Teaching English in Africa

I've moved

2009-10-14T04:31:00.000-07:00

Hi all, thanks for dropping by. To make things easier, I've decided to merge some of my blogs, which, including this one, can now be found at ELT World. I've been getting off my backsides and writing recently, so come over to the new URL and leave lots of lovely comments.

Learn the Latest TEFL News

2008-04-30T03:27:00.000-07:00

In a brave move to escape the clutches of blogspot, the latest news headlines will now be occupying their own blog: ELT World News. I'll still be putting the headlines up here, but for the latest intrigue in the ever glamorous world of TEFL, you’ll now have to head over to ELT World News to satisfy your desire for that crazy, freaky TEFL gossip.

Use that Mother Tongue or Die Tryin'

2008-04-28T02:02:00.000-07:00

South Africa: Proper Use of Mother Tongue the Way Forward

South Africa has arguably the most progressive language policy on paper. This fact is acknowledged by most people who are familiar with the sociology and the politics of language.

In spite of this, however, if one reads only the Afrikaans press, one would have to conclude that this language policy is a total failure and that we are moving rapidly to a situation where the de facto sole official language is the "hated" Queen's English. The reader would be surprised, therefore, to hear that some of us hold the unpalatable view that, because of what we call our "languish policy", this country is in fact simply carrying out in practice a neo-apartheid language policy. For, in spite of the fact that Afrikaans is being driven out of many domains of social life and being replaced by English, it is still the most favoured official language next to English.

Why is language policy important? And why is it a bad idea that we should all be forced to operate in English only when we transact business or are involved in any public domain?

Read the full story…

Secrets of Those that Do the TEFL Hiring

2008-04-06T02:09:00.000-07:00

What you need to ask at your TEFL interview

In March, Mishmumkin raised an issue of great significance to those of us who are looking for that dream TEFL job or are considering starting out in the profession: ‘If I've done my research correctly I should know a great deal about my potential employer before the interview. I'm curious what those who do the hiring wish their candidates asked about.’ So, what are recruiters expecting from their prospective employees at the interview? The forum members shared their wealth of experience in offering the following words of great wisdom. Here’s what those in the position to hire feel you should be asking your future employer at that interview:

Ask what you NEED to know

First and foremost, there is a consensus that you really need to ask what’s important to you as the employee: don’t assume that the person interviewing you knows what your priorities are. MELEE notes that, ‘mostly I'm just listening to see what they ask me. That will tell me what's important to them (the students, the curriculum, resources, housing, benefits, vacation time...). I do the interviews individually, but then report back to a panel - that conversation always includes letting the others know what questions were asked by the candidate.’ When applying for a job it’s easy to forget that, while it’s a one of event for you as the potential employee, the person doing the hiring is having the same interaction many, many times and, as noted earlier, is probably under time constraints. Therefore they are likely to try to get what they need from the encounter, leaving you to ask the questions you personally need answering. Justin Trullinger exemplifies the kind of things that he, from experience, feels teachers should ask at the interview:

'I do the hiring at the organisation where I work. It's not that I have a list of questions I want you to ask, because I don't know what's important to you but I feel very strongly that you SHOULD ask about whatever is. Some of the worst problems I've had with teachers have had to do with things that were important to them that they didn't find out about beforehand, or didn't ask for more details.' Some examples:

1) Clothing:

Teachers placed in elementary schools through us wear uniforms. They are told about this before hiring, and asked if they are okay with it. Depending on the school, these uniforms vary - some are very smart suit looking things, but some, especially at lower income schools, are sweatsuits with school logos. One teacher, very appearance conscious, was so horrified by wearing a sweatsuit that she was unable to continue, and we had to negotiate special permission for her to wear her own clothes. This made all the parents think she was the principal. It was a mess. Personally, I don't care what I wear, and would love to have a uniform, any uniform that meant I wouldn't have to shop for clothes, or try to figure out what color tie goes with things...but to her, it was an issue. She should have asked.

2) Costs of living:

Some things are very cheap in Ecuador. Some are more expensive. Computers are first world prices or higher. Having read online that the cost of living in Ecuador is low (in terms of rent and food, it is) one teacher decided rather than bringing a computer, to buy one here. But here, lap tops are high end luxury without much selection. He should have asked.

