ihteachenglish.

com

Trained by IH
A practical guide for your first
steps into a career in ELT
 ihteachenglish.com

In this guide...
Introduction
Congratulations
IH today

Starting your TEFL career

A ‘day in the life of’ an EFL teacher
CV advice
Interview advice
Choosing a reputable employer

Classroom tips
I wish I had known
Managing lesson timings
CELTA acronyms
Classroom routines for young learners
Gaining a moment’s silence
Adapting activities for very young learners
Flashcard activities for young learners

TEFL career development

Developing your professionalism
Developing your career

IH alumni
Keep in touch

Follow us on social media

@IHTeachEnglish

/ihteachenglish

/international-house-world-organisation

  /ihlanguages
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Introduction ihteachenglish.com

Congratulations!
Congratulations for completing your course! You made
an excellent choice training with International House
(IH). With over 65 years of experience in teaching
and training and excellent worldwide reputation, IH
is a great organisation to start your career with.

We at IHWO – the hub of the organisation – would like to keep sharing some of our knowledge
and expertise with you as you move through your teaching career. In this booklet you will
find guidance on making the most of your new career, and details of how to join our alumni
association, “Trained by IH”.

You are joining an impressive body of alumni. John and Brita Haycraft (pictured), the
founders of IH. John and Liz Soars, the writers of the Headway series and teachers and
trainers at International House for many years. Course book writers and teacher trainers
such as: Jeremy Harmer, Jim Scrivener, Adrian Underhill, Scott Thornbury, Ruth Gairns, and
Martin Parrott – to name just a few – are all IH alumni.

And we are hoping that the future stars of the ELT world are reading this right now!

Throughout our almost 70 years, International House has pioneered improvements in

English language teaching, and we continue to do so.

International House founders, John and Brita Haycraft, believed that quality language
teaching must start with quality teacher training. In 1962, they launched the International
House Certificate (IHC) — the first training course in how to teach a foreign language
interactively and communicatively. This ground-breaking, practical short course was the
first to incorporate compulsory observed teaching practice. It had teacher development,
classroom observation and idea sharing at its core.

The IH Certificate rapidly set the standard

John and Brita Haycraft
for teacher qualifications in Teaching
English as a Foreign Language, with
thousands of teachers worldwide
becoming IH trainees and teachers.
From 1977, the Royal Society of
Arts (RSA) and then the University
of Cambridge developed the
course and it evolved into the
CELTA, the qualification that
is so widely recognised and
respected today.

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IH today
Today, International House Teacher Training Centres
train thousands of teachers every year, not just face-to-
face but also online. International House developed the
online DELTA and CELTA courses with Cambridge and
several IH schools have online training institutes.

We are proud of the courses we have developed for teaching Young Learners, an area that
requires different skills and knowledge. These courses can be taken face-to-face or online.

The International House network of schools also provides work opportunities for many
thousands of language teachers. With so many staff in far-flung locations operating from
different time zones, International House is always looking for innovative ways to share
ideas and best practice and develop teachers.

We want to support teachers in their efforts to be the best they can be. That is why we
invest in training and development that can be delivered across as many media as possible.
As well as providing training courses in their schools, many IH centres also run regular
conferences for teachers. Since 2011, IHWO has held a Teachers’ Online Conference with
interactive sessions from speakers all over the world delivered via an online platform. All
teachers are welcome! And we will keep innovating and improving to ensure International
House remains one of the best places to train, work and study.

Learning a language opens so many doors that it can literally change someone’s life. As a
teacher you will play an essential role in this. You are about to embark on a wonderfully life
enriching experience and we hope this booklet helps you on your way. Enjoy the journey
and keep in touch!

Now...
Then...

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Starting your TEFL career ihteachenglish.com

What it is like to be
an EFL teacher?
Teaching in Poland: A typical day working at an
IH school, teaching English to local students.

