ABOUT US
THE CONNECTIONS WE'VE MADE WITH OUR ESL-TEACHERS IS SUPER REWARDING
We’ve met so many amazing people and different personalities while working as an ESL teacher. There have been many times we’ve been sad to see some of our teachers go. Luckily, we’ve been able to keep in touch with quite a few of our teachers and for this, we are so happy! For us, one of the best parts of our job is getting to know our co-teachers. At first, the teacher might be a bit shy around our supervisor. But, after some time when they warm up, they start telling her about their life, family, hobbies, passions, and dreams. She found it truly beautiful to get to know people in this way. She has heard so many interesting stories along the way. It’s honestly awesome.
PUSHING PAST HER COMFORT ZOME MADE HER REALIZED SHE CAN JUST ABOUT ANYTHING
Never in a million years did she think she’d be able to handle a bunch of teachers and teach them all the things she has been teaching. But, now that she has done it, she knows she can do anything. Ma’am Anjie actually learned that she enjoys speaking to large groups and being able to help people. She also learned that she likes to inspire people and make them feel confident.
Sometimes when we push past our fears of what we think we can’t do, we realize it really isn’t that scary. This helps us to see that we can do just about anything in our lives. We for sure figured that out while teaching and so happy we’ve learned that!
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T CONSIDER ESL AS A REAL JOB AND HAVE JUDGED US FOR IT
So many people hear the word ESL teacher and they automatically see some teacher hopping from one country to another having conversations with people in English and getting paid for it. That is not our job. We’ve gotten so many negative comments from people about what we are doing right now we can’t even count anymore. Most people keep asking us, “When will we get a real job?” We’ve finally begun to tell people that we actually do consider this a real job, and we don’t understand why they don’t. First of all, this job is not easy. It is something that is challenging and requires a certain type of person. Those who aren’t cut out for it don’t last very long! Second of all, you really have to be quite intelligent to be an ESL teacher. You need to have a very large vocabulary (or be willing to learn) and be adept at teaching the subtle nuances in English.
IS IT WORTH IT?
Totally! We love our job right now. Sure, some days are easier than others, but isn’t that the case with any job? Being an ESL teacher and a supervisor for Ma’am Anjie in her own team has provided us with so many amazing opportunities, but also to learn about herself, ourselves, and our students. We are proud to be part of the ESL community! If you are considering becoming a teacher, you can always reach out to our Supervisor – Ma’am Anjie. She’d be happy to help you.
--Team Anjie--
THE THINGS YOU LEARN WORKING AS AN ESL TEACHER
ESL, for those of you who might not know, stands for English as a Second Language. For better or for worse, English has become the global language, and therefore the number of people who want to study English is only increasing.
Most of our students come in because they need English for work. Sure, there have been a few that come for the sake of learning a new language to travel on their holiday or make small talk, but those people are the minority. With the high demand for learning English, there is also a rising demand for ESL teachers needed for this growing market. To be honest, I definitely didn’t choose being an ESL teacher nor did I choose to be a supervisor in my team, it kind of found me.
IT'S-A LOT HARDER TO LEARN A LANGUAGE AS AN ADULT
These people really struggle with learning a new language, and honestly, I feel for them. Sometimes they feel defeated as if they will never be able to learn. But, this is not true. From my experience, I can say that it is possible to learn a new language as an adult. I’ve seen amazing progress from my students who started at level one only being able to say, “Hi, my name is Anna.” From there some of them have made awesome progress that I am so proud of. So, what’s the trick? Persistence. Patience. Practice. I mean like all day every day.
Anjie
#TeamAnjie