3) Housing:

We don't provide housing - but many of our teachers share apartments with each other - which is clearly stated in our pre-interview literature. This is because Ecuadorian apartments are mostly large family or multifamily units, and it would be hard to afford one on your own. A teacher who doesn't like to share simply assumed that he could find his own, and anticipated finding an apartment for the same cost as a room in a shared unit. Not a chance. Then he complains that it's hard to make ends meet...should have asked.

4) Teaching conditions:

Our teachers are expected to use text books, but not to spend the whole course using only textbooks. They also have to be creative and come up with their own supplementary activities and materials. Payment for this is included in their hourly rate - they are not paid for extra hours for doing it. This is standard enough that I didn't make an issue of it, though again, it says in the package that "teaching hours are paid for at $X per hour, and that this rate includes preparation..." Again, if this is a problem, ask, let's talk beforehand. Likewise, if you have any financial obligations outside of the country, like student loan payments, it would be good to ask about how feasible that is...

To that list I’d certainly want to add medical insurance and, if you’re thinking about staying in a country for an extended period of time, you might also want to look into their policies regarding work permits and social security contributions. Those of you who’re new to teaching may find it hard to believe but some of us end up staying for good. It would be a shame to find out several years down the line that you’ve been living illegally and that you’re presence in a country is no longer welcome, or that what could have become a reasonable state pension to supplement your retirement doesn’t exist as your employers never registered you. Ask!

Post-interview questions

Of course, sometimes as the interviewee, you’re going to feel overwhelmed by the situation. A natural consequence of this is forgetting to ask the questions that you really need answering, as Emma notes, ‘I've found in interviews that the interviewer has told me so much information about the school and teaching methods that I really can't think of anything when asked if I have questions. To ask about obvious stuff like salary when I haven't been offered a job seems presumptuous.’ This issue of asking about salary is something that I’ll return to later. Emma also asked the following question on the forum:

‘How do you feel about teachers coming back and asking questions before accepting the post?’

MELEE replied thus, reiterating the need to be time conscious, ‘I think it's great. I'd rather teachers ask only 2 or 3 of the most important questions in the interview, but that's because we interview over the phone and I'm under pressure to try to keep the calls around 30 minutes. I welcome additional questions by email, no matter how many. The sooner the better because really I'm using those questions to decide whether or not I'm going to make you an offer.’ Something I’ve always done at the end of an interview is ask the interviewer if I can make additional contact after our meeting, primarily because I experience the kind of information overload that Emma mentions. As MELEE quite clearly states, this is beneficial to both parties.

Time (not) to talk money

Now onto the issue that’s almost always at the bottom line, salary. Gordon shares his thoughts on the matter:

‘Prospective applicants should not ask about salary until they are offered the job. On the other hand, applicants should have a pretty good idea of the salary at this point anyways. I won't apply for a job unless I have a decent idea of the salary range, in many cases it would be a waste of everyone's time. I hate it when jobs don't give the salary in the ad or at least the salary range.’ It’s not impossible these days to get a fairly good idea of what you can expect to earn in a particular country or even at a certain school. Asking questions at the ELT World Forums is one good way to learn such information. Sherri adds, ‘I don't see why the salary should be such a big secret. I always tell the applicants what they can expect to make. I usually tell them over the phone before we schedule the interview. There is a pay scale so it is easy to figure out. All teachers have a copy of the pay scale once hired. If it looks like the interview is going well, I tell them how often they will be paid and when they can expect their first pay check. This is especially important for people who are relocating for a job.’ I also chipped in with a recommendation which has always seen me right in the past:

‘I think it's appropriate for the interviewee to raise the issue, such as, 'I'm sure once you've made your decision about hiring me, we can talk in more detail about the salary and benefits package you offer.' This lets the interviewer know that while this isn't your only motivation for wanting the job, it is something that they expect to be informed about in detail at some point.’

Gordon summarises the issue perfectly when he states, ‘I think one doesn't want to appear as though money is the most important factor in the job decision, whereas we all know that it is.’ I would make it clear that you will want to have a clear idea about the kind of money you’ll be earning without making that the sole purpose for you having turned up for the interview.

How can you prepare for the interview?

