you won’t get a job at a really good English training company in ESP if you don’t have significant experience, training, and swagger. If you teach Business English, realize that most of your students will have more experience and better qualifications than you (unless you already have an MBA and have started your own company of 20 years.) It’s best to start small in this field, and build your confidence as you go. Also, many “General” and “EAP” positions will bridge into this field from time to time, and you can expect to acquire some relevant experience that way.

       Motivations for Studying English in Different Industry Sectors

      Students study English for a variety of reasons, (as you’ve no doubt guessed by now.) These might be for education, work, or personal improvement. So, everyone wants to study and learn English, right?

      Oh, what a perfect world that would be! But not all English instruction, in fact most English instruction is not voluntary on the part of the student. Parents force children to get to cram schools to get higher test scores. Employees are threatened with lower wages or layoffs if they can’t improve their English. Degree certificates are withheld from graduate students and doctors all around the world based on one qualification; English ability. This is a key step to understanding your students, who they are, and what they want. From the very beginning you should realize that no group- be they children, adults, or in between- are going to be totally willing and receptive little sponges simply waiting to soak up the knowledge which you are about to imbibe them with.

      How to Get Your Feet Wet

       Getting Started

      Now you have a basic overview of the English language teaching industry, and we’re ready to get down to the nitty-gritty of how you actually do this. So, let’s start at the most logical place- with you. Personality and your own history and experience heavily factor into where you want to go, what you want to teach, and how long you expect to do it. Your ideas on these topics may change over time, (maybe by the time you finish reading this book!) Regardless, it’s good practice to establish a “baseline” for your expectations.

      So, ask yourself these questions: Who are you? And, what do you want?

      Write your answers down in a notebook or on a scrap of paper, and come back to it later to see if it has changed.

       Sidebar: Do I need to speak the language?

       This is probably the most common question that will be asked of you when you tell people about your decision to teach English overseas. The answer’s simple; No.

       Actually in many countries, especially Asia, your employers will actually discourage you from using the native language in the classroom. Again, this is not pedagogically or scientifically founded by any means; in fact, having