06.30: Get up and ready quietly so as not to disturb my flatmate, a fellow teacher
at the same school

07.30: Picked up by taxi which takes me to the company where I’m teaching
Business English to a small group of students.

10.00: After the class return to school to prep for the afternoon and
evening classes.

12.00: Take a long break at lunchtime and head to a café or restaurant

for lunch with colleagues and chill.

15.00: Head back to the school around mid-afternoon to get ready

for the after- school YL classes. The kids are energetic and fired up
and placated only by games of bingo using English language.

17.00: A short break after the YL classes – time for a snack and
last minute prep and then the evening adult classes.

21.00: If I still have some energy, then I go to the local bar

to hang out with colleagues.

Tips for living abroad

Learn some of the language before you go and keep it up when you are
there. It is a good way to meet people and understand the language
learning experience.

Join local clubs or activity groups as this is a great way to meet locals.

The school staffroom is a great place to start to look for social activities
and people to socialise with.

If your employer does not help with accommodation, do your research

before your leave so you are aware of the price range and accommodation
options available.

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What it is like to be
an EFL teacher?
Teaching in Australia: A typical day working at an IH
school, teaching English to students from overseas.

07.00: Get up and get ready for work. Pick up copies of local ‘what’s on guide’ for a reading
comprehension exercise.

08.15: Arrive at school and make last minute photocopies and preparations for lesson.

09:00: Start the morning classes. Ninety minutes with a multilingual General English
Intermediate class.

10.30: A quick break and a chance to chat to a student who has joined the class recently.

11.00: Another hour of teaching an Upper Intermediate class.

12.00: An hour of supporting students using the Self Access Centre, providing
advice on good grammar activities for certain needs or listening exercises.

13.00: Lunch and some ‘cutting and sticking’ preparing cards and handouts
for the afternoon’s lesson.

14.00: Teaching a class of teachers from Brazil who have come for an
intensive course of English and teacher training.

16.00: Quick teachers’ meeting with the DOS about student reports for
the end of the week. Then lesson planning for tomorrow.

17.00: A walk on the beach where I see my students surfing.

19.30: A night out with some of the student teachers and the
Social Programme Coordinator to see a show.

Tips for living abroad

Make sure you know which documents you need to bring with you in
order to open a bank account and register with local healthcare services.

Check if any vaccinations are necessary if going to a tropical climate.

Be aware of the local dress code (if applicable) so you can be prepared in
terms of your wardrobe.

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Getting a job – CV advice

There are many places that advertise for TEFL
teachers – if you google ‘TEFL jobs’ or ‘teach abroad’,
you will see there are a huge number of jobs out there.

Your CV creates the important first impression that

prospective employers will get of you as a candidate so
it is important to make sure it has the right impact.

Keep CVs to a maximum of two pages and only include necessary information. As well as
your name and contact details, CVs should have sections on the following:

Qualifications/Education
Put your TEFL/TESOL qualification near the top of your CV and include the grade where
applicable.

Work experience
List your main areas of responsibility or experience gained - use bullet points and keep them
succinct. If you have some TEFL experience, describe the levels, ages and types of classes
you have taught.

Other skills
Include any other information that indicates you are suited to this role, e.g. a youth group
leader... Make sure this is clear, succinct and relevant.

If you would like to keep your connection with International House, many of our schools
advertise through ihteachenglish.com/jobs. In any of our 160 schools around the world you
can be assured of a school which looks after its students and its staff.

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Getting a job –
Interview advice
As a newly qualified teacher, your first interview
for a teaching job can be daunting, but with some
preparation you can at least be sure that you will
show the interviewer your potential employability.
Here are some ideas to help you prepare.

Relevant experience
If you don’t have teaching experience, think about other work or activities that you have
been involved in that could be relevant, e.g. experience of working with children in another
capacity is very relevant if you are being interviewed for a school that teaches a lot of kids. Or
if you have previous business experience this could be relevant to teaching in company.

Research the location

Make sure you have researched the location of the school that you are applying to. The
interviewer will want to know that you find their particular town or city interesting, not just
that you would like to ‘live in Spain’.

