What are the most effective ways to improve your work performance as a language teacher abroad?

In my experience, it's important to understand your students' personalities. This helps create a comfortable class environment as you get to know each other. Asking simple questions about their names, jobs, marital status, and hobbies can reveal a lot about them. Pay attention to how they respond and their comfort level in sharing personal experiences.

Simple things like knowing names can create rapport but you also need to know their learning needs to enable quality first adaptive teaching.

Planning lessons are vital for teaching any subject but especially in a foreign language lesson, it can not only mean getting your point across but being understood on the most basic level. Planning lessons can allow you to reflect on the theme you will teach and the best way to deliver concepts. You can then tailor your lesson to your audience and what they actually want the language used for. Some might want it for business purposes and some might want it for travel, with this in mind you can create activities that can build on their prior knowledge and interests for an effective lesson. At the end of the day, each language teacher should want their students to be able to use the language efficiently and confidently.

A lesson plan is very important when it comes to teaching. Preparing ahead of a class helps the teacher stick to time and stay organized. Also, the teacher will be able to use diverse methods to help ensure that students are able to comprehend the idea being put across. It is often challenging when there is a language barrier between teacher and learner, and this is the reason why a lesson plan cannot be taken for granted. The teacher can practice ahead of class so as to come down to or above the students’ level. When this is done, mutual understanding would be achieved and students would be able to use the language to suit their purpose.

In the digital age, the availability of an extensive array of materials is unprecedented, and the possibilities seem limitless. However, it's crucial to approach the use of digital tools with a discerning eye. While the sky may be the limit, we must be critical in selecting materials that not only align with our teaching objectives but also meet the criteria of accuracy, authenticity, and cultural sensitivity. Knowing our students well and keeping our desired outcomes in mind allows us to make informed choices in the vast landscape of available resources. Striking a balance between embracing technological advancements and maintaining a critical perspective is key to optimizing the benefits of diverse materials in language instruction

It is vital to use various resources during lessons and in this way diversify students' learning experience. Materials should also be selected based on students' specific interests and provide cultural content and background. They should be authentic and taken from reliable sources. It's also good to teach them about English speaking countries in more detail and recommend that they should watch films, series and listen to English podcasts in their free time, as not everything can be done during the lesson.

Improving work performance as a language teacher abroad involves a mix of honing teaching skills, cultural adaptation, and effective communication. Engaging students through active learning, interactive teaching, & other innovative methods like serious games & urban computing which involve use of remote teaching via technology is a great way to improve performance as a language teacher abroad. A teacher involved in language instruction abroad must engage in continuous professional development through workshops, blogs, podcasts & conferences. They must adapt their teaching methods to local cultural sensitivities. Obtaining dynamic feedback from, while providing constructive criticisms to students is needed to be a good language teacher.

Teaching in Korea, twice a year we had an open lesson, in which the other teachers, parents, and even the principal could observe and leave feedback. This added a level of pressure and nerves that wasn't usual for my classroom; even students act differently knowing that their parents are in the back of the room. However, it was great for reminding me the level of effort that my students deserve. Every lesson should have as much thought and energy as the lesson I prepared for display. I also appreciated the feedback, especially from fellow educators. By my third year, I did not feel as stressed when it came time for the open lesson. I could confidently say that every lesson I prepare is well-composed, and peer review is extremely helpful!

As language teachers, seeking feedback from colleagues is crucial for professional growth, providing diverse perspectives and insights. Equally essential is gathering opinions from our students, as their feedback serves as a direct reflection of our teaching impact. This dual approach, combining insights from peers and students, creates a comprehensive feedback loop that enhances our effectiveness and fosters a collaborative, student-centered learning environment.

To understand how much progress your students have made, is beneficial for both sides , teachers and students. Sts have the right to ensure that how well they could handle and deal with various skills and lessons whereas teachers make sure that they have taught related parts in accordance with the Lesson plan and amend their weaknesses in any part of teaching. Evaluating students could result in better performance for teachers and achieve a great deal of feedback from STS.

Continuing professional development is essential for teachers, particularly when working abroad. The field of education is ever-changing, and staying current with the latest research is crucial. Research informs us about best practices, and the ability to adapt based on new findings is paramount for effective teaching. Utilising research to inform practice not only keeps teaching methods relevant but also enhances classroom dynamics. Embracing new insights enables teachers to tailor their approach, fostering a more responsive and inclusive learning environment. In essence, ongoing professional development through research empowers educators to deliver the best possible education to their students.

I believe seeking for professional development is one of the key factors to highly perform and effectively fulfill your task as a teacher. when interacting with other professionals from various fields you pave the way to enrich and gain more knowledge, fuel your expertise and take your performance to a higher level .Workshops ,training and CPDs are crucial and fundamentals l to achieve success.

Professional development abroad Is a wonderful occasion to understand different culture, improve, get deeper in methodology ready to be amazed. Curiosity is the Key for a real professional development

When I trained to become a teacher in England (which is not my home country), I found observing other teachers teach to be extremely benefitial before venturing and teaching my own lessons. When observing other teachers, you get to learn how they use their voice, how they stand and walk around the classroom, how they address students, how they present information, how they monitor and assess pupils' progress, how they deliver explanations, how they address misbehaviour, and which kind of activities they use, among others. Then of course, practice makes perfect, so being able to teach my own lessons, having the time and space to reflect on my own practice and receiving regular feedback from my mentors were key during my teacher training.

As a foreigner, I would say cultural understanding plays a vital role in enhancing my performance as language teacher abroad. This is because it involves immersing yourself in the traditions, customs, and values of the local community where you are teaching. By doing so, you gain insights that help you connect more deeply with your students. Integrating cultural elements into your lessons could include using local examples, stories, or traditions to make the content more relatable and engaging for your students. This approach fosters a positive and comfortable atmosphere in the classroom, strengthening the teacher-student relationship and enhancing the overall effectiveness of your language teaching.