Trainers
Chris Dennis
I first came to Australia in 1999 as a backpacker, and during my travels met several people who'd worked as English teachers in Asia. Their stories of living the good life stayed with me after I returned to England, so when the travel bug hit again, I took a TESOL course in Krakow, Poland. I loved the style of the Old Town, the pubs and restaurants, the idiosyncratic people, and the low cost of living; and decided to look for work in Poland. I found a job at a very professional little school in Gdansk, and spent a great couple of years learning the trade, with the help and support of the other teachers.
Wanting to experience a completely different culture to my own, the next port of call was Hanoi, Vietnam. I arrived on a tourist visa, but after handing my CV around town I soon found offers of work coming in. I spent 18 months in Hanoi, learning to live among the noise, colour, smells and general chaos of a busy Asian capital. Teaching afforded me a standard of living I would never have been able to experience in the West and some fascinating cultural experiences.
I came back to Australia in 2006, and have continued teaching at a Perth language school. My classes here have a good mix of European, Asian, and South American students and it’s great to watch people learn about each other’s countries, as well as improve their English. I've been working part-time for Teach International since early 2007, and I'm enjoying trying to pass on some of the skills I've learnt.
Like most people, I initially entered the TESOL industry as an excuse to travel. I certainly never considered myself a 'natural teacher', and had to work hard to overcome my shyness in front of a class full of strangers. However, I've come to love the job: it offers a level of freedom and creativity which isn't available in many professions and the opportunity to really help out your students. And while I'm happy in Australia, it's great to have the confidence that if I chose, in just a couple of months I could be earning a good living in Tokyo, Istanbul, Moscow, Buenos Aires...
