We chatted to Estelle Potgieter on her teaching experience after the course, here’s what she had to share:
 
When did you complete your TEFL course? 
February 2019, at the Samui training centre.
 
Where have you been teaching since completing your course at Samui TEFL?
Peoples Republic of China.
 
Tell us about the area where you live and work. Is there much to do? Are there other foreign teachers living and working in the area? What do you do for fun outside of school hours? 
I live and work in Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province, I have a lovely apartment about 5km from the CBD. It’s surrounded by upcoming apartment blocks. My apartment is close to the stadium. We are 4 South Africans and one Irish girl. We have only spotted one other foreign teacher at a nearby centre.
 

​Tell us about your school?
ABIE is the name of our learning centre. It’s location within Wanda Plaza (a mall) we have well equipped bright classrooms (the centre recently celebrated its 2nd birthday) We teach via smart board and pre-loaded courseware with pictures and unit songs. We have to do our own lesson plans, create our own extra flashcards, and downloaded our own songs as needed.
 
What is your average workday like?
On an average day, you have to be at school from 14:00pm until 20:10pm, weekends from 9:30am to 19:00. On Fridays we have a teachers meeting (no comment!) and demo lessons for potential new students wanting to join.
 
What subjects and ages do you teach?
English only, I teach the little ones, Kindergarten and younger.
 
Is the reality of being a TEFL teacher what you expected?
Yes
 
Is there something from the course that you specifically remember and call on in class – something that you are glad you learnt? Do you think the course prepared you well for teaching in the real world?
 
Probably our Italian lesson - these Chinese kids really don't understand, it reminds me of Chiara's lesson in Italian... I was totally lost and confused, which is probably how these kids feel most days!
 
Do you plan on staying a while, or is this just a ‘gap year’?
I signed a one-year contract, and I don't think I will renew with this particular centre or stay in China. 
 
Any tips or anything you’d like to say to someone considering doing their TEFL course?
While on the course, take less notes and rather LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN and volunteer as much as you can in class. Even if the kids don’t understand I do get nervous especially during parents day. I want everything to be perfect and run smoothly.
 
Anything else you would like to add?
If considering China, do us much research on your city as possible, as it can feel lonely and isolated if you are not around other teachers or expats.
 
‘Best of luck Estelle, it’s great that you are gaining valuable experience in China. Even if this is not your ideal location, the time spent there will equip you well to move on to another location after your contract. ‘

We caught up with Zaynah Kahn 18 months after her TEFL course to see how life is treating her.
"I graduated from my TEFL in May 2018, and immediately received a job offer from the International School of Samui (ISS) as a support teacher. The position began in August, but I was able to take part in the school’s summer camp, which enabled me to gain some more experience before starting my full-time role. Samui TEFL, who already had the contact and arranged the interview for me, made all this possible.
 
I stayed at ISS for a year and gained invaluable experience involving EAL and SEN students, before being offered a homeroom teacher job at Lamai International School where I am currently the Year 4 teacher. I feel as though my year in a support role where I was observing PGCE-qualified teachers everyday has influenced my teaching now, and supplemented the skills I had gained from my TEFL.
 
Living in Koh Samui is a dream, everyday after I finish work I am able to go to the beach and meet up with friends to eat delicious food, and I always travel widely during my holiday periods. As there are numerous international schools on the island, there are many other foreign teachers to meet, and I am part of a large social circle.
 
Many of my friends work in the same school as me. We are a very close-knit school comprising of around 60 students, where every teacher knows the names of their students, and vice versa. Support is always available, and having recently started my Post-Graduate Certificate in Education, this is greatly appreciated.
 
I would describe achieving my TEFL as one of the best things I have done, as it opened my eyes to the world of education and highlighted a career that I genuinely love as an option. Like many who wish to embark on their TEFL, I came from a corporate job where stress had become the norm and I had zero job satisfaction. Looking back to that time, I cannot believe how much my life differs now. Samui TEFL gave me the confidence to stand up in a classroom and be passionate about what I am advocating.


Teaching will now forever be a part of my life, and I would highly recommend anyone to apply to study TEFL. Whether it is to facilitate travel or just to satisfy curiosity, take that chance because you will not regret it."