Research the school

Check that you know the type of classes that you will be teaching. It is unusual for any job to
just involve teaching General English to Adults onsite. If there are kids classes or teenage
classes, then you need to be sure that you can be enthusiastic about teaching these classes
as the last thing a school with 60% of students under 18 wants to hear is ‘I don’t really want to
teach kids’.

Know what your strengths are

Think about how you performed on your initial teacher training course. What were you good
at? What do you know you need to work on? No employer expects a newly qualified teacher
to be perfect immediately, but it is important that you know what you need to improve on and
how you are going to achieve that.

Review your notes

The interviewer is likely to ask you about the classes you taught on your course and the
different techniques that you learned. They will also test your language awareness. So make
sure you review your notes from the course and think about the lessons you taught.

Referees
Identify who would be appropriate referees. A future employer is going to want referees who
can speak about your employability and any relevant experience you may have had, not just
your teacher trainer.

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Choosing a reputable
employer
Although there are many jobs in TEFL, not all schools have
the same employment standards. Terms and conditions will
vary hugely so it is really important to check your first job is
with a reputable employer that will support and develop you.

International House schools follow quality standards which

dictate things like maximum number of working hours for
teachers, holiday entitlement, teacher support and class
size. The following checklist is based on what our schools
provide but you can consider this as a benchmark for any job.

Contract
The school should give you a contract in English and they should sign it with you as
soon as you start work (or just before). The contract should state all the terms and
conditions you’d expect in any employment contract.

e.g. Salary: start date and length of contract: holiday pay: sick pay: health insurance
(if any): disciplinary and grievance procedure: probationary period: notice period for
terminating the contract: reimbursement policy on any visa expenses: offers of payment
for flights home: accommodation arrangements: etc.

Salary
When considering salary, find out about the local context. The cost of living varies
considerably from country to country so it isn’t always helpful to compare with a typical
salary in the place you live now. The internet is a useful source of information as there
are sites that give examples of everyday items e.g. rent, etc. in different locations.

Accommodation
Some employers provide this, others will assist in finding somewhere and others will
offer no help at all. If the school does provide accommodation, you need to know if the
cost is deducted from your salary, and if utility bills and telephone bills are included.
How comfortable you feel about arranging your own accommodation may depend on
whether or not you speak the language and other life experience so you need to decide
what will work for you.

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Choosing a reputable
employer
Number of teaching hours per week
Between 23 – 25 real hours is quite manageable. More than this is very difficult. Bear
in mind your ‘teaching hours’ are just the time you are in the classroom. You have to
prepare your lessons, mark homework and possibly have other duties such as standby.
Sometimes a school ‘teaching hour’ is not 60 minutes – it could mean 45 or 50 minutes.

Maximum class size

You have been trained to teach classes of around 12 – 16 students. If schools want you to
teach classes of 40 – 50, ask how they will train and support you to adjust your teaching
style. This also applies to any one-to-one tuition you are asked to do.

Your development
A good school will hold regular teacher development and training sessions. You should
also be observed at least a couple of times a year to help develop your teaching skills.

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I wish I had known...

Your first few months teaching might pass by in a
panicked blur, but before you know it you will be a calm,
competent and knowledgeable educator. We asked
teachers from around the IH network to think back to
those early, overwhelming days and tell us what they
wish they’d known when they started their careers...

… it’s ok to have non-CELTA style lessons and that teaching doesn’t always fit
into CELTA-shaped lessons, that flexibility can be key to a good lesson.

... I should give feedback on content and then

language for every productive stage of the lesson.

… I didn’t need to reinvent the wheel every lesson with new activities. There are generations
of teachers who have been in the same situation as me and we truly become better teachers
when we not only learn from our own mistakes, but learn from the mistakes of others.

... sometimes the best lessons are the ones that you don’t
painstakingly plan, but that develop seemingly by themselves!

