So I surf the web and search out possibilities and opportunities to travel away, teach English and get experience. I've been hammering away at that and - if I think about it - have sent out a great many applications over the past few months, never mind the past few days... The website that I've used most is ESLemployment.com and followed up links to other websites from there and I'm waiting on the cinsultation call...

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Erm... hello! *walks back into a busy room and tries to hide the signs of awkwardness as a few people look his way...* Yes, erm, right. Long time no talk on Chalkboard. Tsk. Poor show. Very disappointing. Who do I think I am just flying in and out when it pleases me? No sticking power and commitment. Harumph... Anyway, for months I've been off the boil and not engaging with the idea of teaching English...

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So, I'm finally making myself sit down to write down some thoughts on my Italy trip back in June. In brief, following the tips of very helpful people here on Chalkboard (thank you!) I ended up applying to work at Lingua senza frontiere camps in the hope I could get some experience, training and teaching action beyond the online qualification. Plus, some travel and a change of scenery was much needed... I was accepted (to...

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Argh! It's been ages since I checked in on chalkboard and had my mind in TEFL territory - way too long. I feel rude for going AWOL and feel I definitely owe some people an update. Real life and other business has a habit of drawing your energies away from the exciting stuff... I'm also very fed up of being in the UK and eager to do more teaching and travelling. I'll write a longer...

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Whoa. Where did I go? My mind has been completely off TEFL stuff lately while I've been busy with other stuff, going through medical treatment and other things. Looking at the calendar though and seeing that the beginning of June isn't far off and that I'll soon be tripping off to teach English at Italian summer camps (if all goes well), I need to get back in touch with things. So where am I up...

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In terms of pulling together my TEFL plans for the future, this week has been pretty succesful. Firstly, I applied to Lingua senza frontiere summer camps in Italy to work as a tutor and - whoa! - they accepted me. It hasn't sunk in yet that come June I should be journeying off to North Italy for a few days' training then sent off to have a blast with Italian kids on their holidays and teach...

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Action stations! Having realised that I really need to get experience, practise and confidence in TEFL I've been trying to build up momentum lately and try and pull things together. In brief, I've completed an application for teaching English at an Italian summer camp so we'll see how that goes. I know that doing a short stint will do me a world of good and is a logical stepping stone. Thanks to everyone here on...

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Andiamo! Andiamo! To build up momentum I've been browsing around looking for opportunities to get some teaching experience at summer camps or placements later this year. Thanks to tips from people on Chalkboard (big, big thank you and thumbs up to all of you) I've found some promising possibilities. It's a bit daunting just putting yourself out there and I find self-doubting thoughts keep on coming up when you start considering applying for things. "Why...

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So, I have got absolutely nowhere so far with pulling together a future placement to realise the dream of teaching English abroad and travelling. So much for the fresh start and exciting prospects, eh? This is no major disaster: I've just found that I haven't been able to get round to doing serious research and start browsing about for possibilities. It seems like a huge task and in a way I'm not really sure how...

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Hey! Right, I guess this counts as a kind of journal post to lay down as a benchmark... I've completed the online course, taken part in a intensive weekend workshop and gathered a stack of specialist certificate qualifications. Technically I could just go and teach English as a foreign language. So, hey, why not? Because of medical treatment I can't head away for the next few months but I've made up my mind having got the...

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