It has been nearly 7 years since Joe Moore completed his TEFL course at Samui TEFL. In that time, he has taught in several locations in both Thailand and China, and then in Dubai, then Saudi Arabia and now he's teaching in Oman. Joe is an inspiration, and shows us how a TEFL certificate and a sense of adventure can let you see the world while earning a living. Here Joe tells us all about his latest teaching gig.


​Teaching ESL in the Sultanate of Oman A new school year, a new school, and a new country.
This year I am in the Sultanate of Oman teaching at a university in Nizwa, Oman.
Nizwa is a small town about one and a half hour drive to the capital of Muscat. Its famous for its mountain peaks, Jebel Shams and Jebel Akdar. Oman is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever been in. It is very clean with whitewashed buildings, sandy beaches, elaborate mosques, and stunning mountains. Oman has a desert climate with very little rain during the year. Clear and sunny skies are the norm. The winter months are very pleasant while the summer can be absolutely scorching, reaching 50 degrees Celsius.

I teach in an English foundation program. Throughout the Middle East college students must first complete a year of university skills courses in order to be admitted into the main institution. This program always includes a semester or two of English language learning. Which, makes this part of the world an excellent opportunity for TEFL job prospects. A college degree is necessary in Oman, including at least a few years of teaching university level students. Being a native speaker is not necessary nor is it required to have a passport from a native speaking country. I currently work with Poles, Tunisians, Iranians, Czechs, Belorussians, and Egyptians.

TEFL teachers receive lucrative packages, including a beginning salary of about 3200 tax free US dollars a month. Expenses are generally low, and saving over half of the monthly salary is easy. Accommodation, round trip airfare, and transportation is provided by the school. Although, most teachers at my school have their own cars.

I have now been in Oman a few months and I am just beginning to explore this diverse country. Muscat, the capital has a beach town feel to it. There are no high rises. There are dozens of modern malls and hotels w/bars which are spread out in between the mountains. There is also a large expat community, similar to Dubai. The history and culture of Oman are visible everywhere. Fortresses and abandoned villages dot the landscape. The town of Salallah another beach town in the south experiences a monsoon season which is called Kareef in Arabic. It's very green, a stark contrast to the rest of the country.

In summary, I chose Oman because of its balance between cultural experiences without giving up financial security or western lifestyle amenities. I have now taught and lived in the countries of Thailand, China, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Oman since completing my Samui TEFL certification in 2011. Where to next? -- Joseph Moore Samui TEFL Graduate November 2011

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Camilla tells us about her volunteer teaching followed by her job teaching English in Moscow.
My name is Camilla Randell 
I finished the Samui TEFL course last December, and I’m so pleased that I did. One year later I am teaching in Moscow and I still say I wouldn’t have wanted to enter a classroom without the experience I got at Samui TEFL.
 
At first I was meant to travel to China to teach but there were visa problems for me as I didn’t have a degree. 
Through friends I had met a lady with an English language school in Nepal and decided to go there. ‘English for all’ gave me my first teaching experience and I will be forever grateful to Susan Dieth and her team, the students were wonderful. Susan works with charities giving chances to people who wouldn’t normally be able to afford to learn. I also worked with refugees from Somalia and Afghanistan as the school worked with the UN. An experience I will never forget.
You won’t earn a lot of money in Nepal but you will get rich in so many other ways.
I then went to a non-teaching job in Switzerland and back to my home in Tenerife. 
Here I had met a lady from Russia who opened a language school in Tenerife she gave me a job working at her summer camp with Spanish and Russian children. She asked if I had ever considered working in Russia, and to be honest I’d never thought about it, but then again why not? 
So here I am now in Moscow working for Windsor Language Academy, and what an experience it is! 
 
Firstly, Moscow is an incredible city I have found it to be friendly and safe, and a fascinating place to be. From the minute I started the process to move here, the school has been supportive in every aspect. As soon as I arrived they got me a Russian SIM card for my phone. You also get an unlimited travel card for the bus and metro, which I have to say is fantastic.
You do pay for your own flights and first 3-month visa and you pay rent for your apartment. You are generally found an apartment by the school, and if you like it you stay or find your own. They help you with all of this too, and I am in an apartment sharing with another teacher. Apartments here are basic but comfortable and the heating is amazing, Russians don’t like to be cold.
The salary means you can afford your rent and enjoy a good standard of life here and still save money. If you decide to stay on, they get you a bank account.
The school uses the lexical approach (Michael Lewis and Hugh Dellar) so very much in keeping with the way we were taught at Samui TEFL. There is a high standard of training and support here. The teachers are from England, Ireland, America, Canada and Australia and all friendly and supportive.
I teach a variety of students, as this is an English language school. I teach a range of children from 6/7 to 10/11 they work with Super Safari for the young children, and Super Minds and Think for the older children. I also teach pre-intermediate adults, and for this we use Outcomes. We teach both groups and one-to-one. They also have in-company classes.
This company has four schools in Moscow, and I work at one near to where I live, and once a week all teachers go to the main school for training. They also have a social gathering once a month. 
 
