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No, No, No! British teachers are guiltier of this than those of other nationalities; they have this strange, outdated idea that they should teach their students to speak ‘proper English’.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.

Question: why would anybody ever want to do voluntary work abroad? There are, of course, many reasons. Firstly, volunteer abroad programs help people to develop intercultural communication skills and enhance interpersonal skills, skills that would be difficult to develop elsewhere. Additionally, such volunteer programs enable individuals to experience problem-solving professional situations in an intercultural context, thus enhancing critical thinking skills. Volunteer abroad humanitarian trips overseas programs also give people the ability to make decisions in uncertain situations, work independently, and set priorities, while also becoming an effective member in a multicultural team. Furthermore, volunteer abroad programs enable the individual to gain exposure to a variety of organizational structures and awareness of how culture impacts that structure, another important skill that will prove beneficial in other aspects of the volunteer’s life.

These programs also develop new skills and the acquisition of more advanced knowledge in particular fields of expertise or offer the chance to explore a new field of work. Naturally, many improve their language skills. Volunteer abroad humanitarian trips overseas enable people to network with professionals in an area of study and those involved can offer their time and energy to a community lacking resources whilst becoming more comfortable with ambiguity and playing the role of ‘ambassador’.

So, sound interesting? Where can you go to begin? A Broader View is one website specialising in Volunteer abroad humanitarian trips overseas. So, who are A Broader View? Basically, A Broader View has been set up with the belief that one person can make a difference in the lives of others. A Broader View Volunteers, a non-profit organisation based in Pennsylvania, is operated by an enthusiastic staff with almost 20 years combined travel and hospitality experience. Offering opportunities throughout South and Central America, Africa and South East Asia, in areas covering child care/orphanages, HIV/AIDS awareness, construction / community development, conservation and environmental issues, as well as language and cultural immersion, A Broader View is a comprehensive source of information for the would be volunteer.