TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
What is your citizenship? Dutch
What city and state are you from? I was born in Amsterdam and that’s located in the province of North-Holland.
What is your first language? Dutch
How old are you? I’m 26 years old.
What is your education level and background? Bachelor's degree in Information Technology.
Have you traveled or lived abroad in the past? I’ve traveled to 10 countries
If you have, where have you been? I’ve been to Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, Greece, Turkey, The U.S.A, Nicaragua, Panama and Costa Rica.
When and how did you learn English? I learned English by going to school and being lucky enough to have quite some relatives in the U.S.A that I visited regularly.
What sparked your interest in being an ESL teacher? I’ve always had the feeling that my English was a lot better than my Dutch. This is a weird feeling since Dutch is my first language, so I decided to do something with that feeling and turned it into a passion of helping other people learn a second language.
What were some of your concerns before taking the TESOL course? I was scared that my English was not good enough or that I would not be accepted by my fellow classmates because English is not my first language. This was not the case, from the first conversation I had with Luke I felt like he believed that my English was good enough. This feeling was enhanced when Melanie told me the same. They are both experienced teachers and are able to judge if you’re English is good enough. My fellow students were amazing and never pointed out that English was not my first language and not only did they help me, I was also able to help them.
What did your friends and family think about you taking the TESOL course? My parents were very supportive, especially since they had already accepted the fact that I wanted to live abroad and travel the world.
TEFL CLASS INFORMATION
Why did you decide to get TEFL certified and choose International TEFL Academy? It was one of the first companies that google suggested and also I have some friends who got their certification here and they suggested the International TEFL Academy as well.
Which TEFL certification course did you take? I took the course in Barva, Heredia in Costa Rica, June 2016.
How did you like the course? The course was simply amazing. The teachers were able to teach us a lot about teaching English and it was a great way to finally understand how the English language really works. It was a once in a lifetime experience and I’m still very happy I took the decision to take this course.
How has your TEFL training helped you in your current job? The training has helped me tremendously in my current job. I use their activities on a daily basis and I will always carry their teachings with me.
TEACHING ABROAD IN COSTA RICA
If you are currently teaching ESL, which country and city did you decide to teach English in and why? I work in San José, Costa Rica. I decided to stay in Costa Rica because I simply love this country and I really want to master the Spanish language. The people here are so friendly and their culture is great.
How long have you been and how long do you plan to stay? I have been in Costa Rica for 10 months but I’ve only been teaching for 5 months now. This is because I was traveling through Costa Rica before I decided to take this course.
What school, company, or program are you working for? I work for a language institute named Wizard.
Tell us about your English teaching job. Wizard uses a specific method of teaching English which is a little bit different than the way this course has taught us. This in my eyes has helped me become a better teacher because I see the positives sides of both ways and I’m able to use both to help my students learn more about the English language.
Are there other non-native English speakers working with you? Yes, I have a lot of coworker that are native Spanish speakers but their English is amazing. I also worked with a girl from Slovakia but she went back to Europe.
ADVICE FOR PROSPECTIVE NON-NATIVE ESL TEACHERS
What advice would you give a non-native English speaker who is considering the TESOL course? At first I’d like to tell them that they should believe in themselves and don’t be scared to take a risk in life. If you believe your English is good enough, please contact the International TEFL Academy. They are experienced and know almost everything about teaching English and they will be able to judge if your English level is sufficient enough to teach English as a foreign language.
Pura vida!