For me this is an amazing place to be. I can as always, only speak of my own experience and so far mine is a very good one. 
I am making friends and learning so much from fantastic teachers. I like the students and I love the city. Russia is a wonderful place to be and I know I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my Samui TEFL course and all I learned there. I’m am still in touch with all my classmates. We are dotted around the globe now, so thank you Samui TEFL for everything.
Cami 

We received wonderful feedback from Jennifer about her job teaching in Cambodia, after her course at Samui TEFL

I was offered a better position in Phnom Penh, Cambodia at an international preschool. I’ve been working for a few months now and I really like it. 

My students are 2 to 3 years old and all Khmer. We follow a monthly lesson plan that wraps 4-5 weeks into a theme. We do crafts, sensory activities & are learning the alphabet and numbers 1-20.
Sometimes we can go to the playground if the weather is not too hot. The students love it when we go to the swimming pool.

Each week I write reports on their progress. We follow five developmental domains that categorise the students' progress over the semester. Our focus is on establishing a routine that they can follow into kindergarten. I recently completed report cards and we have parent teacher meetings in a couple of weeks. 

The weeks are challenging, but I’m learning a lot. I work with a great team of teachers, teaching assistants and program managers. 

I want to thank you again for Samui TEFL. You offered excellent content to use in my classes. In addition to on the job training, I am also using additional sources to update my Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology and become more current with early childhood education training techniques. 

I’ve included a picture from Halloween. The teachers were flowers, I was a Gladiolus 🌸 This is our unicorn craft from a few weeks ago. 

You may be doing your TEFL course and teaching abroad as a ‘gap year’ before starting a career which you studied for at university. Many people will ask you ‘why do you want to teach English abroad? Aside from a so-called year off, how will it benefit you?’
Well, this is what you can tell them:
 

You’ll gain confidence
So many parts of this experience will help you to gain confidence – from travelling alone abroad to a new place, to experiencing new cultures, to doing something new, to learning to speak in front of people.
 
Your communication skills will improve
Techniques learnt on the course and practiced in the classroom thereafter, will improve your general communication skills. You will be far more aware of whether or not you have been understood, and will adjust the way you speak and listen to people in general. You will also become more confident speaking to large groups of people, as well as on a one-to-one basis.
 
Your time management skills will improve
You’ll become the master of checklists! There’s nothing like leaving behind your materials and wasting all your hard work and effort to make you more organised! Carefully planning your lessons according to a time schedule will also be great practice for time management.
 
You’ll become more aware of other cultures
As you’ve moved to another country, and are teaching students who are not from your culture, you will become acutely aware of the differences between cultures, and the pitfalls of dealing with people from other cultures. These include misunderstandings, doing things in different ways, and knowing that what is acceptable in one culture, may not be so in another culture. In the corporate workplace one day, this will be a valuable asset to have, particularly jobs where you’ll be dealing with international clients.
 
Networking
You will make friends for life – after meeting people you would never have met back home. These could be your fellow classmates on the TEFL course, your fellow teachers while teaching, or neighbours and other locals, as well as your students. Having an international network of friends and past colleagues can also advance your career in ways you may never know – as you never know where the future may take you.
 
You’ll mature and grow as a person
All the challenges and hardships of living abroad will give you a tough skin and mature you in ways that staying at home in a familiar environment won’t do. Moving out of your parental home is testing enough for many young adults – but doing so in a different country really challenges!
 
Well there you have it. There are many more reasons to sail away from familiar shores, but these reasons are ones that you can proudly mention in interviews and cover letters. So what are you waiting for? Email us at info@samuitefl.com for a detailed info pack.

