Teaching ESL as a Non-Native Speaker

When out of the blue I decided to quit my stable life in the US and move to Prague in order to be with my Czech boyfriend, I didn’t really think about the job issue that much. Having a BA in Business and a good background in the area, plus the knowledge of English, I thought it would be just a matter of days for me to be working for a good company.

As time passed by, I realized that without speaking the language my chances of succeeding were very much reduced, and once my savings were going downhill, it was time for some changes.

Language Schools in Prague are like dentist offices in Brazil, they are everywhere, and you can always find one at the nearest corner, which at the time meant an opportunity for getting back to the job market, also avoiding the uncomfortable situation of being penniless. So, why not to take up the challenge? – I thought.

But just the fact that I could speak English didn’t give me enough confidence to call myself an English teacher, so I went for a 4-week-TEFL-course atThe Language House to get certified, which was extremely intense, yet oddly enjoyable. Chris (the owner) is an amazing teacher, I really had a blast! And for my surprise, it wasn’t a big deal to find a placement, considering the fact I am not a native-speaker and hold no EU passport. Out of eleven people, ten of them native-speakers, I was the second one to be hired, and the course wasn’t even over!

The beginning was quite hard, taking into consideration that in spite of the theory, all I knew about Teaching English as a Second Language could be written in the front side of a business card, and I myself had a lot to study and improve, especially vocabulary and my own pronunciation, exactly for not being a native speaker.

I believe the school changed its faciilities (for better!) since I finish the course (Dec/06), so the only thing downside has probably been fixed!
A year went by and during this time I went through a whole range of experiences, from the high peaks to the low trough, but without the course and the experience I gained from that, it would certainly have been much different!