Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in ShuAngzhuAng Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Suqian Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language.
I am thrilled to have completed my TEFL course as I have gained valuable information to continue to volunteer to teach English to adult learners in Yangon, Myanmar. I have been in Yangon, Myanmar for nearly 3 years and have been a volunteer English teacher to young business professionals and my challenges are many. The Myanmar language is very unique and different from any other language as they have their own vocabulary and phonic sounds which in return makes the English language very difficult for them to learn. Eighty-five percent of the population is Buddhist and so their culture is also very different to me as a Christian American- but in a wonderful way! The country is also extremely sheltered and isolated and I must constantly review my lesson plans to accommodate this. For example- most unmarried young women have a curfew of 8:00 pm no matter what age they are so they are socially inexperienced. I must watch my content as to not be offensive or bring up matters they are simply not aware of - such as dating. Their world view is also very small as they have not been taught in school world history anything except their own country. I have approximately 20 young woman students and not one of them has ever left Myanmar and quite frankly does not have a desire to do so. Their experience of the world is truly centered within their own country of Myanmar. I had a conversation class where I asked them if they could travel anywhere in the world where would it be and not one student would have chosen to leave Myanmar but rather to see a different city/place (religious sight) other than Yangon. The country is also extremely poor and poverty is real and heartbreaking. One lesson we were talking about food and I had to explain what Italian food and brunch were- their diet consists of the same things every day- rice, vegetables and a protein (but not beef!). I had also given out a hand out with "find someone who likes" and was again asked to explain what Mc Donalds was and I simply compared our American burger chain to their local fast-food chicken restaurant. One of the questions on the sheet was "have you ever been on a diet?". My class found this extremely funny because as typical young women they are concerned about their appearance but they have also most likely been hungry in their lifetime. The country of Myanmar is so beautiful and the people although they do not have much as far as wealth they are so so lovely, kind and gracious. The problems I face when teaching them mostly are due to their culture and I try to remain as culturally appropriate as I can. The challenges are real but I welcome them wholeheartedly because the rewards and smiles are worth every challenge I face. I am strictly a volunteer teacher so it was not necessary for me to take the TEFL course but have appreciated the lessons so much as I have gained valuable tools to make a difference within my environment here in Yangon, Myanmar.