… I should have kept a folder of “go to” lessons and activities as

I went along. It would have saved me so much time hunting down
the activities and making the resources again and again.

… all the things I learnt in the beginning of my career and kept forgetting
in my first classes (like modeling instructions, giving instructions before
worksheets, grading my language) would eventually become so natural
that I wouldn’t worry about them.

… the best resource was right there in front of me — students. I’d spend hours poring over
resource books, weeks trying to come up with clever contexts, elaborate dialogues that
crowbarred the target language in a ‘natural’ way. In trying so hard to include the learners,
I forgot that they were there, had their own experiences and could set the contexts for me.
And now? The learners are the centre of my classes and, boy, do they seem to appreciate it.

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Managing time
It’s hard when you start teaching to plan the timing of your
lessons exactly. Sometimes activities go more quickly than
you expected, sometimes more slowly. Here are some tips for
lengthening or shortening the activities you have prepared.

How to make activities shorter:

1. Set a time limit, depending on the time you have.

2. Go straight to working in pairs.
3. Set fewer questions than planned.
4. Do more examples together to start with.
5. Monitor more closely and only feedback on challenging points.

How to make activities longer:

1. Tell the students to repeat the task with a new partner.

2. Tell the students to repeat the task in a new context.
3. Ask the students to make the sentences true for them.
4. Tell the students to make the sentences into questions and ask their partner.
5. Link the sentences to photos on their phone in some way.
6. Record the students saying the sentences until you’re happy with the pronunciation.
7. Add three similar sentences yourself.

Monitor to check Monitor from the Use imperatives

they’re on task and front when speaking for instructions
then to see how and from behind and do examples
they’re doing the task when writing with the students

Clarify meaning (CCQs, Always give Check in pairs

timelines, examples) students a task before whole
when they engage class feedback
Then pronunciation
with a text
(choral and individual
drilling in context)
Then the written form
(spelling, stress)
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CELTA acronyms
Keep these acronyms in mind when
planning and teaching lessons.

TTT: Teacher Talk Time

Remember it’s all about quality, not quantity! Keep it purposeful at all times, but don’t be
afraid to talk either. Not to be confused with…

TTT: Test Teach Test

A very useful lesson structure for presenting new language and showing students they are
learning something new and useful. Test them to see what they know, teach them what they
don’t and then test them again to see if they’ve understood what you taught them.

CCQ: Concept Checking Questions

The most common way to check students have understood new language. Break down the
meaning into bits and then ask a yes/no question about each bit. Sounds simple! Takes lots
of preparation and practice! Not to be confused with Instruction Checking Questions.

ICQ: Instruction Checking Questions

Only to be used when really necessary. Remember that imperative instructions and clear
student-centred examples are the best way to make instructions clear to students. But if
there’s something new or odd about the task, add a yes/no question about it rather than
repeating yourself.

MPF: Meaning, Pronunciation, Form

The most important aspects of language that need to be clarified every time, preferably in
this order. Check meaning through CCQs or timelines or picture etc., drill the pronunciation
chorally and individually in context and then elicit the written form to the board, including
spelling, stress, syllables, linking, problem sounds and parts of speech.

IMF: Instructions, Monitoring, Feedback

The basic task cycle. Forget to do one of these and you’re going to get into trouble.

IPWC: Individual, Pair, Whole Class

The basic interaction patterns and the order in which students normally approach language
and receptive skills tasks. They do it by themselves, check their answers with a partner and
then get whole class feedback.

HOC: Hot or Cold?

How should you do your correction? Straight away, or hot, if you’re practising language in a
controlled activity and delayed, or cold, if the students are running free.

PTV: Pre-teach Vocab

Again, something to do only if you need to. Is it going to be new? Do they need it for the tasks?
Then it’s necessary.

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CCQs
Keep these CCQs ready for whenever these
aspects of language need to be clarified:

Simple aspect Does the speaker look at the action as a complete whole? Yes

Does the speaker emphasise the duration of the action?

