TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
What is your citizenship?
I am Peruvian.
What city and state are you from?
I live in Lima.
What is your first language?
Spanish is my first language.
How old are you?
I am 31 years old.
What is your education level and background?
Some college. I studied business administration but didn’t finish. I also study culinary arts.
Have you traveled or lived abroad in the past?
Yes, I have. I lived in the United States for 9 years. I moved there when I was 18.
If you have, where have you been?
I lived most of the 9 years in Delaware. I also visited around 9 states and lived in New York for 6 months before moving back to my country.
When and how did you learn English?
I learned English by exposure. That means, by being in contact with the language at work and at home. Later I decided to take some classes to improve some skills.
What sparked your interest in being an ESL teacher?
After living in the States for so many years I noticed how the dreams of so many immigrants didn’t come true because of the lack of the language. They couldn’t get better jobs nor improve their lives in the States. So that was when I decided to become an English teacher; to help people learn English, so they can make their dreams come true.
What were some of your concerns before taking the TESOL course?
I thought about my level of English not being good enough to complete the course.
What did your friends and family think about you taking the TESOL course?
They I thought I was crazy because I was going to a country where I didn’t know anyone.
TEFL CLASS INFORMATION
Why did you decide to get TEFL certified and choose International TEFL Academy?
I decided to get certified because I want to live abroad and travel around the world teaching English. I decided to study at the International TEFL Academy because I did my research and so far it was my best option. I also talked to them before going to Costa Rica and they were very polite and caring and they sounded genuine.
Which TEFL certification course did you take?
Costa Rica, April 2016
How did you like the course?
I loved it. Luke and Melanie were awesome. They are knowledgeable about teaching and they were also very helpful.
How has your TEFL training helped you in your current job?
I learnt to teach better. I also learnt about new ways to teach different topics (activities).
TEACHING ABROAD
If you are currently teaching ESL, which country and city did you decide to teach English in and why?
I am currently teaching English in my country. I haven’t traveled yet but I will this year.
How long have you been and how long do you plan to stay?
I am planning on traveling for about 2 years teaching English in Europe. I will start in Spain.
What school, company, or program are you working for?
The institute that I am working for is called ICPNA.
Tell us about your English teaching job.
I teach English to adults and kids (ages from 10 to 60). I teach all skills and levels. I love my job; I have about 25 students in each classroom. I meet very interesting people every month.
Are there other non-native English speakers working with you?
Yes, there are plenty of non-native English speakers working at the institute where I work.
ADVICE FOR PROSPECTIVE NON-NATIVE ESL TEACHERS
What advice would you give a non-native English speaker who is considering the TESOL course?
Go ahead and do it. Don’t be afraid, Melanie and Luke will help you achieve your goals but you also have to work hard for them. Sometimes one can be afraid because it’s not our first language but one of the advantages that we have is that the majority of non-native English speakers learn all the grammatical rules first and by knowing that it makes it easier to teach and to complete the TESOL course.
Talk to us about saving your spot in one of our 4-week TEFL trainings!
