Blog

How to get English Teaching Jobs in Hong Kong and Asia

Ghosted by Schools? Here’s How to Get Their Attention (and the Job) So you’ve buffed your résumé until it glows, but schools in Hong Kong (or anywhere else) still aren’t sliding into your inbox with interview invites. What’s going on? The world of English teaching can feel like a game of “Where’s Waldo?”, only with more CVs and fewer stripes. Let’s break down why your application might be getting overlooked and how the right training and strategy could give your teaching career a serious boost… Careers in TESOL, Certificate courses

CertTESOL vs CELTA vs Online TEFL

"Choosing the right TEFL or TESOL course can have a huge impact on your future teaching career both in Hong Kong and overseas." — CertTESOL Graduate No pressure, right? If you're knee-deep in ads for teaching certificates and still wondering which course actually helps you land a job, take a breath. This is the guide that every future English teacher wishes they had before hitting that apply button. CertTESOL: The All-Rounder That Packs a Punch The Trinity College CertTESOL offered by English… Certificate courses

Why Teaching English is a Recession-Proof Career Move

When the economy takes a hit, people stop buying gadgets, put off holidays, and maybe even cut back on those lattes and avocado toast us millennials are known for. But there’s one thing they don’t give up on: education. Because even when times are tough, most of us know that investing in skills, especially language and professional skills, pays off long term. Take Hong Kong, for example. During the gloom and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, the education sector didn't crumble, it adapted.… Careers in TESOL, Certificate courses

Teaching English in Hong Kong: Level Up Your Career

Already living in Hong Kong, or thinking about making the move? Then you’re in a great spot to supercharge your teaching career. Whether you're aiming to climb the ladder in local schools, land a role at a prestigious international school, or score a spot in the sought-after NET Scheme, this guide will walk you through your options, and how to stand out. Local Schools: Start Strong, Grow Steady Teaching in local schools gives you the chance to build deep connections and grow your career right… Careers in TESOL, Certificate courses

Assessment for Learning with AI Text Generators

Most of the time, when we think about assessment, we think about grades, tests, and final scores. But what if assessment wasn’t just about measuring learning, but actually improving it? That’s the idea behind Assessment for Learning, or ‘AfL’ for short. In AfL, teachers use assessments to guide students and help them improve. Students are encouraged to discuss what success looks like, self-assess, and give feedback to their classmates. These activities help students better understand what they… Teaching skills

Adapting ESL Reading Activities with AI

Someone, somewhere, wrote your coursebook. They don’t know you, they’ve never met your students, and they might not even be familiar with your country. This means the content of your coursebook wasn’t made specifically for your class. It's more like a store-bought suit - close enough, but not a perfect fit. It probably needs a few tweaks. In this post, we’ll look at how AI can help you make those adjustments. Why Use AI to Adapt Your Coursebook? Imagine for a moment that you are the richest… Teaching skills

Teaching Pronunciation with AI

Pronunciation sometimes gets called “the Cinderella of language teaching” (Kelly, 1969:87). It’s overlooked and undervalued compared to its siblings, grammar and vocabulary. Teacher training programs rarely address it in depth, and coursebooks either avoid it or present activities that don’t match your students’ needs. After all, coursebook writers have never met your learners. But knowing your students doesn’t necessarily help you teach pronunciation. The more you interact with your… Teaching skills

Teaching and Learning Vocabulary with AI

In this blog, we’ll look at how to use AI to help with vocabulary learning and teaching. So much of language learning is about learning vocabulary. Regardless of your students’ level, well-formed sentences mean nothing without the right words to fill them. For better or worse, vocabulary is often taught in the order, present, practice, produce. For anyone who took a long nap around 1983 and just woke up, here's a refresher on PPP. In the presentation stage, the teacher introduces and checks… Teaching skills

Using AI for English Roleplay Activities

Roleplay is one of the most common ways to practice speaking, especially at higher levels. Roleplays can bridge the gap between the classroom and real-world communication. By encouraging students to be someone else, roleplays can allow students to be themselves - solving problems, driving a hard bargain or simply having fun. All this builds students’ confidence in their ability to communicate. But roleplays can be difficult to plan – sometimes they fizzle out after just a minute or two. Role… Teaching skills

Creating Reading Comprehension Activities with AI

Few things in teaching polarise opinions as much as reading activities. Some educators argue that reading comprehension questions are inauthentic. They detract from the joy of reading. Instead of inspiring students to read, reading comprehension questions train students to find correct answers. Reading comprehension questions aren’t popular because they further learning - they’re just easy to grade. On the flip side, some teachers would say that the above arguments are only true for badly… AI Skills, Reading

Create Mock English Language Tests with AI

Test prep can be daunting. Students come to us with minimal time and maximum expectations. They might want to focus on the test, even when they really need to focus on improving their English. Teachers are supposed to know everything about question types, strategies, and grading criteria, all while keeping students engaged and motivated. It’s an almost impossible job. In this blog post we’re going to look at how AI can help lift some of the burden. We’ll start by looking at why AI can be… AI Skills, Exams and Tests

Creating Worksheets with AI

Creating engaging and effective worksheets is a time-consuming process. Even if you download worksheets from a website, the process of searching for something suitable can be as onerous as making your own. In this blog post, we'll look at a different solution: using AI to generate worksheets. As well as saving you time, AI can add interesting twists to traditional worksheets. With AI assistance, you can personalise, target and differentiate your worksheets. In this post we’ll cover: adapting… Teaching skills