All in good spirits -- Understanding the Thai culture of spirit houses
 
You'll see them everywhere. Ornate and colourful doll-size houses on stilts strategically positioned outside every home, business, school and in public areas. Other than making great photo opportunities for tourists, what is behind these impressive little structures that resemble miniature temples?
 
Spirits reside everywhere in Thailand, and Thai people go out of their way to keep them happy. Animism, or spirit worship is probably the oldest form of religion in the world, and when Buddhism arrived in South East Asia, it developed alongside the ancient spirit worship. Today many of the beliefs are knitted with Buddhism and form part of everyday life for Thai people.
 
One of these practices is the use of 'San Phra Phum', or spirit houses. The purpose of the spirit house is to provide an appealing shelter for the spirits who inhabit the area where the house or business is built. Permission needs to be granted by the spirits before a new building breaks ground. The spirit house is constructed first, to entice the spirits to rather dwell in their own home and not in the house or shop. There are guardian spirits of the house, the garden and the land as well as ones that guard specifically over rice paddy, bodies of water, and military forts. You may notice that Thais always step OVER the threshold when entering a house – never on it. The reason – they don't want to disturb the guardian spirit of gates and stairwells that resides there.
 
The construction of a spirit house can be simple, resembling a basic Thai bungalow home, or as intricate as a palace. They can be constructed of wood, concrete or brick, and roadside shops with hundreds of colourful houses for sale are a common sight. Construction itself is a specialised field, and only an expert spirit house builder would be considered. Not only is the building thereof his responsibility, but he also needs to be familiar with all the necessary rituals involved so that the spirit invited will find it an acceptable earthly abode.
 
San Phra Phum are often decorated with little figurines of people and animals, incense holders and vases for flowers, and some even contain furniture. One will often see figures of an elderly man and woman - they are the caretakers of the spirit house, who will always be there to look after the house. Anything that people need in life, spirits need too. So, symbolically, statuettes of horses and elephants provide transportation, and tiny ceramic or wooden dancers entertain the spirits, while figurines of pets provide companionship.
 
The position of a spirit house is very important, and many a well-meaning expat has unknowingly placed one incorrectly, upsetting the neighbourhood in the process. Important to remember – should you ever need to erect a spirit house, is that it should never lie where the shadow of the building will fall on it.
 
One can regularly see Thais presenting offerings to the spirits. Fresh fruit, rice, chicken or duck, beer, water and cold drink, keep the spirits' hunger and thirst at bay. Candles and incense, fresh flowers in the vases and garlands keep the house looking good which are sometimes strung with fairy lights at night for 24-hour visual appeal. Resorts in particular often boast elaborate spirit houses and generous offerings.
 
Spirit houses can be seen at dangerous curves in the road or places of frequent accidents. This is done in order to keep the spirits happy, and ask for the protection of all that use the road. A good example of this is on Samui’s ring-road just past Chaweng Noi, on the way to Lamai where a large, impressive spirit house overlooks the bend. Locals driving past hoot three times to acknowledge the spirits.
 
Because spirit houses need to be well-maintained, there comes a time when they need to be replaced. Old spirit houses cannot merely be dumped. The spirits are coaxed into the new house, and the old one is laid to rest in communal ‘burial grounds’ for old spirit houses, usually a location well known to be rich in spirit activity. On Samui, a road known as the Ghost Road is the local spot to offload broken spirit houses. It is a rather eerie sight to drive along this road, which is a back road to the airport, and see hundreds of discarded spirit houses. They are regularly removed by the owner of the property, but somehow the pile grows higher again.
 
One will often find colourful strips of cloth tied around large trees in forests or gardens. It is believed that spirits reside in old trees. Offerings are placed at the foot of the tree or in lower branches, and the bright ribbons are a symbol for others not to cut down the tree. At Namuang one waterfall, a large tree's base boasts offerings that include a rather generously proportioned bra, as well as other clothing items and shoes. Banana groves are the favoured haunting grounds of female spirits, so one often sees san phra phum along the road nearby.
 
Longtail boats are decorated with the same bright cloth and ribbon. Keeping the spirits of the sea happy will ensure a safe journey, and bring in a bountiful catch. In the same way, cars, trucks and taxis display garlands of flowers to protect the occupants of the vehicle on the journey. Most cars and taxis are also adorned with  'yan' – religious symbols painted usually on the ceiling of the car, by a monk to protect it and its passengers. Yan painting can also be found on the doors of houses to keep unwanted or ghostly visitors outside.
 
