Jilliann Roberg - TEFL course diary

A long strange trip it gets to be.

As an EFL instructor in Riyadh at a lovely, pristine new college, I can truely report that the oft lamented local educational traditions have been tossed to the winds. There IS a new breeze in Nedj.

But getting visas and permission to enter the country to teach is still somewhat touch and go. In my case it was touch and not go. I arrived as a guest and found the circumstances of teaching, as well as life outside of work, to be quite suitable, acceptible. Better than expected.

Since being here, I have sucessfully completed 2 on-line courses (MA TEFL) with St.Cloud University (Minnesota/USA)

Pedagogical Grammar (ENGL 664) and

(ENGL 662) English for Academic Study.

However, the pounderous methods of getting a work visa has scuppered my intentions of on-line course instruction this term. I registered with my university, but the text books I ordered have yet to arrive in Riyadh.

In my case - I had to ’step outside’ the country, to get required work permission. My ’step’ was into Egypt/Cairo. This little jaunt took nearly 2 weeks .

If you don’t mind - I’d like to tell/write/blog about my more succcessful on-line MA experiences. I swear, I’ll tell all!

Jill

Blog continues in three, two, one…..

Just a short but serious side-note to future / as well as current/ teachers of EFL…  We have had two teachers receive calls from home (USA) that a parent is either dying or in one case, passed.  The grief is overwhelming.  Decisions made on last vacation/leave /are doubted.  The trips back home are long and lonely.

It has occured to me that special thought/planning needs to be made by all teachers of EFL - to pre-think the unthinkable. Oman/Korea/Brazil etc. are so far away.  One must mentally adjust to the fact that deaths may occur and one must be ‘alright’ with that fact.

We have all been scurrying to cover the classes now left vacant. Life and courses continue.  I hope to post a much more uplifting message shortly regarding the new on-line course of Second Language Acqusition at St Cloud State University / Minnesota.  The course begins today.

Ever onward…