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Hello, and welcome to ‘I Taught English Abroad’, a podcast series by the TEFL Org. If ‘I Taught English Abroad’ sounds like a simple idea, then it’s because it is. As the world’s most accredited TEFL provider, we at The TEFL Org know that our students can go on to have incredible experiences, whether they teach in classrooms in far reaches of the globe, or online from the comfort of their homes. Whether these students teach online or overseas, one vital fact remains the same: it’s utterly life-changing.
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We don’t meet many TEFL teachers who start in Iran, take online classes with American universities, and then opt to live and work in Italy. But then, we don’t meet many teachers like Roya Abedi.The definition of a determined self-starter, Roya has used social media and online word-of-mouth to start a very popular English teaching business. We hear all about the IELTS, her motivations to leave Iran, and much more.---Visit the episode page to learn more about Roya Abedi and to view the episode transcript.Inspired to teach English abroad? Visit The TEFL Org to learn more about getting qualified and start your own TEFL adventure.If you have a story to tell get in touch - we'd love to hear about it! Just email podcast@tefl.org
Johnny Ward is a one-of-a-kind. Growing up poor in Ireland, Johnny made it his mission to make a career out of doing things that he loved. To say he succeeded is an understatement; Johnny’s been to every nation on earth, climbed the highest peaks, rowed across the Atlantic, visited both Poles, dodged bullets in warzones, lived it up in Turkmenistan and so, so much more - and it all began with TEFL.Trust us: this episode has everything, from a trip to Afghanistan to climbing Everest, as well as some teaching thrown in for good measure.---Visit the episode page to learn more about Johnny Ward and to view the episode transcript.Inspired to teach English abroad? Visit The TEFL Org to learn more about getting qualified and start your own TEFL adventure.If you have a story to tell get in touch - we'd love to hear about it! Just email podcast@tefl.org
When he joined TikTok during the pandemic, Michigan-born TEFL teacher Patrick Smith thought it’d be a fun way to kill some time while teaching in Japan. Instead, it turned into an amazing platform for Patrick to share fantastic teaching stories, with over a million followers keeping up with his updates. We talked about the African-American teacher experience in Japan, using social media as a force for good, teaching styles and - somehow - hamsters. ---Visit the episode page to learn more about Patrick Smith and to view the episode transcript. Inspired to teach English abroad? Visit The TEFL Org to learn more about getting qualified and start your own TEFL adventure.If you have a story to tell get in touch - we'd love to hear about it! Just email podcast@tefl.org
How could I Taught English Abroad possibly go bigger than it did last season? How can we outdo ourselves after reaching lots of new listeners, recording in person and even doing some travelling of our own for season 4? Well, it was simple. We stuck to what we do best: great chats with amazing guests. We meet a man who’s travelled to every country, climbed the 7 summits and visited both poles. We meet a teacher who was considered a child genius and went to university at 16. We meet the internet’s most TEFL teachers, with tens of millions of views between them. It is action-packed, it’s dramatic, it’s insightful, it’s I Taught English Abroad!Subscribe now and get notified about new episodes. It all kicks off on the 3rd of April!
The idea of the career changer is something we talk about a lot at The TEFL Org. We like to imagine that teaching English can be a get-out from the tiresome commute, the job that remains unfulfilling, the same old.For Andy Korterling, of Can Travel Will Travel and the Pigs on Bikes YouTube channel, that’s exactly what TEFL became. And while it wasn’t the easiest transition from engineer in England to teacher in Cambodia, it worked out extremely well.
1How determined does a person have to be to achieve their goals? How highly must the odds be stacked against you for you to give up?Sara Alami, an English teacher from Iran, couldn’t have had a more difficult road to where she is now. She’s the co-founder of an Iranian English language school, teaches online to students around the world and has a massive social media following. But nothing about her background, and how she learned English, would make you think any of what she’s achieved should be possible.
Imagine your first ever teaching experience was in a purpose-built Korean village, where everything was in English. Even if you’ve worked on film or TV sets, or in the entertainment industry in some form, it’d be quite a jarring experience.Well, that’s what happened to Angie White, our next guest, who decided to explore the world of TEFL teaching after some time working in Hollywood. Our second on-location interview in LA, we discuss first lesson nerves, exploring cultural and family heritage, and what makes a great teacher.
Let’s be clear - the English language can be difficult. Whether it’s on a conversational level, where idioms stalk almost every sentence, or at the academic level. So, imagine navigating English for both casual chats and textbooks when it’s not even your mother tongue?Our next guest, Cecilia Nobre, grew up in Brazil, absolutely fascinated by language. So, she mastered both conversational and academic English, and has since worked in English universities, and recently, co-authored a book. She’s also taught, of course, in Brazil, England and Turkey. So we knew we’d have plenty to discuss.
