UK-TEFL NEWS

UK-TEFL TEAM MEMBER WINS APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR!

Beatrix Rowe

We are delighted to announce that our very own Beatrix has been awarded Apprentice of the Year. At a star studded award ceremony at Blackpool Tower Ballroom, she beat stiff opposition to bag the award, price money, trophy and certificate!

UK-TEFL is a great supporter of the apprentice scheme and are very pleased that our support has been recognised by Blackpool and Fylde College.

Beatrix is a key member of the UK-TEFL team, looking after operations, administration and book keeping. She is currently studying for her AAT Accountancy Qualification, which she does twice a week at Blackpool and Fylde College.

BIGGER AND BETTER UK-TEFL OFFICE!

We have finally moved into our fantastic new office, overlooking lovely woods, which relaxes the UK-TEFL team in our chaotic times!

The Old Sawmill is a recently built office building on the site of a timber yard. We thought that The Old Sawmill was more catchy than The Old Timber Yard, and keeps the theme going with us moving from The Old Bakery.

Our new address is :

UK-TEFL, The Old Sawmill, Blackpool Road, Lytham, Lancashire FY8 5PL. We keep 0871 222 1231 but you can now call on 01253 737698 too.

SAVE YOUR PLACE FOR £10!

Blow the excuses...save your place for £10!

Book any classroom based UK-TEFL courses for only £10. If you call the team on 0871 222 1231 they can discuss instalment options to suit you and make sure you don't miss out on your perfect course date and location.

BOOK NOW >

FLEXI-TEFL

Change your TEFL course date (up to midday the working day before your course) with our Flexi-TEFL. You can change your course date for free (up to 3 times!) with this fantastic add on! ONLY AVAILABLE WHEN BOOKING YOUR COURSE but covers you for any courses you have booked!

We understand that occasionally your plans can change before your chosen course date. The standard fees for changing a course date or location is £20 (Or £75 within two weeks of the course start). Choosing the FLEXI-TEFL option allows you to avoid these charges, giving you extra peace of mind before your course.

£50 OFF ALL COURSES FOR PAST CUSTOMERS

UK-TEFL love their customers and because of this all past customers (who have previously taken a course) will get £50 off any other course they book onto with ourselves.

To qualify, ring the team on 0871 222 1231 and tell us you are a loyal customer!

Happy Diwali!

13th November 2012

The Hindu festival of Diwali is celebrated all over the world and is the most recognised of Hindu festivals. It is also known as the Festival of Lights as Hindus light up their homes, businesses and shops with small ceramic oil lamps called diyas, which is how the name of Diwali was developed as it means ‘rows of lighted lamps’.

Hindus exult in the beginning of the new business year and pay homage to the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. The oil lamps are to guide the goddess to those who honour her. As it is to celebrate the New Year, Hindus pray to the goddess Lakshmi for a successful year ahead. This new beginning is also reflected by wearing new clothes and spring-cleaning the home, as well as the giving and receiving of gifts.

The festival also remembers the figures Rama and Sita who returned to Rama’s kingdom after fourteen years of banishment after defeating Ravana, the fiend king, who captured Sita. Therefore, light overcoming dark and good triumphing over evil are central symbols in the celebrations.

Calling all students!

7th November

We are offering all current students and recent graduates a special discount of £50 off any of our classroom based courses. Choose from any of the following courses:

You don’t need any prior teaching experience to complete any of our Standard courses, and if you do, why not take an Advanced course to adapt your teaching skills to TEFL!

Just quote ‘STUDENT50’ to claim your discount!

You may be asked to supply proof of being a student (i.e. student card) or graduation certificate (within last 12 months).

Career Opportunities Fair at Lancaster University

6th November

We’ll be at Lancaster Graduate Fair on Wednesday 7^th November at the Employers’ Exhibition
in the Great Hall from 11:00 - 3.30pm. Come and see us at Stand F1 to find out what opportunities are available during your summer break or after graduating from university!