To be on the safe side, you may want to bear the following in mind: If you make jokes while eating, a ghost will steal your rice. In case you were planning to ... you should know that you will see a ghost if you bend down and look between your legs. Watch those yoga poses then...
 
Spirit houses may be fascinating. They may be beautiful to photograph. However, please remember that to others they are a place of worship, so show respect when taking pictures. Don’t put your feet on any religious figure such as a Buddha or spirit house. Don’t touch or re-arrange items in the house to suit your photo, and don’t take photos when people are praying.
 © Rosanne Turner
 
 

The language barrier can often pose a problem when ordering in restaurants. We share a few funny moments and give some tips on getting your point across.
 
Ordering in a restaurant in Thailand can sometimes be hit and miss. And while staff in tourist areas will have some knowledge of English, there are still often errors due to miscommunication. Before we get in to how you can avoid some of these common pitfalls when ordering, let’s look at a few examples of what we mean. Of course we’ve had many of our own experiences and have learnt by trial and error, but to get a broader spectrum, we posed the question of ‘what went wrong’ to several expats on the island. Here are a few replies, listed anonymously to protect the businesses concerned:
 
One mistake that kept popping up is asking for a glass of white wine, and being brought the WiFi password. Go on, say it out loud. See? It’s an easy mistake to make. Sometimes the reverse happens too and you’ll end up having a few drinks when all you wanted to do was answer your emails, as you feel too bad to send back that glass of wine. One local lady ordered a glass of Bailey’s Liqueur and got brought a bay leaf on a plate – wonder what the waiter thought she wanted that for?
 
Another drinks related episode – one of our visitors asked for a single espresso, and got given a Singha beer instead. And as one expat described, “I ordered a Cuba Libre in one bar, and got told ‘no have’, so I ordered a rum and coke instead – and got one.” Right, so here’s the first tip:
Unless the establishment has the quirky name of the drink on their menu, where you can literally point and order, stick to calling it what it actually is, as the case above points out. So, rather than ordering a ‘Screwdriver’, order a vodka and orange juice. You may just find the barman running down to the maintenance room… and in much the same way, it’s probably best not to ask for your scotch ‘on the rocks’, but rather with ice.
 
Sometimes, you have to wonder what the poor waiter must think of you, when you discover the miscommunication. Another expat recalls asking a bartender if he could make ‘Jaegerbombs’, and he promptly came back with the phone number of the local drug dealer. Oh dear. Yet another embarrassing story is that of regular visitors to the island. They asked at a local café where they could try a Thai barbecue… only to be told that the temple was ‘burning a monk’ the next day, so they should go down there. Not quite what they had in mind.
 
Menus themselves are often cause for confusion. Some are obvious spelling errors, easy enough to decipher, and you’ll commonly see ‘snakes’ instead of shakes, and ‘French fried’ instead of fries. And then there’s the tongue in cheek faux pas, ‘orgasmic’ vegetables instead of, you guessed it, organic.
 
Don’t be alarmed if you read ‘horse shit crap’ on the menu. It’s meant to read as ‘horse shoe crab’. Again, fried crap in curry sauce is more delicious than it sounds. And on a breakfast menu we once saw 'cockroaches' instead of coco pops listed under the cereals, the manage wondered why they weren't too popular with the children!
 
But other times, you just have to wonder what on earth is meant with menu items such as ‘Fried pork with pour the page’, or ‘Fried pork with the cotton that stops’. Evidently, Google translate has missed the mark with these.
 
Another tip would be to learn a few food names of your favourite dishes or ingredients. Just as important would be the names of items that you’re allergic to or can’t eat, such as peanuts or seafood. For the vegetarians, say ‘gin jae’ and you’ll be fine. Many restaurants now put pictures next to the menu items, which help a lot. And to avoid mispronunciation, it’s often better to point at the menu when ordering. Sometimes, the item is written in Thai underneath, making it easier for the waiter to get it right.
 