Continuous aspect Does the speaker look at the action at having a Yes
(perceived) beginning and end?

Is the speaker thinking about the present result

Perfect aspect Yes
of a past action?

Present tense Is the speaker thinking about now or the future? Yes

Past tense Is the speaker talking about an action completed

Yes
(for time) in the past?

Past tense
Is the speaker imagining an unrealistic action? Yes
(for unreality)

Past tense (for Is the speaker being polite?

Yes
social distance) Is the situation formal?

Does the speaker express their (remote) ability

Will / Would Yes
to do something?

Shall / Should Does the speaker (remotely) insist what happens? Yes

Does the speaker express (remote) ability to

Can / Could Yes
do something?

Does the speaker (remotely) give permission

May / Might Yes
for something to happen?

Does the speaker express an internal obligation

Must Yes
to do something?

Active Is it important who does the action? Yes

Passive Is it important who does the action? Yes

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Classroom routines
for young learners
Children, even more so than adults, are creatures
of habit and they like routines. It provides them
with security and is what they are used to. Try to
establish these routines in your classroom.

At the start of the lesson:

1. Have the learners line up and answer a quick personal question as they enter.
This switches them on to English and gives them some individual attention.
2. Train the children to put away their coats and bags, to take out their folders and
put everything else away. Chewing gum should go in the bin, food and drink be
put away for later.
3. Nominate students as monitors for collecting homework, giving out books, and
writing the date on the board at the beginning of the class.

At the end of the lesson:

1. End the class as you began, in an orderly fashion.

2. Allow for packing away and tidying up time. Involve the children in collecting up
materials from activities, dictionaries, books, etc.
3. Make sure that instructions for homework are on the board and children have
written them down. Shouting over the heads of departing students is pointless!
4. Make sure all students are in their seats before you say goodbye to the class and
let them go.

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Gaining a moment’s
silence
The energy levels in YL classes can be great, and
we want to encourage lots of talking, but teachers
also need their students to stop and listen.

Try these methods:

Train students to respond to a signal such as a tap on the board, or raise one arm which
the students have to copy. You could even use a small bell.

Stand in a prominent place and whisper quietly. The students nearby will go silent in
order to hear what you are saying, and the whole class will gradually quieten down.

Place a notice on the wall which says SILENCE! When you want the students’ attention,
move to the sign and simply point. The students will become ‘conditioned’ to this signal:
you have created a ‘positive anchor’ if you only ever go to stand and point for this reason.

Shout out an instruction that all the class has to follow: stand up, imitate an elephant,
hands on heads. Or clap/tap a rhythm that the students must immediately copy. Keep
changing it, so they don’t take it for granted that they know what to do.

Don’t raise your voice if you

want silence in the classroom!
This has the negative result
of raising the students’
energy levels even more.
You get louder and louder
and so do the students,
compounding your
failure and making
you lose authority. If
you constantly use
your voice to get
silence, things
could develop
into a battle of
wills.

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Adapting activities for

very young learners
In your YL classes you will use a lot of songs, stories,
and flashcards. But a two year old is very different to
a six year old. Here is some guidance on how to vary
these activity types for slightly different age groups.

Songs and chants

2 year olds
Focus on melody and shorter, simpler songs or chants. Simplify
gestures. Give greater attention to receptive rather than productive skills.

4 year olds
Foster creativity by encouraging and helping the learners to adapt and create
their own chants.

6 year olds
Incorporate a literacy element through worksheets, song books, etc.

Storybooks

2 year olds
Use picture books incorporating touch and feel. Keep to a very repetitive
structure.

4 year olds
Use slightly longer stories, but still keep them very repetitive and visual.

6 year olds
You can go for a stronger emphasis on literacy with a more complex
narrative.

Flashcards

2 year olds
Keep to just a few cards, with more emphasis on receptive response.

4 year olds
Introduce more cards, and focus on productive response as soon as possible.

