More on Teaching ESL

Hi:

One consideration about teaching ESL is the country whre you are teaching. There are a few hints that might make your experience more satisfying.

As an example, I spent a wonderful evening with three young teachers in the little town of Cahuita, Costa Rica. It's a pretty primitive town, and as we sat under the thatched roof of the open-walled restaurant, they shared their experiences. We heard interesting chirping sounds all round us as we enjoyed our rice, fish and beans.

These kids were young, just-graduated from university, and eager. They were having the time of their lives, getting teaching experience, living out on their own and enjoying the fantastic beauty of Costa Rica. But in fact their experiences were of living in small villages with poor families. They had little privacy, meager, boring meals and little intellectual stimulation. Their pay was poor.

As I listened to their tales, I realized I would not like to be there. It was a great opportunity for them, but not for someone experienced and needing more.

I know of others who end up all over the world in small towns, living a plain, almost subsistance living difficult conditions. I think it's a great way to start, but not to finish.

However, if I was to consider teaching ESL, I would want to go to a city with cultural significance. I would want to spend all my spare time looking the architecture, visiting the galleries and soaking up the atmosphere. I would also want to have my own place where I could write and attend to all the other things in my life that matter to me.

Another point of teaching in remote places is the opportunity, or lack of it, to travel. A friend of mine teaching in Greece used her weekend and holidays to see all of Europe. She used her area as a springboard for extensive exploration. That would be more satisfying to me.

By the way, the lovely chirping sounds I heard as we ate - rats. It did spoil my mood.


M.