When placing your order, a couple of things will help to actually get what you ordered. So remembering the barman with the screwdriver and rocks, the same applies to food. Don’t use idioms such as ‘sunny side up’ or ‘easy over’ when talking about eggs, or ‘blue’ when you want your steak only seared. Remember too that the waiter is dealing with customers of many nationalities, so your ‘ketchup’ may be another’s ‘tomato sauce’, or ‘chips’ may be ‘French fries’.
 
When placing your order, speak slowly and clearly. Focus on clearly enunciating and slowing down, but without sounding like a stretched tape. Speak naturally, but without connecting your words, even if you’re pressured for time. Don’t rush through your communication, as doing so often takes more time, as misunderstanding can result and you’ll ultimately have to invest additional time in clearing up the confusion – or just accepting what got delivered to your table. Point to the item listed on the menu, to back up what you’re saying.
 
Be patient. Cross-cultural communication takes more time and you can’t expect
communication to occur with the same speed and ease as when you’re communicating with someone from your own culture. Relax, enjoy the view, and remember to say, ‘mai pen rai’, when things go wrong. For those not in the know, this is a common Thai phrase that basically translates to ‘no worries’, while at the same time, accepting the situation for what it is. Another important point – be careful not to sound patronising – not understanding another language does not mean the person is of lower intelligence. And speaking louder is no solution, yet common to witness.
 
So take note of the tips above, but if the wrong dish arrives, sometimes it’s better to just accept it. You never know, you may have just accidentally discovered your new favourite dish! The universe works in mysterious ways…
 Rosanne Turner

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Several TEFL locations require you to have a bachelor’s degree (as well as a TEFL/TESOL/CELTA) to teach English. Why is this?
Well, most of the time it is due to work permit requirements. For example, in Thailand, you cannot get a work permit as a teacher without a degree – this is not for all work permits, but specifically one as a TEACHER. You will, on the rare occasion, find teachers in Thailand without a degree, who actually DO have a work permit, but in these cases, they are most likely listed as ‘teaching assistant’ or ‘language consultant’ or perhaps they are teaching in a resort or other industry, where it isn’t required. These jobs are few and far between however, and MOST teaching jobs will require you to have a degree in order to teach and do so via the legal route, with a work permit.
 
Other countries that also require a degree in order to get a work permit are China, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, and South Korea. Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia often require a PGCE or Ed degree.
Yes, you will hear of people teaching without degrees in these locations, but chances are slim that they are doing so with a work permit, and are most likely there on a tourist or other visa. In some countries, such as Vietnam, you’ll find the majority of teachers are teaching without the correct paperwork… and getting away with it. Other countries are much stricter. Whether you want to take the chance of getting caught is up to you, and not something we advise. Getting in trouble with the law in a foreign country is never advised.
 
Sometimes a job listing will state that a degree is required, even if it’s not a requirement for the work permit application. Why is this? Often, students or their parents have a strong preference for teachers with degrees, as they believe they will be more professional after investing several years in further education, and hence the school can draw more students by citing that their teachers have degrees.
 
So what are your options for teaching if you don’t have a bachelor’s degree?
 
There are countries that can issue a work permit without a degree, such as Cambodia, Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Russia, Peru and Spain. Most South and Central American countries do not require a degree, as do many countries in Europe, although these sometimes give preference to an EU passport holder, as it means no work permit is required. The only SE Asian country that does not officially require a degree is Cambodia. We have an exciting new program: 'Study in Thailand, Teach in Cambodia', including GUARANTEED placement for those accepted onto the course. Read more about it here: https://www.samuitefl.com/teach-cambodia.html
 
Another option for non-degree holders is teaching online. This has become popular, and the pay can be very lucrative, with average salaries being 15-20USD/hour. Often a demo lesson is required, and you do need to have a good internet connection with a quiet location, a TEFL certificate and a bubbly personality to keep the attention of your online student. A few online companies do require their teachers to have a degree, but there are many which don’t. At Samui TEFL we provide our trainees with a comprehensive list of online teaching companies.
 
For those who are only after the experience of teaching while travelling, then volunteer teaching with no remuneration is also an option.
 
Many non-degreed teachers decide that they love teaching and want to make a full-time career of it, and therefore choose to obtain a bachelor’s degree in order to increase their work prospects. They often do so by studying online with a reputable university, while working at the same time.
 
So it’s not all bad news for those who want to explore the TEFL world and don’t have a bachelor’s degree.
If you’d like a detailed info pack, email info@samuitefl.com  

Culture Shock – a much used term for those who travel. But what does it mean exactly?
 