6 year olds
Incorporate literacy, e.g. match the words and the pictures.
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Flashcard activities
for young learners
One of the most common resources in your
staffroom will be flashcards. Here are some different
ways to vary their use for young learners.

Pass the Flashcard: Sit students in a circle. Play some music and pass the flashcard around
the circle, face down. When the music stops, the student holding the flashcard turns it over
and names what’s there. Start again with a new flashcard.

Spin the Bottle: Students sit in a circle. Teacher spins a bottle in the middle. Use a plastic
bottle! The student who the bottle is pointing to picks up a flashcard from a pile and names
the picture. If they are right, they get to spin the bottle next.

Be the Teacher: Students are individually asked to come to the front and choose a flashcard.
They then show it to the rest of the class, and they have to say what it is. The student holding
the card can say whether it’s right or wrong.

Whispering: Stick a selection of flashcards on a wall or whiteboard. Line students up getting

further away from the wall, probably about 3 or 4 students. To add an element of competition
you can create two teams. The teacher then whispers the name of one card to the first
student in the line. They whisper to the next, etc. The student at the front runs to the right
flashcard, points at it, and hopefully names it correctly.

Magic Wand: Teacher sticks the flashcards on the wall or whiteboard. Students walk around
the classroom, and when the teacher touches a flashcard and names the object the students
are transformed and have to behave like the object. This activity works well when introducing
new vocab, (especially animals) as it’s multi-sensory and images, sounds, movement and
behaviour are connected in a memorable way.

Matching Game: You need two sets of identical flashcards for this. Shuffle the cards together
and lay face down on the floor or table. Students take it in turns to turn over two cards, saying
what they are as they do so. If they match, they get to keep them.

Run to the Picture: Give students a flashcard with a word that only they can see. Lay
flashcards with the corresponding pictures around the classroom. When ready, students run
to the correct picture and pick it up. Then they show and speak the words. If they are wrong,
other students help out.

Say STOP: Teacher says the name of a picture. Then shuffles the cards and turns them over,
one at a time. Teacher repeats the word each time. Students shout STOP when the picture
matches the word.

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Developing your
professionalism
After a few months, you will realise that you are not
only surviving in the classroom, but that you have
an appetite to learn more. Here are 10 suggestions
to kick-start your professional development:

P eople: Use people as your greatest source of advice. Don’t hold back in asking your
colleagues for their tips and experiences.

R eading: Whatever skill you would like to develop, somebody will have written a book
about it. Read their guidance and you will soon be standing on the shoulders of giants.

O bservations: Observing other teachers and asking them to observe you will give you
invaluable insights into improving your classroom practice.

F acebook: Many teaching associations have their own Facebook pages where they share
valuable resources. So get liking and get learning! facebook.com/ihteachenglish

E vents & Conferences: Mingling with other like-minded professionals usually leaves
teachers reinvigorated when they return to their own classroom. You might find a one
day event in the city where you are, or you might be able to attend a longer international
conference. Upcoming IH school events can be found here: ihworld.com/events

S ocial Media: Within many different blogs and Twitter accounts there is a wealth of
teaching tips, advice and materials that you can take straight into the classroom. Search
online for ELT communities, or follow IH Teach English on Twitter. @IHTeachEnglish.

S eminars: Seminars give you a short, intensive boost of professional development,

normally on a single topic. Your school might arrange these for a professional
development event, or you may be able to participate online, (search for EFL webinar).

I H Network: Keep engaged with your IH alumni network by signing up to “Trained by IH”
and you will receive up to date professional information and special offers.

O nline Courses: No matter how much work you do to develop yourself, sometimes what
you really need is a recognised qualification to prove you’ve done it. IH has a wide range of
professional online courses from Teaching Young Learners to Business English and Online
Tutoring, among other courses. ihworld.info/OTTI

N ew Challenges: There is no better way to learn a new skill than to try it out. When you
have the opportunity, volunteer for new challenges , or try new techniques. Reflect on
how well they turned out, amend your approach and try again. You can become an expert
quicker than you think.

