So much has happened for Emily Cooney since she taught EFL and Business English in Indonesia! Let’s catch up with her:
What are you up to nowadays?
I’m now in my fourth year of the PhD program in rhetoric/composition/linguistics at Arizona State University. I’ve also become certified to teach second-language writing courses at ASU and have taken classes in language acquisition and cross-cultural discourse.
Tell us a funny story or memorable experience.
How about some advice? Don’t pack an entire suitcase with toiletries and bug spray. Before I moved to Indonesia to teach, I was told that it would be hard to find things like shampoo and contact solution so I took a gigantic, ridiculously heavy suitcase full of that stuff that cost me an extra $75 to load onto the plane. Once I got to Jakarta, I realized quite quickly that people who live in Indonesia also wash their hair and wear contacts. Who knew?
How does teaching make you feel?
It’s so enjoyable getting to know my students. Teaching English or writing is such a personal thing–it involves a lot of mistakes and practice. It means you learn a lot about each other in the process.
Any words of advice for TESOL teachers?
I think it’s really important to trust your training, know that you’re going to get better with practice, accept your limitations like time constraints, and be both prepared and flexible, that is, have schedules and major milestones and figure out the best ways to get there once you know your class.
Please let us in on your future plans.
I have two more years of the PhD program left. My research focuses on environmentalism and food security, but that’s a direct result of my time in Indonesia. My plan is to return in order to study my interests in the place where I discovered them. In terms of a profession, I haven’t decided if I want to remain a full-time teacher. However, the one classroom environment I am consistently happy in is the ESL/EFL classroom, so I can see myself continuing to teach those courses no matter where I end up or what my main job might be.
Interested in academia? As Emily discovered, TESOL certification is versatile enough for classroom teaching, specialized research and many other opportunities. Check out our course schedule today at www.english-forlife.com. Teach. Travel. Transform your World.
