Departure Gate Blog

While one of the major reasons I got TEFL certified was to help with lesson planning; another was to learn about the history of education. We’ve been instructing for centuries,...keep reading

Lesson planning as a teacher is a gamble. You research, practice your presentation to a mirror or a wall, prepare your prompting questions for brainstorms, print out hundreds of handouts,...keep reading

*TEFL 3.0 has been nominated for a 2019 GoAbroad Innovation Award.* This award recognizes innovation in international education and idnetifies our TEFL 3.0 initiative for its efforts to address the...keep reading

Assimilating into Murcian Culture Six months in Spain has taught me a lot. I’ve learned to be adaptable: to live on a budget in a country where I don’t fluently...keep reading

So, you’re thinking about teaching English as a foreign language? I made a quiz to see if you should! 1. Are you a teacher in the United States but are...keep reading

Before I tell you more about how the TEFL certification I completed through CIEE got me a job abroad, I want to give you some background first. I graduated college...keep reading

So, you’ve completed the practicum, conquered the course, learned how to become an effective teacher, and received your certificate. What now? Well, you have plenty of options. The first step:...keep reading

Despite the (relatively) low cost of living in Murcia, Spain, the 875-euro monthly stipend does not exactly provide for a luxurious lifestyle. Comfortable? Maybe, depending on a person’s spending habits...keep reading

Teaching English as a Foreign Language isn’t just about teaching; it’s about immersion. The more you immerse yourself in local culture, the more connections you make, the better you can...keep reading

American culture is rampant here, from the food to clothing to music. I'm flattered and it lessens the homesickness, but the culture portrayed is an idealized and stereotyped culture. The...keep reading