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Developing your career

A career in EFL can develop into management,
teacher training or specialist areas such as online
teaching or teaching young and very young learners.
Here are some case studies from teachers who
have taken their career in different directions.

Nick’s TEFL Story: Becoming a DOS

I took my CELTA in January 2001. It was a great experience, and I learnt a lot. At the time, I
wasn’t sure where I wanted to work, but happily decided on Poland.

This job was very good as the school had a programme of workshops and observations so I
could develop reasonably quickly. My second job in China gave me experience of different
students and a different context.

Having worked in TEFL for three years, I decided that I was now staying in this line of work
and should further my development by taking the DELTA. This led to becoming an Academic
Manager in Vietnam. This was quite a steep learning-curve, but I had the support of others in
the school and from the wider IH network. I was now more closely involved when the school
was inspected and this was a great way to find out about the workings of schools and so on.
For a while, I was involved with delivering IH teacher training courses, and, using help from
within the network, set up the CELTA in Vietnam, and become a CELTA trainer myself.

Further jobs led me to Georgia and Latvia, and Sicily. My TEFL journey continues...

Tanya’s TEFL Story: Moving into a UK college

I took my CELTA with International House straight after graduating. I taught in Poland,
Hong Kong, Australia and Japan for about 9 years.

I returned to the UK to take a MA in EFL and Applied Linguistics at King’s College, London
and train up as a CELTA tutor. I started working for a state sector college as a CELTA trainer
at first and gradually took on more work until I got a full-time contract. The requirements
for state sector employment are different to the private sector and it was necessary to take
an additional qualification (now known as DTLLS). A lot of the study was repetition having
already done the DELTA, however, I learnt a lot more about literacy, differentiation, equality
and diversity and planning for and teaching barriers.

After a few years at the college, I was promoted and had responsibility for the department
along with one other manager. We had a team of about 40 teachers who we line managed.
This included conducting yearly appraisals and observations.
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Developing your career

Dawn’s TEFL Story: Becoming an online tutor

I had already been teaching before I studied for my CELTA, but I was aware that I had a lot to
learn. I am based in Nicaragua and here it’s easy to pick up teaching work. I had worked in a
couple of ESL schools and pretty much hated it, as I didn’t have a clue what I was doing.

The one month CELTA course was perfect for me. My lesson plans improved drastically, and I
think the most crucial aspect was that I felt more confident that the methodology I was using
was correct. For example, as all of the students speak Spanish and so do I, it was always a
struggle to keep the lower level groups speaking English. As well as picking up tips on how to
control that, I was also more confident in insisting that students speak English, as I felt I now
had the back-up of my CELTA qualification to prove that I knew what I was doing.

I stayed in my first job for about three years, but found that I didn’t like being tied down to
being in one physical location. So for over a year now I’ve been teaching English online. There
are more and more companies offering this type of work, and of course it has its pros and
cons. The main advantage is flexibility and it pays well too. The downside is that you have
almost no control over what or how to teach. You tend to be given a fixed lesson plan and have
to follow it. In the company I work for that’s very strict, though each company is different.

In short, taking the CELTA with IH has given me the confidence to teach English in a range of
settings, which I’m sure will only continue to evolve as the internet and technology advances.

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Developing your career

Naomi’s TEFL Story: Moving into publishing

I started out as a teacher of most ages, levels and course types, including; business, exams,
adults, young learners, etc. Within a couple of years I had moved to teaching more YLs
and teens. I felt most at ease and ‘in my element’ when working with YLs. Soon after, I
took on responsibility for the YL department in the school - I liked the organisational and
management aspects of this new role.

This developed into delivering workshops and training programmes to teachers in the
school and then to state school teachers on behalf of the school and also on behalf of Oxford
University Press (OUP). I was also a CELTA trainer and an IHCYL trainer. This focus on
training led to a couple of trips to other countries to deliver professional development (PD) -
primarily on behalf of OUP, but also for a few other organisations.

