Be content by teaching English
If you are interested in becoming an ESL teacher, you want to find out how to succeed, make money and love your job by teaching English as a foreign language, then I invite you to read my first ever blog! I plan on writing more, and with future entries, I hope to explore, expand and explain the benefits of being a British native speaker teaching abroad!
Getting your foot in the door
What is ESL and how do I make money?
We go by many names: native speaker, lektors, English teachers, conversational coaches, British native speakers… to name a few. To say I was nervous in my first lesson is an understatement. Setting myself up on a local advertising site for Polish people looking for British native speakers and making a profile led to the first few emails from prospective students.
The first lesson
My first student turned up to my apartment, sat down and proceeded to just stare at me nervously; this was the moment I thought, “well, I had better start talking to them”! I had pre-planned my first meeting the night before, thinking of everything from small talk to deep conversation. We went from breaking the ice to conversing on everything from films to politics. I spoke more to this complete stranger in 60 minutes over a coffee at my kitchen table than I had to anyone else, even with a beer in my hand at a bar!
Managing expectations
We reviewed the expectations we had of each other and laid out a plan to execute the next few meetings. Eventually, the time was up and then came the uncomfortable part: “how do I pay?”, my student asked. Being new to this, it was out of my comfort zone to request payment for an hour’s conversation, but that was what the student came for; to speak with a native and gain insight on how best to improve their own English.
Making money
Apparently, I had met their expectations and before long, money landed on my table, hands shook and the student departed. My door closed; it was done! It felt like more than providing a service for someone; I had survived without coming across as bumbling fool disguising as someone who can actually help another person with their English and earned an honest fee in the process!
Don’t Panic
Above all, being a conversational native speaker is a challenge to get your head around. Well, it was for me. There are times when questions about grammar or pronunciation don’t surface during an English lesson with me. If you were a fly on a wall in some of my lessons, it would probably come across as very ordinary. Other days, I’m meticulously finding references and looking up lesson plans on the more technical side of English. Whatever it is that you’re doing, I think it’s important to create a stress-free environment.
Discover motivation
There are many reasons a person will seek out a native speaker. For instance, one might need help with grammar and pronunciation. Others wish to elevate from basic understanding to a more advanced level of conversation. Sometimes, students will use my services because their exposure to English is minimal and they need to have an opportunity to practice.
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Discuss expectations.
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Set clear goals.
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Be clear on how you can help
Overall, I have completed over 3120 hours of individual or group lessons since beginning this adventure, met different people, discussed a plethora of subjects, all the while helping people become more confident when using English. Long may it (hopefully) continue!
If you liked reading this blog post then please share it. I want to increase my content and invite guest contributors to share best practice. This will encourage anyone who wants to make the move into the ESL world.