TESOL Interview

"It's not a formal interview... there's just a little test..."

How do you prepare for an interview if you're not even sure what to wear? Kath and Laura and I had practiced some grammar - mostly parts of speech - but we had no idea of the level of the test, nor of the intensity of the interview. Luckily for Kath and Laura, I got to go first...

And it wasn't that bad at all, really. Sean, the tutor, spent a lot of time talking about the course. The assessments seem really interesting - for example, we spend time observing lessons for a language we don't speak (Russian, say), which we then have to write a critical appraisal of. Sean's kind of manic - or was in the interview, at least. But I liked him. He's been to Japan to teach English too. Another information source, that's good.

The interview was simple, pretty much. We talked about why I wanted to do the course, what I thought made a good teacher, and what other languages I knew. Mostly it was Sean getting excited about his subject. Enthusiasm to spare! There was a test, and it was "just a little test" too - correcting some sentences, choosing some spellings, and a short written piece about teaching the differences between two types of English.

Yes, I passed. We start next Thursday. Yahoo!

Is "boring" an adjective?

Yes, in the main, I suppose it is. But it could also be a regular verb - "termites are boring through the floorboards" - and subsequently a derived gerund too - "We estimate that boring occupies four-fifths of the termite's waking life."

Kath, Laura and I went through the seven main parts of speech in my classroom bedroom. Noun, Pronoun, Verb, Prepostion, Conjunction, Interjection, Adverb, Adjective. I gave examples, and then invited Kath and Laura to complete a couple of exercises. The lesson went well, but it went on and on too. We stopped for chips.

Hopefully the grammar will equip us well for our TESOL interviews. It's me on Thursday, and then the ladies on Friday. Good luck to us all!

Emi-san! Konbanwa!

Our first Japanese lesson was today. Our teacher, Emi, is very good: lively, enthusiastic, smiley. Is this what Seb meant when he said that most of all we need to be genki? We covered the aims of the course, and learned some phrases - konnichiwa; konbanwa; ohiyo gozaimasu; arigato - and a little bit about grammar - introduction to particles o; wa; ka.

We were given our names in katakana, and asked to learn numbers one to ten as our homework: ichi, ni, san, yon, go, rocku, nana, hachi, cu, jui. Laura's colleague Kris came with us. That makes yon of us. How exciting!

Clare's blog

Laura’s friend Clare is a JET in Hokkaido. She’s on the scheme with her husband Andy, and they’re based near to Iwazizama. It was a conversation with Clare and Andy that led Laura to ask me if I’d be up for participating in the JET scheme. And, as avid readers might recall, Clare and Andy know Seb, who just happened to go to my school. Small world, eh? It turns out that Clare has a blog too. It’s in the blogroll, and it’s available here.

As you can see from this post, their flat is really spacious. It looks very nice!

Seb's Blog

Do you remember my post A Strange Coincidence? From a few weeks ago? Well, Seb got in touch earlier this week and has given me lots of information about his JET experience so far. I'll post some of what he's said once I've asked his permission to blog about it, but rest assured, it's very interesting stuff! He's written about his application process, about his interview, and about his first experiences of the scheme. Keep your eyes peeled for more of what he's said.

He has also been writing a blog about his JET experiences. It's really well written, and would make for a very enjoyable read, even if you're not interested in the JET Programme yourself. I'd heartily recommend taking a look - you can read it here, and it's also available in the blogroll too. Check it out!

Kath's got an interview too!

Kath has heard from Magali, and she's got an interview. 30th September. Great news!

Forty pounds! For two sheets of paper! Outrageous!

I have just paid £40 for two sheets of paper. Yes, that's right. Forty pounds. Forty whole pounds. And what, pray, are these amazing expensive pieces of paper?

Academic Transcripts.

Not a transcript of every word I've ever submitted for my degree. No! Far more modest than that, despite the lofty price.

A list of modules I took at Uni, with grades.

Yup, that's all they are. I know that there's a funding crisis in the education sector. But blimey, what a whack in the pocket!

Still, can't be helped, right - it's part of the JET application process. Bite your tounge Dave, and fork out your cash. you know it's going to be worth it.

Yuzu

Yuzu is a new Japanese restaurant in town. I’d read a couple of reviews (Manchester Confidential here, and Taste of Manchester here), and I was keen to try it. Laura and I popped in after work, and before the cinema.

Sushi and teppanyaki are the glamourous and famous side of Japanese cuisine, but Yuzu offers something else entirely. The menu is short, and focuses on home-style cooking. The food’s presentation, however, was precise and beautiful – very typically Japanese – our meals were laid out with care in understated, harmonious silverware. We had: -

• Teriyaki salmon set meal, with rice and miso soup
• Tempura prawns and vegetables, with udon soup
• Chicken yakitori 

The food was good. My tempura prawns were lovely, in a delicate batter. The udon soup was lightly flavoured. Laura’s salmon tasted bold in comparison. One review had talked about the proprietor’s fears about having to offer “more strong taste” for British mouths. Cultural differences, I suppose. Whilst the subtle flavours were unusual, Laura and I both enjoyed our meal.

“It’s nice, but the menu is too small,” thought Laura. I agree. I really liked the restaurant. I hope it does well.

Two out of three ain't bad

I’ve been offered an interview to get onto the TESOL course! And so has Laura! No news yet for Kath though. Fingers crossed Kath!

My interview is on the 30th of September, which suits me fine. Laura's is scheduled for then too, but she's in London for a conference, so she'll have to rearrange for another day.

Goosebumps!

False Alarm, Real Warning

“Dave, Dave, Dave, the JET application is online!”
“What? Isn’t it from late September that the forms go up?”
“It’s online! Have a look!”

My heart leapt! I rushed on to the JET UK page, as Laura had directed me, and looked around. My forehead creased. I couldn’t see it. Where, I wondered, was I supposed to be looking? I called her back to ask.

“Yeah… erm… turns out it isn’t up there actually. But there is lots of good stuff! Including a checklist of what we need to do for the application.”

Oh no! But Laura’s right about the JET UK site. Full of important information about the application process. Especially about references and academic transcripts.

To prepare your application you will need the following documents:

• 1 completed and signed JET Programme Application Form
• 1 completed and signed Self Assessment Medical Form
• 1 signed and dated Authorisation and Release Form
• 1 Statement of Physician Form (if applicable)
• 1 Personal Statement (double spaced)
• 1 authenticated, original academic transcript (stamped and signed)
• 1 Proof of Degree
• 1 Proof of Nationality
• 2 sealed references

There's a lot to be getting on with, even before the application form comes online. And with so much to sort out, it's time to get started! O-kay, let’s-a go!

Applying for the TESOL Course - applications received

Laura and I have submitted our applications for the TESOL Course! Magali, who we hope will be our tutor, has acknowledged receipt of our forms! Yahoo!