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Those Kids Are Free Near You
18/09/2026 03:03
Those Kids Are Free Near You
Returning from a spell with rugged Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia, a few years ago, a friend noticed teeth stained with blood, which didn’t phase overmuch, as they’d been cleaned by a local dental technician whilst there. More convinced by the caffeine theory, rather...
Concerns
12/09/2026 01:07
Concerns
As well as requiring disclosure barring service (DBS) police checks, home and abroad, in a process of criminalizing the English language teaching profession, by suggesting teachers are a danger to their charges per se, contracts are being drawn up for ‘summer camp’, allowing...
Cultural Sensitivity
12/09/2026 01:06
Cultural Sensitivity
Sounding institutional, the word `religious` connects with ritual, or `established` in the sense of `establishment`, whereas `spirit` is a relational attitude corresponding to inner belief, or mental outlook, definable in terms of distrust of, or disregard for,...
An Ex-Spat's Cure: TEFL at the BBQ
12/09/2026 01:04
An Ex-Spat's Cure: TEFL at the BBQ
When I first arrived in Hungary, I was invited to a local BBQ for bacon. Curious, I went along to discover that Hungarian bacon has no meat attached to the fat, that is, it’s only fat. Perturbed, I recalled that David Essex track ’Imperial...
In Jeddah With The Big Cheese Knife
12/09/2026 01:01
In Jeddah With The Big Cheese Knife
Scrambling for bread crusts in Budapest began to pall after a while as usual. Working for the local Economic University was economic for the local economy, because the Budapesti Gazdasági Egyetem - (B.G.E.) didn`t pay foreigners until the period of their...
Power Points
12/09/2026 00:20
Power Points
What English language teachers (ELT`s) are expected to make of the current fad for distinguishing between the four skills, is largely situational, but the recent activity among course book providers, such as Q: Skills, affords some clue to the thinking of employers with regard...
Some More Camp
11/09/2026 23:14
Some More Camp
The UK’s disclosure and barring service (DaBS), allied to police checks, home and away, as the online digital equivalent of collecting finger-print ‘dabs’, is presented as a process of decriminalizing the English language profession. By denying that qualified teachers,...
Tickle It Under There
11/09/2026 23:00
Tickle It Under There
With the UK raising the retirement age to 66, to be increased from 2026, and Middle Eastern and Asian recruiters enforcing a ‘below’ job rule, that is, under 60s only employable, English language teachers now have the science fiction of ‘Lastday’ to deal with. Apart...
First Person Past Simple and You
11/02/2024 09:55
First Person Past Simple and You
The art of writing is fraught, as critics, holding the writer responsible, are almost entirely negative, blaming for substance, and content, if it mars their contentment. Viewers, similarly, are critical to the point of the speakers of the words...
Explaining English Gobbledygook to In Indonesian
10/12/2023 20:34
Explaining English Gobbledygook to In Indonesian
Being asked recently to do some ‘black work’ online, that is, for cash, to maintain body and soul, for 100 GBP a month, by a ‘colleague’, asking if the flat couldn’t be left in a will? It wasn’t only illuminating to look at alternatives...
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