News

ELC Launches 'Ethical TEFL'

posted Feb 1, 2016, 6:40 AM by Barbara Hanvey   [ updated Feb 1, 2016, 6:44 AM ]

ELC Launches 'Ethical TEFL'



You can now find all of our TEFL related resources on the Ethical TEFL website, including information on how to apply for a
 Teach Abroad Scholarshipand full details about our 'TEFL Taster', TEFL Certificate, and TEFL Diploma Courses. All Courses offer subsidised rates for Students and people not in full-time work.

You can also check out the Student Blogs section to find out more about what studying TEFL and teaching abroad is really like!

Ethical TEFL is a division of English Lanaguage Centre CIC - which means that all profits continue to be reinvested into providing training and employment opportunities for people who might not otherwise be able to access them.

ELC to Double Number of Scholarships Available in May and June

posted May 20, 2015, 7:22 AM by Barbara Hanvey   [ updated May 20, 2015, 8:33 AM ]

ELC to Double Number of Scholarships Available in May and June


ELC is delighted to announce that in response to the greater volume of applications we receive at this time of year, arrangements have been made to double the number of Teach Abroad Scholarships available in May and June.

The Deadline for applications for the current Scholarship Round is Sunday 31st May (an announcement will also be made in early June when that Round opens).

If you are interested in teaching English abroad and would like to find out more, or apply for a Teach Abroad Scholarship, please just click on the link.





Over 90% of ELC Scholars go on to Teach Abroad

posted Mar 18, 2015, 9:30 AM by Barbara Hanvey   [ updated Mar 18, 2015, 9:33 AM ]

Over 90% of ELC Scholars go on to Teach Abroad!


ELC is proud to share that the latest statistics compiled in preparation for our annual CommunityInterest Report, show that over 90% of our TEFL Scholars go on to gain full time paid employment as an English teach abroad! Out of the few scholarship recipients who did not, almost all went on to pursue further study or alternative career options. 

Obviously we are very pleased to be able to offer such a service, but the real story is the consistent quality and passion of the scholarship candidates who apply each month! It really does make our job easy, and we only wish we could help more of the great candidates who apply.

(Seriously, if anyone has any fundraising ideas to help us do more of this - don't be shy! Email: admin@englishlanguagecentre.org )

Ever wondered what you might be asked in a TEFL interview?

posted Nov 17, 2014, 8:23 AM by Barbara Hanvey   [ updated Nov 17, 2014, 9:20 AM ]

Ever wondered what you might be asked in a TEFL interview?


So you’ve got your shiny new TEFL Diploma and are looking forward to an exciting TEFL career. But what about that job interview? Here are a few examples of what to expect... 


The specifics of how an interview is conducted can, of course, vary greatly depending on the culture of the country or region, the ethos of the school, or even just the personality of the particular interviewer/s, but the vast majority of TEFL interviews will usually cover the following in one way or another:
  • Your past: qualifications, previous jobs and other relevant experience

  • Your present: current situation, motivations for teaching abroad, opinions and knowledge about current ESL issues/news

  • Your future: short, medium and long-term ambitions – not just professional, but also more personal, in terms of how long you envisage yourself living abroad, how you might deal with being away from friends and family etc.

  • There is also usually a practical section where, for example, you might be given a class scenario and asked how you would handle it ( e.g. motivating a new class or teaching a mixed ability class). You may also be expected to produce or analyse a lesson plan, or perhaps be asked to show how you would go about assessing whether a lesson has been successful or not.

Typical questions you may be asked:

1. Why do you want to teach English abroad? / in this school/city/country in particular?

2. What do you think are your strengths/weaknesses as a teacher? How would you motivate your students?

3. What do you think are the strengths/weaknesses of a teacher you had in the past? How has this influenced your own teaching?

4. What would you do in the first ten minutes of your first lesson with a new class?

5. What course books or materials have you used in the past?
    - What did you think of them?
    - Did you supplement/adapt them?

6. Have you ever taught a class of different abilities/age groups? An English for Specific Purposes (ESP) class - (eg. a financial English class)?
    - How did/would you deal with this?

7. Have you ever been in a class of different abilities? How did the teacher deal with this? What did you think of that way of handling it? 

8. Have you worked with people of a different culture to your own? What did you think of this?

9. How do you deal with deadlines? 

10. Questions about hobbies and interests (always try to relate these to how it helps your teaching – eg. performing music or drama can help with confidence and communication, reading can help with empathy and understanding alternative viewpoints etc).

