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  • The Importance of Vocabulary Roots in AP English April 16, 2012
    The Advanced placement exams are very important for students, suggests Joseph Paul, as they look very good on the students’ report cards and also help them to get credit in certain universities which helps them to save a major portion of the tuition money demanded from students who have not cleared the exam. The […]
  • Business Translation: A Useful TEFL Sideline? April 8, 2012
    The use of translation in business is heavily underestimated and misunderstood. However translation has a big part to play in business and is rapidly becoming one of the most useful things an organisation can use to get ahead in the business world. Whether it be using in-house translators to transcribe documents, official papers […]
  • How to Judge the Quality of Language Learning Software March 21, 2012
    We all know that learning a language is a great way to enhance the look of your resume! Fortunately, there are lots of different options available to you to help you make that a reality. Out of the vast number of options available to you, the option that provides you with the most […]
  • The worst ELT interview questions… and how to answer them March 12, 2012
    Some friends of Naturegirl123 were talking about interview questions that they got. Here are some difficult ones to answer and suggested answers. What religion are you?/ Are you X religion? This could be a legit question if you’re applying to a religious school. If you have the same religion as the school, simply say […]
  • Invoice factoring as a way of financing your language school March 12, 2012
    You’re looking into alternative ways to keep the finances in order in your burgeoning language school. Why not consider invoice factoring? Please don’t think of invoice factoring as a loan because it’s actually something quite different to that: it is more correctly defined as the acquisition of a financial asset. What does that mean? […]
  • Language Classes… Heat Up Careers! March 9, 2012
    Whether you love the snow or can’t wait until the warmer days of spring, this is a time of year when we all start to get a little stir-crazy, suggests Charlotte Evans. Winter was fun back in December but now the cold temperatures and extra layers of clothing are starting to feel a bit […]
  • Learning and Communicative Strategies March 6, 2012
    Introduction Communicative strategies are systematic techniques employed by a speaker to express his meaning when faced with some difficulty and the difficulty here refers to the speaker’s inadequate command of the language used in the interaction (Faerch & Kasper, 1983:16). On the other hand, the term learning strategies has been defined as “the higher- […]
  • Optimizing Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) March 6, 2012
    Technology transforms virtually all human pursuits, notes Michael G. Hines. In the field of education, the use of audiovisual aids, computers, and telecommunication devices has radically altered classroom dynamics. For ESL and TFL practitioners, the possibilities being opened up by technology are highly promising, with the currently accepted practices alread […]
  • Selling textbooks after you’ve finished using them? Here’s some advice February 28, 2012
    These days, being a student is in many ways more demanding than ever. In other ways, though, those attending university have never had it better. The advent of the internet has brought a wealth of information to the modern learner’s fingertips. The advent of sites like Wikipedia has made conducting research and building up […]
  • Want to employ the best teachers? Test them! February 22, 2012
    Are you looking for new teachers? Make sure you do into the process with a clear strategy for how you ensure you end up with the best candidate. Employee assessment tests are extremely important in enabling you as a recruiter of teachers to be able to make measured and well-informed decisions about the type […]

The dangers of getting a tattoo abroad: A TEFLer’s story

I went abroad, I taught TEFL, I had a great time and I did many things I wouldn’t otherwise have done. Getting tattooed in a prominent area of the body – on the neck above the collar line – was one of those things (along wit others on other parts of the body, some of which I’d also like to get rid of).

Now, having stayed in the profession and having traveled significantly along the career path, I recognize there are many instances in which tattoo removal would be a good idea. Shedding the skin of your wild youth is sometimes necessary and tattoo removal is on occasion desirable. If you’re even contemplating getting that drunken, post-evening class tattoo removed then my recommendations might just help you out.

Thank you, never again, once enough

First of all, I’d like to play a little game with you. Look at these two scenarios and guess which of them summarizes my tattoo experience:

1) Tattoo removal Dallas TX

The DoS of the language school told me I was an idiot for getting the sleeve done. I didn’t give it much thought, even though he said that some of the business classes I’d been teaching in Korea wouldn’t especially like it and that it might cause trouble for me in the future.

Now I’m going for a job interview at a university prep school. Will they discriminate against my ink? I wear a shirt to cover up my arm tattoos. The interview goes really well and they seem to like me. My tattoos show a little as I’m shaking hands at the end of the interview. One of the interviewers goes as far as to actually comment on how much he likes your tattoos and says he’ll let you know the decision you soon. I go home and wait, but the call never comes. Was it because of the tattoos? This is Korea, not America: I’m not in a position to find out.

2) Laser tattoo removal Houston

She was a lovely girl, the type that was one of my main reasons for wanting to live and teach in Japan in the first place. I was over the moon when we got together. It seemed like a fantastic idea to get her name – in her alphabet, of course – tattooed on me. Of course, she decided only a few weeks later to break up with me.

Oh to be young and foolish! Fortunately, it didn’t take me that long to get over her and find a new love. Truth be known, if I were back in the States I could get away with having Japanese tattoo of a girl’s name on my body: who would know what it meant? Trouble is, I’m not. Eventually, she sees the tattoo. Needing a quick fix, I decide to use some tattoo cover up cream for now.

Now, having stayed in the profession and having traveled significantly along the career path, I recognize there are many instances in which tattoo removal would be a good idea.

So did you guess which? Actually, both of these stories make up the story of my TEFL life. Well, having looked at why I myself needed tattoo removal, I guess I should also look at the how.

Laser tattoo removal

To be honest this is an expensive option, but your tattoo removal will definitely happen successfully. Laser tattoo removal costs are not hard to find, so you can see the different options you have. It’s a fine alternative, nevertheless it has certain disadvantages. The removal itself costs aren’t cheap, plus it’s a somewhat painful healing process. If you can get through the price and the pain, this is the method I’d most strongly recommend.

Surgical tattoo removal

This is definitely the most expensive removal method. Furthermore, compared to laser removal, this method is extremely painful, and incredibly costly. The surgical procedure requires replacing the skin in that area. You can imagine!

Over the counter tattoo cover up cream

This works as a short-term solution and it won’t break the bank. Additionally, you actually get to keep your tattoos.

 

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