What can you do before the interview? Gordon again offers advice:

‘Before an interview, I write a list of things (housing, resources, etc) that I want answered before deciding to take a job. Then, during the interview I take copious notes, and if the interview hasn't answered my questions, I ask them at the question time. Although, just thinking about it now, I haven't had a face to face interview for years now, so its easy to have my little list and notebook. Not sure how that would go down in a face to face interview.’

While Gordon may not have tried this in a face to face interview, this is a tactic that I myself have used and find that it has been received well. If you’ve taken the time to sit down and make a note of what you need to know from this potential employer, it gives the impression that you’re serious about wanting the job.

Another thing that makes a good impression is showing that you’ve given some thought about how you’ll fit in to the school. Sherri exemplifies, ‘I must admit, I like it when people ask about the students. I like it when they ask about the work atmosphere, but how the teachers work together, if they share and support each other. I like it if they show an interest in our program and show that they at least looked at our website.’ For the interview I had for my present job, I printed of the school’s entire website, annotated the points that interested me and highlighted other information I wanted to ask about. While there was no way for me to get through more than one or two points that I’d noted, it gave the impression that I’d really thought about why I wanted to work here, and was told as much later.

Don’t waste their time

Let’s now briefly assume you’ve been offered a job. Having noted earlier that recruiters appreciate you asking questions that will help you decide if you’re going to take the position, think about whether or not you’re realistically thinking of taking the position before making secondary contact. MELEE explains, ‘If I make the offer, then you hit me with questions that lead me to believe that this is not the best position for you, then you've wasted my time because I need to give you adequate time before I offer it to someone else rather than you.’ Think, at some point it could be you who misses out on an interview because someone was wasting the recruiter’s time mulling over an offer they didn’t intend to take.

One thing you also really need to do is prioritise what you need to ask. The interviewer will want to make a decision about you just as much as you want to decide if you want the job. One sure way to put off the person deciding whether or not to hire you will be asking questions to which you could easily find the answers elsewhere. Think about this: what would you rather know about, the number of hours you could expect to work in an average week or the colour of the tiles in the bathroom of the apartment you’ll be sharing? Prioritise what you need to learn about the school. Yaramaz explains this issue, referring to a recent incident in her efforts to recruit teachers:

‘We just recently recruiting for next term and have had an interesting time poring over applications. One woman included a jpeg list of over 100 questions for us to answer-- not even in word or PDF format! How can we even begin to answer 147 questions on a jpeg??? And most were really pointless questions that could be googled or asked in the interview, like "Do you have a photocopier?' and 'what is the climate of your city?' Aaaaagh!’ Aaaaaagh indeed. Imagine how you would feel if you received such a list of questions at a time when you’ve got to interview numerous people. How much priority would you give to someone who asked questions to which they could so easily find the answers themselves?

I’ll conclude by returning to the advice of Justin Trullinger: ‘It isn't a question of what you should ask - but ask everything that YOU need to know. I may not know what's important to you, but it's important that you ask about what you need to know. Do not assume! Whatever you need to know in order to make an adequate decision, you'll need to ask.’

Follow this discussion over at the English Teaching Forums.

TEFL News Headlines

2008-03-25T23:34:00.000-07:00

After yesterday's Euro news marathon on the main ELT World blog, it's high time I turned my attention to the TEFL scene in Africa:

South Africa: Speaking the Language of Hope by Teaching English

Through training the Themba women in English, Neilson Young Consulting (NYC) hopes to do more than teach them the basics of a new language. Rather, through building communication ability and confidence, the company seeks to further the Themba mission of instilling hope and dignity. It brings a tear to the eye, it really does.

Read the full story…

In Nigeria's Ornate Brand of English, Victorian Words Dance With African Grammar

Nigerian English melds Victorian-era vocabulary inherited from long-gone British colonialists with the grammatical structures and syntax that underpin indigenous languages in Africa's most populous nation. The results can be ornate, oddly understated, or remarkably apt. But in a rapidly globalizing world, some worry that Nigerians will be handicapped by an English that differs from the language of board rooms and Internet bulletin boards. Get rid of the bloody chat rooms if you ask me.

Read the full story…

Uganda: Teaching in Local Languages Good Policy

The idea of teaching in local languages in lower primary school classes followed recommendations from a number of researchers. The 2004 Tony Reed report on the review of primary curriculum pointed out that “generally children learn faster if early education is conducted in a familiar language”.Er, perhaps I am missing something here, or is someone getting paid for stating the bleeding obvious?