Two key points:

  • Make sure you do your research about the job/school/country – not only will this boost your confidence, and make you seem more knowledgeable/enthusiastic, it will also help you judge from the interview whether the school right for you or not.

  • REMEMBER: Interviews are a two way process, and you should never be afraid to ask your own questions. When moving across the world to teach, you need to have confidence that the school is right for you, and just because you are offered a job does not mean that you should necessarily accept it.

Oh - and above all, relax...


TEFL in Japan

posted Sep 11, 2014, 10:35 AM by Barbara Hanvey   [ updated Jan 6, 2015, 7:34 AM ]

TEFL in Japan


If you have ever thought about teaching English in Japan and want
to find out more, take a look at former ELC student Luke Snitter's extensive blog charting his experience in 2012/13. Luke was teaching at a very small school in Kazo (a city about 40 miles from Tokyo) and taught a wide variety of different students. 

It's a great read and real eye opener about the day-to-day life of a TEFL teacher, as well as highlighting both the excitement and challenges of living so far from home. Enjoy it from the beginning here.

If Luke's experience inspires you, don't forget to take a look at our Teach Abroad Scholarship Programme
 

Mike Pedley's Blog

posted Sep 9, 2014, 9:42 AM by Barbara Hanvey   [ updated Sep 9, 2014, 9:46 AM ]

Mike Pedley's Blog

Former ELC Scholarship recipient Mike Pedley kindly agreed to write a short blog entry about the programme and his experience of TEFL so far. 

Take a look at the Student Blogs section to find out how he and some of our other students have got on.

September TEFL Scholarship Round is now Open

posted Sep 9, 2014, 9:13 AM by Barbara Hanvey   [ updated Sep 9, 2014, 9:25 AM ]

September TEFL Scholarship Round is now Open


We are very pleased to announce that the Scholarship Round for September is now open. 

For successful applicants, our Scholarship Programme provides funded places on our Flagship 150-hour TEFL Diploma Programme  as well as access to our outstanding TEFL Careers Service. 

Please note that the deadline for applications for the current round is 5pm on 30th September 2014, and that all applicants will hear back within 2 weeks of the closing date.

Good Luck!

Student Blogs

posted Feb 7, 2012, 5:27 AM by Barbara Hanvey   [ updated Sep 9, 2014, 9:20 AM ]

ELC Introduces Student Blogs: 


English Language Centre (CIC) is pleased to introduce a new Student Blogs section offering potential applicants the opportunity to read about what studying with ELC and teaching English abroad is really like!

Some of our new Teach Abroad Scholarship recipients have kindly agreed to keep a regular blog charting their personal experience from applying and studying, through to gaining employment, and their thoughts and tips on working as an English teacher abroad - so a big thank you to them.

Our inaugural blog is from Alison Pickard who was one of the very first people to be awarded a Scholarship and who recently began her course. You can read about her first impressions here: Alison's First Blog

ELC Launches 'Teach Abroad Scholarship'

posted Dec 5, 2011, 1:02 PM by Barbara Hanvey   [ updated Dec 5, 2011, 1:02 PM ]

ELC Launches Teach Abroad Scholarship!


English language Centre (CIC) is delighted to officially launch our Teach Abroad Scholarship! 

The Scholarship provides fully funded places on our Flagship TEFL Diploma Programme, to help even more people take advantage of the fantastic opportunities available to them abroad. 

Even before the official launch, we have received lots of great Scholarship applications and will be letting applicants know the result of their application in the next few days. 

As a Social Enterprise we re-invest all profits into creating more opportunities through initiatives like the new Scholarship, and our subsidised rates for students and the unemployed.

English Language Centre (CIC) Supports 'Action For ESOL'

posted Jun 29, 2011, 4:36 AM by Barbara Hanvey   [ updated Dec 3, 2011, 8:27 AM ]

English Language Centre (CIC) is proud to support the 'Action for ESOL' campaign which is urging the Government to: 
  • Reconsider the approach to ESOL outlined in the 'Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth' Strategy. 
  • Recognise the contribution that migrants make to the economy and society as a whole. 
  • Prioritise publicly funded ESOL provision for low paid and economically vulnerable people.
ESOL students are keen to learn the language and integrate into society. In order to do this they need programmes that enable them to do so. 

Read more about this and register your support at: http://actionforesol.org/ 

1-10 of 11