ESL Lesson Plan

..."If it's too good to be true, it probably is".

My primary advice as you look for a lucrative position far away from home is, BE CAREFUL!.

Here are a couple of things to look out for as you try to sift the questionable from the reliable. First, an obvious giveaway is if they ask for - or demand - money upfront. Any legitimate agency or school will hire you as a professional.

There are those non-profit organizations that may require you to raise your own support to travel and work overseas but they are usually open and honest about their finances, their intentions and their charitable status.

Another thing to watch out for is how much information you send them. If they ask for your passport page, which they almost certainly will, one trick is to somehow obscure your passport number to protect your identity just in case they are suspect. Identity theft can be a major disaster in your life.

And once you are there, be sure to hold onto your passport. Some schools have been known to hold the passports of teachers and essentially hold them hostage.

I would certainly suggest that you contact the relevant embassy or consulate as to the credibility of any school.

There are wonderful privately run (meaning schools operated as businesses) and there are great state run or public schools - there are also terrible schools in both categories.

If you know of any wonderful - or terrible - schools, let us know so we can tell everyone else.

If I find out about one of those one hundred thousand dollar a year ESL teaching jobs I'll let you know. But I haven't found one yet - and I just might take it if I find it first.

Let me know what it is about teaching English or living abroad that you find confounding, infuriating or endlessly intriguing.

And if anyone in Nigeria wants to give you a hundred thousand dollars a year to teach third graders, you know where to check it.

Listen, read and speak. Make your new language your own.

My best to you as you make your way through this intriguing , constantly shifting linguistic landscape.

Morf

About the author of this entry:

Morf has a B.A.from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington and an MAT (Master's in Teaching English) from the University of Washington (Seattle). Morf prefers international and independent films, foods he can't pronounce, music no one else has heard of and riding his bicycle in foreign cities. Morf is currently a radio host (tacoma.fm) and a newspaper columnist http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/columnists/morf_morford/.