The focus at this stage was mainly YLs, I enjoyed being able to support YL teachers –
providing practical ideas as well as theory and methodology – much of it I had learned
through my own classroom experiences, but also through reading and research, observing
classes and talking to other teachers. Through the OUP connection, I was commissioned to
write a couple of titles and then I was offered a full time teacher training role with OUP, based
in Oxford, but working globally.

Initially, I delivered a lot of training in European countries, but this quickly expanded to
working further afield, including Turkey, Egypt, Brazil, Russia and India. My role then moved
from teacher trainer to professional development services manager. In this position I oversee
all the professional development activity that takes place globally for OUP.

My teaching and training background have an important role to play in my current position,
they help me understand the PD our offices are organising for teachers, ensure I can support
the trainers and speakers we work with to deliver the PD, and influence the initiatives we are
responsible for developing. What I particularly like about my role is that I can make use of
organisational and management skills alongside my background of teaching and training.

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Keep in touch
We hope you find this guide interesting and helpful
as you embark on your career. You are one of
approximately 4,500 new teachers taking your first
TEFL qualification with International House every
year. Together, you are a fabulous network!

Members of the “Trained by IH” alumni receive a

newsletter with information about developing your career
further, news from the schools and news from alumni
members. You might hear from your old classmates
and from teachers you have worked alongside.

Go to ihteachenglish.com/alumni for more information on

further training and to join the alumni network.

Acknowledgments
We would like to say a big THANK YOU to:

Dawn, Tanya, Lucy, Nick, Neil, Naomi, Kylie, and all the wonderful IH teachers and
trainers who contribute to International House’s teacher training network.

For more useful Resources, please visit:

www.ihteachenglish.com/resources

Our blog also contains lots of advice and tips for life during and after
CELTA: www.ihteachenglish.com/blog

www.ihteachenglish.com

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International House
World Organisation
50 countries

More than 65 years of experience

4,500 CELTA grads trained by IH each year

Over 6,000 teachers employed worldwide

31 languages taught

Poland
Bielsko Biala
United Kingdom Bydgoszcz
Aberdeen Torun
Belfast Wroclaw
Bristol Czech Republic
Durham Brno
Edinburgh Prague Slovakia
Ellesmere Bratislava
Frensham
Intuition Languages Germany
London Berlin
Manchester Cologne Estonia Latvia
Moulton Dusseldorf Tallinn Riga Russia
Newcastle Frankfurt Moscow
Oxford Freiburg Novokuznetsk
Portsmouth Hamburg Stavropol
Heidelberg St Petersburg
Torquay Ukraine
Voronezh
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Ireland Belarus Kharkiv
Cork Minsk
Kyiv
Dublin
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Bucharest Izmir
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Vancouver Sofia Georgia
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Whistler Coimbra Tbilisi Almaty
Zurich-Baden
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Porto Foz Podgorica
Torres Vedras Iran
Viseu Tehran China
Qatar Qingdao
Spain Doha Shanghai
USA Barcelona Croatia Egypt UAE
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Cadiz Malta
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Hungary Oman
Granada
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Mexico Huelva Italy Libya Thailand
Aguascalientes Irun Ancona Benghazi Jordan Bangkok
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Malaga Serbia
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Mataro Belgrade Saudi Arabia Vietnam
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Mexico City Palma Florence Dhahran Lebanon Hanoi
Monterrey Colombia Pamplona Jesi Jeddah Beirut Ho Chi Minh City
Puebla Bogota Sabadell La Spezia
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Riviera Maya Santiago de Milan
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Ecuador Seville
Torreon Pescara
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Veracruz Reggio Calabria
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Rome
Valencia
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Peru Zaragoza
Lima Zarautz

Australia
Bondi
Brisbane
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Johannesburg Sydney City
Uruguay
Montevideo

Argentina
Buenos Aires New Zealand
Auckland

ihworld.com

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