Author: Alison Carter

Teaching English abroad often starts with a relatively simple question: how do I get my first teaching job? A few years later, the questions tend to become more complicated. How do I move into better-paid or more specialised work? Could I become a teacher trainer, academic manager or materials writer? What would I need to… Continue reading What comes after TEFL? Choosing a master’s in TESOL, applied linguistics or language education

ESL jobs sit in a strange place in the labour market. On one hand, they can be genuinely life-changing: a route into stable work, international experience, and meaningful contribution. On the other, they can expose workers to some of the sharpest edges of modern employment: opaque recruitment chains, unclear contracts, debt-financed relocation, and power imbalances… Continue reading Ethical recruitment for ESL roles: protecting teachers, schools, and learners from modern slavery risk

Teaching English as a second language (ESL) is an exciting career path, offering opportunities to experience diverse cultures around the globe. One often-overlooked consideration when embarking on international teaching roles is workplace jewellery etiquette. Different countries have varying legal and cultural attitudes towards wearing jewellery in educational settings, making it crucial for ESL teachers to… Continue reading Jewellery at work: a global guide for ESL teachers

Honesty on your CV is the best policy. In the quest for that perfect English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching position, job seekers can feel under an immense amount of pressure to stand out. In a competitive job market, the temptation to embellish one’s CV can be strong, but as we’ll explore, the legal… Continue reading Navigating legalities in your ESL job hunt

Guy’s For Love not Money piece of today, got me thinking about what makes a great employer, what drives us to want to work for a great employer? Over the course of the weekend, in between tennis and enjoying the warmth that has finally engulfed this land, in my true workaholic nature, I took some… Continue reading For Love, not Money? What makes a great employer?

Teaching English in South Korea is an amazing experience. There is definitely a reason why thousands of university graduates flock to teach English in South Korea year after year. Korea has become one of the number one destinations for being the best country to teach English in and there are many reasons why. Korea has… Continue reading Teaching English in South Korea

I was in Korea for two straight years. Although I lived in Pusan, the second largest city, I did a lot of roaming around the country. Here is a collection of experiences that are not hard to come by, many of which are not usually found in the typical guide book: While exploring a beach… Continue reading Tidbits of Anecdotes from a Former English Teacher in Korea

Here’s a nice, long, Halloween horror story for teachers, directors, and schools. I won’t divulge a full name because it would be professionally and morally unconscionable for me to sabotage any person’s potential for future repentance, which is ironic, for this individual posted a libellous web page in order to suck the blood from both… Continue reading The other side of the coin

Children in Hungary start school at the age of six and everybody must go to school until the age of sixteen. The first type of school is primary school, where children may stay until they are fourteen, that is for eight years. But a lot of children choose to leave primary school earlier and go… Continue reading Schools in Hungary