Meet the LoveTEFL Travellers: Charlie, Cambodia

What kind of person would leave their life behind for two months to travel across the world teaching English? Our intern Charlie shares his perspective.

Today, we’re catching up with our TEFL intern Charlie, who recently finished his two months’ teaching experience in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Check out the exciting blog Charlie kept on his travels here, and read on to find out what drew him to the Cambodia Internship and – most importantly – what he got out of it.

Hi Charlie, thanks for taking five with us! First up, tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi! I’m Charlie, 23 (I had my birthday on my last day teaching here!) I’m from Hackney, North-East London, so I’m a city boy! I have an older brother who works for a magazine publishing company. My best party trick? I can do the Rubiks Cube in 1 minute – what a geek!

What do you do in your spare time usually?

I love playing various sports, going running, socialising with my friends and playing Fifa!

What’s your education history up to this point?

I went to the University of East Anglia (UEA) to study Physical Education and graduated in 2014 with a 1^st class degree. I went to one PGCE interview at London Met Uni (to study Secondary PE), but I turned down my offer due to not being 100% sure if it was what I wanted to do. Instead, I worked in London for a while, then went to the French Alps and worked for a ski company doing childcare bits and bobs (and teaching myself to ski) for 5 months.

What drew you to TEFL?

I have always thought I wanted to teach, but wasn’t sure whether to go into secondary or primary schools to work. Coupled with my desire to travel and learn new things, I figured that TEFL teaching would be a great excuse to do something useful, while exploring new places.

How do you feel about the overall experience provided by LoveTEFL?

I think that the TEFL course was very thorough, and provided me with useful notes to revisit while teaching. However, I also feel like more emphasis should be provided on lesson planning, as this was something I and others struggled with. It’d be good to have a bit more insight on what makes a great lesson before we start teaching.

Additionally, it’s important to note that you’ll be meeting LoveTEFL’s partner company in-country. Nutty’s Adventures will be running things once you touch down,  and this wasn’t necessarily clear (that said, the Nutty’s team are great).

What was your favourite aspect of the internship?

I really enjoyed immersing myself in the culture and I’ve learnt such a lot. The kids are incredible, and their attitude towards learning is inspiring. It was definitely the children that made my teaching experience so enjoyable. I was fortunate enough for my birthday to fall on my last day teaching, and this was really special. The teachers spoilt me rotten, and my students were so kind and thoughtful on the day – it was amazing!

What challenges did you face? What advice would you give to a would-be traveller?

Ordering food can be a challenge, particularly when places (often street food) don’t have menus! My advice would be don’t be afraid to point – as long as you do things with a smile, you won’t seem rude!

I found controlling some classes difficult. Try to use the same method of gaining students’ attention, and be consistent. The best way to get their attention is to distract them in any way possible! I’ve even heard of a teacher getting students to pose for a photo while sitting in their seats and looking forward! Another great technique is songs; sing a song with your class, and then get them sitting down silently straight after.

Stickers are also excellent. It’s amazing how many students suddenly volunteer to take part in role-plays just so they can get a sticker! Similarly, some teachers used a star stamp that they’d stamp on the hands of students.

 What’s next for you?

I didn’t rush into travelling all around the country during the internship, because I have the time to do it now. I’ve so far visited (since the internship ended) Kampong Cham, Kratie, Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri and Siem Reap.

Next, I plan to head back to Phnom Penh and look for a job – maybe back at my internship school.

Thanks for your time speaking to us today, Charlie – we’re really pleased to hear you enjoyed your internship. All the best with your future travels, and good luck landing that job in Cambodia!