Read the full story…

Ghana: New English Teaching Techniques Out

A new methodology (ooooh, I’m foaming at the mouth with excitement) for the teaching and learning of the English language has been launched in Accra by the International English Language Teaching Commission. The commission seeks to replace the present methodology which it considers cumbersome and full of technicalities (with another equally cumbersome and full of technicalities, if my experience is anything to go by).

Read the full story…

Yemen: Curriculum Reform Project to train English language teachers

Graduation ceremonies for English language teachers participating in the Curriculum Reform Project was (sic) held on Tuesday afternoon at the headquarters of the Ministry of Education. Participants in the project received certificates of qualification for the first and second stages of teaching English language to students at the elementary, preparatory and secondary levels of education. Very proud we are of them, too.

Read the full story…

How to be a Great Online Teacher

2008-03-20T03:12:00.000-07:00

Are you thinking about hosting an online course for the first time? Maybe you've already taught online but are looking for some tips to help you become more effective? As TEFL teachers, this is an increasingly good opportunity for us to generate income. Here are a few points for you to think about...

One thing is for certain, the world of online learning is expanding at an incredible pace. More courses are being offered and more students are enrolling every semester. Of course, teaching an online course can be done while sitting at your computer in your undies, but becoming an effective online instructor requires a good deal of practice and preparation.

Of course, teaching online does take away the face-to-face involvement with students. Nothing can replace seeing a student smile after finally understanding a difficult language point, but online teaching can be even more rewarding than traditional teaching, when you do it well.

So, what makes an effective online instructor? While I would say that good teaching involves an incredibly large number of different qualities and techniques, effective online teaching focuses on three main points:

1) You really must be clear about your expectations. Because your student(s) aren’t sitting right in front of you, it’s extremely important to be very clear. How do you know if you are clear enough when you can’t see the students sitting with a puzzled look while nodding their head in apparent agreement? Well… ask the students. Carefully evaluate the quality of their work and how close the finished product matches the aims and objectives. Another good idea is to have a colleague read your material before the course begins. If student evaluations are distributed at the end of the semester, you can use the feedback to help you improve your course and teaching techniques but keep in mind that by then you can no longer help the students learn what you want them to learn!

2) You must communicate frequently AND effectively. Most students will expect you to be sitting at your computer – waiting feverishly - whenever they send you a question by email. Of course, that is not practicable, nor is it in any way reasonable. Therefore, it’s a good idea to give students a time frame in which you plan to respond, with 24 to 48 hours being fairly reasonable. Also, it’s not enough just to communicate frequently. You must also communicate effectively. While some students (especially new online students) will want you to lead them by the hand through each step, if you already have clearly written instructions, you can direct them to these instructions. Bear in mind that most students are not usually going to be asking you questions to annoy you, they just want to make sure they are doing what you want them to do. So, be understanding, even when you get questions that seem nonsenical. If you get the same questions frequently, it’s a good idea to save the questions and your responses to create an FAQ list.

3) You must let your personality shine through. If students just wanted to read a book, they wouldn’t need you to read it for them. So, when teaching online, avoid taking the easy way out by simply posting a few readings and having students answer the questions: Add a little of your personality to your assignments and communication (bear in mind when using humor that it is difficult to convey online). Give them real-life examples that you have learned from being the subject matter expert. Create interesting and interactive assignments to help students really learn the material.

Good teaching, like being good at anything, takes practice. If you are clear - if you stay in close contact with your students - and if you create an interesting learning experience, you will be the online instructor that students want to learn from. Sermon over!

ANELTA Conference on Strengthened English Language Teaching Quality

2008-02-14T01:24:00.001-08:00

AllAfrica.com notes that members of the National English Language Teachers Association (ANELTA) met in their fourth conference, with view to outline the strategies to reinforce the quality of English teaching in Angola.

The three-day meeting, under the motto "Challenges and Innovations for English teachers and students of other languages (TESOL), ANELTA also intends, in partnership with the Education Ministry (MED), to standardise the teaching of this language and enable its expansion in order to meet the current demands of the market.

Read the full story here. Join the Africa forum for more discussion.