Culture shock is what you experience after leaving the familiarities of your home culture to live in another cultural or social environment. Even those who are open-minded and well-travelled are not immune to culture shock. Symptoms include homesickness, anger, loneliness and boredom. Everyone will experience culture shock to some extend, but there are ways to deal with it and minimize the effects.
 
Firstly, understand what you are going through and why you feel insecure or anxious. You are faced with a different climate, unfamiliar with your surroundings, as well as people with different values, attitudes, lifestyles, and political and religious beliefs, and oftentimes, you can’t even understand them due to language barriers! Understanding why you feel the way you do will help you to overcome the feeling.
Once you understand, the next step is to accept and adapt to your new culture. Just because something is different, doesn’t mean it is wrong, so learn to do things the way the locals do, and accept that it’s the way it’s done in your new home.
Learn as much as possible about your destination before leaving home. Be open-mined and it will be easier to understand the differences and see things from a different perspective. If you know why people do things the way they do them, it’s easy to accept the differences.
Having a positive attitude can make all the difference. This goes with anything in life, but is especially true when travelling and interacting with new people in new surroundings.
Stay in touch with those back home. But… if you spend all your time connecting with family and friends back home, you’ll just keep feeling homesick and won’t feel up to making new friends. Rather spend your time exploring and meeting new people, and then you have something to tell loved ones back home.
Don’t compare your home culture to your new culture! Noticing the differences is normal, and can be fun, but see the differences as just that – different and exciting, not inferior to home. Take the opportunity to learn as much as possible about your new location and culture.
Keep yourself busy. Particularly enjoy the things you can’t do at home. Try new foods, swim in the sea, explore, make new friends, take full advantage of the time abroad, rather than being afraid and hiding in your hotel room. Don’t have regrets later by saying ‘if only I had done this or seen that…’
Laugh at yourself! If you get lost, just see it as a way to see a new place that you didn’t expect to see. Surrounding yourself with positive people can make all the difference. Don’t get sucked into the inevitable groups of ‘grumpy old expats’ who should have gone back home long ago, and now love trashing their new home.
 
There are different phases of culture shock, and knowing which you are going through will also help you to overcome it.
The Honeymoon Phase: This is a fun time, when all is great, exciting, and new. You embrace the differences, go out of your way to try the weird and wonderful food and relish meeting exotic new people. This phase can last days, weeks, or months.
 
The Honeymoon is Over Phase: During this phase, you start observing differences, however slight, and not always in a good way. You’ve had enough of the food, and miss home comforts and tastes. The local attitudes annoy you, and things are just so much better at home. During this phase, you may feel sad, irritable, angry or anxious. You miss holidays from home such as Christmas or Thanksgiving, and feel sad when you miss out on events such as birthday celebrations back home.
 
The Negotiation Phase: Now you decide if you will give in to negativity or power on past it to make the most of your experience. If you're successful, you regain your sense of perspective, balance, and humour, and move on to the next phase.
 
The All's Well, or Everything is OK Phase: You start feeling more at home with the differences in the new culture. After a while, you may feel as if the culture isn't in fact new, but that you belong here now, or you may not exactly feel part of the culture, but you’re comfortable enough with it to enjoy the differences and challenges. You don’t necessarily have to be in love with the new country (as in the honeymoon phase), but you can navigate it without unwarranted anxiety, negativity, and criticism.
The Reverse Culture Shock Phase: This happens to most who have lived abroad a while. Once you’ve become accustomed to the way things are done in a different country, you can go through the same series of culture shock phases when you return home.
 
Culture shock can present itself at any time, and it’s often the small things we feel the most – like navigating a grocery store with unfamiliar products in currencies we are not familiar with. Working abroad has its own challenges, as aside from day-to-day cultural differences, there are also the differences in the work place. For example, if you are typically organised and punctual, you may struggle to adapt working to a culture with a more relaxed working environment. Or, if you’re a woman, you may find it difficult to adapt in a country where there is gender inequality.
 
It’s most important to be patient – in time, things that once were strange will be the norm. Be kind to yourself, and don’t place high expectations on yourself until you have adjusted to your new life. While moving to a new country is daunting in many ways, it can be equally rewarding, and by not giving it a try, you’ll always have regrets.