In this article Chris Soames looks into your options as a native speaker.

If you’re a British TEFL teacher, you’ll be asked the question ‘do you teach American English?’ more often than you’ll hot dinners. Your response should always be a firm, but polite, ‘no’.

This is nothing to do with snobbishness or a belief that British English is somehow ’superior’. It is simply an acknowledgement that you are not American; you’ll probably have little knowledge of American English or culture other than what you see in Hollywood films. Usage of American English is different from that of British English, and beyond knowing the words ‘trashcan’ and ‘garbage’ American conversation won’t be natural. Teach the English that you know!

Our advice to TEFL teachers is to always teach the type of English you are comfortable with speaking. If you try and adopt a different variety, it will sound strange and stilted; this means that your students will sound unnatural, too. Don’t some language schools prefer you to teach American English/British English?

Yes. Whilst there are many variants of English, the two main types are British and American English. Some English language schools have strong preferences for one particular type; so before deciding on a particular language school, check if it has any preferences. However, many language schools adopt a flexible approach to teaching English, and are happy for you to supplement their materials. Should I avoid teaching words that I don’t use in my type of English?

No, of course not! Whatever type of English you speak, it is interesting and desirable for your students to know that ‘garbage’ and ‘rubbish’ is the same stuff! That American people walk down a sidewalk, whilst British people walk down a pavement! Don’t forget to include lessons that discuss the differences in pronunciation, especially at immediate level, as it can only improve your students’ understanding of English conversation. ‘Let’s call the whole thing off’ is a great song that demonstrates these differences. Don’t I need to teach the Queen’s English/proper English?

No, No, No! British teachers are guiltier of this than those of other nationalities; they have this strange, outdated idea that they should teach their students to speak ‘proper English’. This is not the English that they themselves speak, but they still think it’s desirable. It’s as if they consider their spoken English not quite up to scratch!

Joking aside, how often is it that you hear the Queen’s English? Chances are it’s once a year, when you turn on the TV or radio to listen to the Queen’s speech. Teach your students the Queen’s English and they won’t be able to understand the average English conversation; so unless your students are going to be mingling in older aristocratic circles, it really isn’t necessary for them to talk like this! Teach Natural

Think natural! A common mistake that English teachers make is to teach spoken English in a formal fashion. They teach students to say ‘What is your name?’ ignoring the more natural, ‘What’s your name?’ It is the misplaced belief of some English teachers that foreign students should learn spoken English as it is written in a Jane Austen novel.

Remember written English and spoken English are very different animals. Whilst both forms of English are desirable, it is preferable that students speak a more natural form of English as opposed the high-class, literary kind!

About the Author

“Chris Soames represents the I to I Gap Year Travel, which provides fulfilling and life-changing travel experiences to anyone with a desire to get out there and make a difference for the better.programs.

The latest article by Sharon K Couzens de Hinojosa is the creator and writer for TEFL Tips

Working Holiday Visas are a chance to spend a short time working legally in another country. You often work between three and 12 months, depending on the visa. Depending on what country you are from, your age, civil status and whether you are a student or not all come into play when applying for a working holiday visa.

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A good website with information is Any Work Anywhere. Here you can find out more information about working holiday visas and what choices are available to you. Keep in mind that new programmes are always being added as well. Another great website is BUNAC and if you’re from Canada, try SWAP. You might also try going to specific country’s embassy’s websites, for example the Embassy of Norway in Canada and the Working Holiday in Korea website have information about working holidays in their countries.

There are also plenty of discussion forums, such as those at The Student Room, Gap Year, Boots N All websites and Expatica.

If you’re looking to work short-term in a country, there are many opportunites, such as picking fruit, au pairing, being a tour guide, camp jobs, waiting staff, sports instructor, just to name a few. WWOOF , Gap Year , Gap-Year, Find A Gap, and Season Workers are just a few of those offering short-term employment.

Teaching English short-term is also a possibility, especially during school breaks as lots of schools offer intensive summer camp positions. Just remember that you’ll be with the kids for the majority of the day teaching English in the morning and usually games or sports in the afternoon. Material, organisation, pay and benefits vary, so be sure to ask questions before you sign a contract. Some things you should ask about are: salary after taxes, the accommodations, books and syllabus, air conditioning (lots of places don’t have it), number of children per class, days off, and airfare. Many places will offer you airfare and a bit of spending money in exchange for a month or so of teaching.

Although you won’t get rich doing so, if you’re energetic and ready to work hard, it can be a very rewarding experience. Dave’s ESL Café and TEFL.com are good places to look for camp jobs. Usually places start advertising around mid-March for summer camps jobs (June to August) and around October for winter camp positions (January – February). Summer camp positions may last between two weeks to two months whereas winter camps are usually only a couple of weeks.

About the author
Sharon K Couzens de Hinojosa is the creator and writer for TEFL Tips, The LA Job List, and The Ultimate Peru List. She enjoys answering people’s questions about TEFLing and Peru.