We love confidence here on I Taught English Abroad. The confidence to say “I’m going to be a teacher”, for example. The confidence to travel to entirely new places, either having gained employment, or just going to see what you can find. The sheer - as we call it in Scotland - gallus to say “I’m going to do this, and what’s more, I’m going to be good at it”; we like that. So when we met Brittany Yaxley, who called her website and social media presence “She Run the World”, we thought “there’s a TEFL teacher who doesn’t lack self-assurance”.Confidence often comes from experience, however. And though Brittany is still early into her teaching career, her vast travels have made her a perfect resource for tips and advice, whether it’s on digital nomadism or places to seek out for adventure.
When it came time to pick somewhere to live and teach in South Korea, Ilsa Strough had loads of options. Seoul and Busan, for example, represent two buzzing, sprawling choices where expat communities are widespread and jobs are plentiful. Except, doing the expected isn’t exactly Ilsa’s way.Hear about how she built an online audience, inspired countless others and fought against the stares and the culture shock of moving to rural South Korea and becoming a popular, talented TEFL talent.Content warning: Features discussion of diet and body image.
Like many TEFL teachers, Dan Wharton once found himself looking out his window and dreaming of being somewhere else. Somewhere new, somewhere exotic, somewhere totally outside of his previous experiences. He trained as a TEFL teacher, and moved to China - so far, so exciting.The next chapter of his life, however, sets him apart from any other guest we’ve had. His skill and expertise in recruitment saw Dan establish a recruitment company to help other TEFL talents live and work in China. Dan tells us what teachers need to be doing on applications, how to set themselves apart in the job market, and he reveals an exciting new development in the Chinese visa application system.
Gav and Em, of the How To English Podcast, first met in art school with designs on breaking into the world of fine art. Over 20 years later, they’ve travelled the world side-by-side as intrepid world explorers and teachers of excellent repute.The duo tell us all about their travels, the challenges they’ve encountered, building a podcast audience and much more in an action-packed hour of conversation.
I Taught English Abroad has gone Hollywood, as we meet LA English Tutor, known to her friends as Anne Crutchfield. Anne, originally from Illinois, tells us all about teaching the diverse and exciting population of Los Angeles, her experience working for the government, the challenges facing modern teachers, as well as much more.If you’ve ever wondered how to make a career from TEFL within the United States, specifically in a huge city like LA, this is the episode for you!
You probably remember your favourite teacher. If that’s the case, chances are they’re the one who gave you creative freedom and let you express yourself. It could’ve been art, stories, songs; whatever it took to get you feeling inspired, they did it.For many, that teacher will have been our next guest, Betsy Potash. American, but now based in Budapest, Betsy’s approach to teaching is utterly, unstoppably creative, and she’s given a generation of teachers amazing ideas through her website and podcast, Spark Creativity. The section where Betsy tells us how exactly she got into content creation is utterly staggering.
They don’t have pictures in the dictionary, but if they did, you’d maybe see Matt Mitzel’s face under the word ‘Wanderlust’. Matt, a qualified and experienced TEFL teacher, has made it his personal mission to travel to every country in the world, and he’s already made impressive inroads.We cover the niceties of Istanbul, the career of Lionel Messi and, of course, teaching around the world. Here’s Matt’s story.
Your favourite TEFL podcast is back for a fourth season! Yes, once again, ‘I Taught English Abroad’ is back to tell the most compelling stories from the world of English teaching, filled with valuable insights, scarcely believable career trajectories and the best stories you’ll hear on any podcast.Meet the Hollywood-based teacher working with actors and models. Hear from a teacher who wants to visit every country in the world - and find out how he’s going to do it. Get to know the couple who met at art school and are now over 20 years into their teaching journey, and so, so much more.With a bumper line-up of inspiring stories told from locations all around the world, as well as invaluable advice for any budding TEFL teacher, this is an absolute must-listen season!Subscribe now to get new episodes in your feed every week.
We take a look back through Season 3 with The TEFL Org’s social media and marketing guru, David Foster. In this episode we tackling subjects as diverse as apparitions, Liverpudlian accents, and travelling as a couple, all while shattering some long-held TEFL myths.
Jema Perry (Mooncake English) hadn’t always planned on being a TEFL teacher, but the mark she’s made - and continues to make with her work online - is impossible to argue. Enthusiastic, charming and inspiring, Perry’s stories of climbing the career ladder in China are infinitely inspiring
Travelling the world, finding work as a teacher and assimilating to new cultures can be difficult solo. As a couple? It’s a different story, as Celi Reeder tells us all about living and working in South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and more!
Now an online TEFL sensation, it’d be quicker to list what the amazing Jamie Gajewski (also known as ESL Teacher 365) hasn’t experienced in her career thus far. From fleeing revolution in Egypt, to haunted farms and teaching in castles, to changing her approach after illness, this episode makes for a truly fascinating listen.
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