Teaching English in Egypt

2007-09-13T02:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Mishmumkin, who posted this over on the the Egypt forum. This is a lovely summary of teaching English in this country:

I figured I'd share my experiences with teaching in Egypt to provide a clearer picture for teachers thinking of heading out that direction. Despite Egypt's incredibly low cost-of-living, it's not exactly a hotbed for ESL/EFL academy work. The British Council is the biggest game in town, and though their packages are certainly liveable, they don't have many positions advertised. There used to a language academy in Cairo called ILI who offered CELTA certification, as well as English classes. They, to the best of my knowledge, are now defunct. AMIDEast, an employer in the region who does not tend to offer expatriate contracts (or many full time opportunities) is another prominent name. The reality is that the economy in Egypt coupled with the average salary means that most Egyptians cannot afford to pay for a class that would involve paying a native teacher a competitive rate. Furthermore, outside the government schools, there are countless language and international schools. Many Egyptians, as a result, are attending English-medium schools making the need for language academies almost non-existent.

Learn more about teaching English at David’s English teaching world.

This doesn't mean that there are no teaching opportunities for the CELTA and cert TESOL holders out there. Many of the language schools and some of the international schools will hire native speaking BA holders to teach children anywhere from 4-18 years of age. You might be teaching English and History, or perhaps you'll be a class teacher for the younger kids. At any rate, you'll need to be cut out for working with kids which requires an immense amount of good classroom management skills and patience. The younger children (up to about age 13) are lovely. I found the high school kids in Egypt are more than a handful, and many of these language schools that are truly businesses first struggle to properly discipline. After all, you don’t want to make your customers (i.e. the parents) too angry!

CELTA or the equivalent is not required for many of these positions, but it certainly helps in the classroom. The schools that would hire a ESOL teacher with not teaching qualification do not provide stellar packaged, but they often involve reimbursing you for your flight to and from Egypt (if they haven't provided the ticket up front), shared accommodation (water and electric typically paid by the school), paid summer salaries (usually), and a liveable wage that allows you to enjoy life in Egypt. Most of them pay in Egyptian pounds, though one or two international schools offer the wages in USD, or perhaps a supplement to your salary of USD or sterling. You should be able to find employment from anywhere between 3000-10,000 LE, depending on your experience and the type of school. Finding foreign currency in Egypt is difficult at times, so if you are hoping to send home money to pay your student loan, I would caution anyone before taking a job with the employers who only pay in local currency. If your goal is not to save or send money home then proceed with caution.

Be sure to do LOTS of research into your prospective employers, though. Ask to have some existing teachers contact you, and do research online to see if anyone has posted their experiences regarding the prospective employer. Like with any job, if they’re hiring you with limited credentials and experience, you do have to accept that the school is a not a top-notch organisation. They are trying to put forward a western face and accent in order to draw in parents, but as mentioned above, they are businesses expecting to turn a profit. The best thing you can do is be flexible, and take the Egyptian style of management in stride. If you can look at the cons and trade them out for the wonderful pros of living in a country like Egypt, you’ll do fine.

Learn more about teaching in Egypt at the Egypt forum.

Forums are now open for business!

2007-08-06T01:38:00.000-07:00

The Forums are now open for business.

Visit my forums at David’s English Teaching Forums.

Unlike other popular ELT forums, I won’t be censoring comments that offend people paying me to advertise on my site.

Cameroon: It's Milla Time

2007-06-27T01:12:00.000-07:00

This article by David Lewis can be found in full at the One Stop English online Magazine:

When I first told people I was going to work in Cameroon, the most common reaction was: 'Why?'. The second was: 'It's in Africa, you'll die!'. The third: 'Where is that?'

So let's give some answers. I was offered a job that looked interesting in a part of the world I'd never been to before. I'd also long had an interest in Africa, if in a rather vague way, so decided it was time to find out the reality.

Second, a small amount of research showed that in more than 40 years since gaining independence, Cameroon has been a peaceful country with no wars. Of course it has had political repression and the occasional flare-up, but this country hardly falls into the Africa stereotype of wars and famine. Not only were there no wars, but Cameroon is a food exporter to the region.

Now, after three years, I can say that these have been the healthiest years of my life! No malaria, typhoid, cholera or any of the other frightening diseases you read about when Africa is mentioned. The worst thing that ever happened to me was a bout of food poisoning - once.

