In this episode Rowan reminisces about his time as a volunteer teacher in Cuba. After the break James and Rowan talk to multi-country volunteer Dale Ezyk about the many rewards and adventures available to volunteer English instructors around the world.

In this episode, Rowan and Alex discuss current and upcoming overseas teaching opportunities with recruitment specialist Phil Negus from ESLstarter. Phil describes how an early career shift took him to Thailand to try his hand at teaching English, and points out some of the differences between teaching in Thailand, Korea and Taiwan. Phil also explains how he subsequently transitioned from teacher to teacher recruiter, and shares some important tips on how to achieve success in your next job search and land an amazing teaching position.

In this episode, James and Alex announce some exciting news on the reopening of borders to English teachers in Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam. We then sit down with Pim Arends, Assistant Director at CEDEI Foundation, Ecuador. Pim reflects on how seeing a postcard of the beautiful city of Cuenca inspired him to take a chance and make the truly life-changing decision to move from Europe to South America. Pim also describes his background in arts education, and some of the rewards and challenges of transitioning between in-person and online English classes during the pandemic. Ecuadorian cuisine is also discussed, leaving our hosts hungry for more!

Check out our recent blog for more details on easing border restrictions in Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam here: https://www.oxfordseminars.com/blog/teaching-positions-asia-soar-borders-open-popular-tefl-markets/

James and Rowan catch up with Oxford Seminars graduate Truitt Urbanic who's back in America after six years of teaching English in South Korea and Vietnam. Truitt touches on the realities of returning home to a place that has stayed the same while he has changed, as well as future plans for making TEFL a long-term career. He also reminisces about some of the best places to visit as a poli-sci buff and rock climber living in Asia, along with the "magic" of Hanoi's tight-knit ex-pat community.

In this episode James and Alex get to hear three perspectives on what it's like to live and work in one of South America's top teaching and travel destinations - Chile! Lorna, Sarah and Devon from The Language Co. share stories about what first drew them to Chile, and some of the very special reasons they've stayed. And for those adult drink aficionados, be sure to listen all the way to the end for some pretty unique and surprising Chilean beverage recommendations.

In this episode James and Alex have the unique opportunity to speak with recruitment specialist Madeline Moon about applying to teaching jobs in one of the world's most popular English teaching destinations — South Korea! Madeline provides insights on hiring trends and the evolution of the English teaching market in Korea over the past 20 years, and shares some of her favorite stories from over two decades of experience connecting teachers with schools in Korea. James also divulges one of his favorite guilty pleasures — Korean cheese rabokki, mmmm.

Read Madeline's blog post to learn how ESL teaching skills can translate to the American job market: www.teacher-tech.com/teach-korea-whats-next-career

In this Winter Olympics Special episode, James and Rowan discuss all things winter sports, and James tells us about his experience watching events and hobnobbing with athletes at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. We are super stoked to also be joined for a full feature interview with the first ever Olympic Gold Medalist in Men's Snowboarding - Canadian Champion Ross Rebagliati! Ross regales us with tales of riding on the world tour, as well as winning (and losing?) his gold medal at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic Games.

We here at The Teaching Abroad Pod are very excited about our upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics Special Episode - be sure not to miss this one! This gold medal episode includes host James Davis sharing some fond memories about attending the 2018 Pyeongchang Games in South Korea, as well as a feature interview with the first ever snowboarding gold medalist, Olympic Champion Ross Rebagliati! Full episode drops next Wednesday, January 26th.

In this episode James and Alex have another wonderful opportunity to talk to return guest and Oxford Seminars blog writer Brian Knox McGugan. Brian shares some more thoughtful insights on what it's like to make your way working as a freelance teacher and educator in Bangkok, and explains why he's enjoying the flexibility and variety of opportunities this new career path has afforded him since moving to Thailand just over one year ago.

In this episode, James and Alex talk with guest Ethan Church about what it's like to live and teach in the famed historic city of Sevilla, Spain. Ethan explains how his lifelong passion for soccer (or football, as it's known everywhere else) led to an early interest in traveling and exploring other languages and cultures. Ethan also offers some very thoughtful advice for those thinking of getting started teaching English abroad.