And for those with poor geographical knowledge, Cameroon is situated in the west of Africa, next to Nigeria and surrounded by Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Central African Republic, Gabon and Congo Brazzaville.

So what is it like to teach here? Well surprisingly not so different from teaching anywhere else: prepare a duff lesson and the lesson will be dull. Prepare a good one, relevant to your class and things will be good.

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Learn more about teaching English around the World at David’s ELT World.
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Most students come to us with a bit of English in their heads. Cameroon is a bi-lingual country with French and English as official languages, while there are also close to 200 local ethnic languages in a country of 16 million people. French is the dominant language, spoken by about 80% of the population, while the English speakers often prefer Pidgin. This rich mix of languages creates its own learning problems: 'Was that first, second, third or fourth language interference?'.

It does take time to persuade students to take part in an interactive EFL lesson. It's just not what they're used to. The local school system is very traditional and somewhat strict. Perhaps not surprisingly when there can be up to 150 students in the classroom (of which maybe 30 have the book, and there are probably seats for 70) - try organising and monitoring pairwork in that environment. However, give them a bit time, coax them a bit, explain why you want them to do it your way and soon they'll open up and you'll be wishing they'd shut up.

Like anywhere, students appreciate it if you know a bit about their country, and not just Roger Milla (top scorer of the 1990 World Cup, in case you're wondering). It helps if you know the names of the ten provinces, know who the first president was, can say a word in a local language (I only have mandingwa which means 'I love you' in Ewondo, the language of the capital city Yaoundé) and know that Yannick Noah isn't French.

So in conclusion: Cameroon isn't just football. Nor is it war, poverty and disease. It's just life and people, like anywhere else.

This article by David Lewis can be found in full at the One Stop English online Magazine.
(http://www.onestopenglish.com/section.asp?theme=mag&catid=58256&docid=154195)

Teaching English in Morocco

2007-06-19T03:51:00.000-07:00

I've been in ESL for 9 years now and have worked on 2 continents and am currently in the largest archipelago, Indonesia. I spent 2 years working in Morocco and found that travelling there was way different to working there. My first bit of advice would be to actually travel there first and second would be to try to find a job anywhere else but Morocco. I had been toying with the idea of working there because of its fantastic reputation for travel and stupidly went with expectations. That was my fault wholly.

There were always 'money problems' and that usually meant the owner of the school honey coated his voice to ask teachers to go without pay for a few weeks or the travel money for at least 4 to 5 months.

Learn more about teaching English around the World at David’s ELT World website.

Piece of advice no. 3: get an open ended ticket because you never know how a school's going to be and especially with payment. Advice no. 4: Get things in writing and be adamant that you get it. My last year I kept asking for my contract and never received one because I just gave up. When my contract finished, I wasn't paid fully what I was owed: taxi fares for 2 months, 2 doctor's visits (specialist for dysentery and ulcer) - teachers were told that we had medical insurance but in all actuality, did not. I had to pay and was told I would be reimbursed. Wasn't. I was told they were out of money.

To travel is great in Morocco as I've said. If you're a traveller, it definitely shouldn't be missed but to be an employee, be ready to work 6 days a week for pence and work long hours and split shifts for long periods of time. Have no expectations that the school will be good because it's a well known franchise as such. Just because it's good in one country doesn't mean it's the same quality the world round."

This article originally appeared at the ESL Base website.

British Council to tackle extremism

2007-05-31T04:38:00.000-07:00

The British Council has announced it is to scale down its operations in Europe to expand its work in the Middle East, north Africa and Asia.

More than £7.5m - nearly a third of the government money it now spends on Europe - will be transferred to projects aimed at stopping young people drifting towards extremist groups by building trust between the UK and the Islamic world.

Funding for projects in these areas has gradually increased over the past few years, from £11.2m in 2003-04 to £14.5m this year.

Over the next two years, the council will close all its public access buildings in EU countries, plus Norway and Switzerland, funded through its annual government grant. This will mean a reduction in local arts, science and education events and the closure of information centres in Finland, Hungary, Slovenia, Lithuania, Austria, Slovakia, Latvia and Estonia. Other centres not attached to teaching or examination work and unable to become self-financing are expected to follow.

Read the rest of this article at EducationGuardian.