Recruiters from all around the country are on hand to help students with placements, internships and workshops to provide you with valuable employment information for your future.

We are offering great discounts for all students who are considering taking a UK-TEFL course and will help you with finding paid teaching placements once you pass a course!

Click here to find out more information and see other organisations attending the event catered especially for students!

Trick or Treat!

31st October 2012

UK-TEFL wanted to wish everyone a Happy Halloween and hope everyone has taken advantage of our scarily good offers!

The evening before All Saints Day was originally known as All Hallow’s Eve and known today as Halloween. It is a holiday celebrated all over the world.

Since 1996, the town of Limoges in France has put on a spectacular show for 30,000 people. There is an annual street parade of chilling ghosts and spirits carting around candlelit pumpkins. Crowds dress up in scary outfits and engage in the Halloween festivities.

Over in Mexico, there is a festival of the dead: el día de los muertos. Although a bleak subject, the dead are remembered by cemeteries being decorated with creepy lanterns, paper skulls and skeletons and the people of Oaxaca dress up in scary costumes and indulge in Halloween themed chocolates and sweets

Click here to discover our placements all over the world and you could be getting dressed in your witch outfit in a dream location this time next year!

Language Show Live

19-21 October 2012

The Language Show is 19-21 October at the National Hall, Olympia London. The Language Show is in its 24^th year as the largest and foremost event for language professionals. The event gives assistance, guidance and all the essential resources you need to know to learn or teach a language, or those who are avid on languages.

It is free to attend and you have the opportunity to check out the latest language products! UK-TEFL will be there to provide you with all the information you need to kick start your TEFL career with advice on courses as well as finding work afterwards! We will be offering special promotions over the 3 days so come and see us at Stand TEFL27!

Click here for more details.

UK-TEFL approved by ELCAS - Provider ID 3810!

10 October 2012

ELCAS (Enhanced Learning Credits Administration Services) supports learning amongst members of the Armed Forces. The ELC funding is only available if you are looking to gain higher level learning. UK-TEFL courses provide a QCF qualification therefore, we have been approved as our courses provide a nationally recognised qualification.

If you apply for a UK-TEFL course through ELCAS, you will receive:

50 hours TEFL Training (3 day Standard TEFL Training and 2 day Advanced TEFL Training)
Level 3 NCFE UK-TEFL Advanced TEFL Dual Award Certificate
Lesson Plans Pack
Absolute TEFL Training Manual

Click here for more details on ELCAS.

Graduate Recruitment Fair!

11 October 2012

This Thursday, Leeds Metropolitan University is holding a Graduate Recruitment Fair. It is a great opportunity for Leeds Met students to meet 35 of the top graduate recruiters in the UK. Show your CV or get information and advice on jobs and courses that are ideal for recent graduates. Whether you want to go straight into employment or take a gap year, there is support waiting for you here!

UK-TEFL will be there to offer guidance if you are planning on using your qualifications to teach English as a foreign language overseas. We have the courses to best suit you!

The Recruitment Fair takes place on 11^th October at 11-3pm in The Great Hall, Headingly Campus. Follow the event on Twitter #leedsmetgradfair and we’ll see you there!

20% off TEFL Starter Pack!
8th October 2012

For ONE WEEK ONLY (until midnight 14th October 2012) you can purchase the TEFL Starter Pack for ONLY £36. That is a huge saving of 20% off the orginal price of £45! For the bargain price of £36 you will receive both Absolute TEFL and Private EFL Guide - the ideal companion to your TEFL course!

Absolute TEFL is our much-loved Absolute TEFL guide comes highly recommended by our trainers and graduates alike. This is essential reading for anyone about to embark on a TEFL course and covers all aspects of English teaching to help you prepare for the course. The 180 page publication, created by our Director of Studies, also forms a handy reference book which is perfect for all newly qualified EFL teachers.

Private EFL Guide is an essential reference manual containing vital advice, tips and guidance on setting up your own classes. You'll learn how to get started, advertise your classes and ideas for what to include in your lessons. You will also gain the knowledge to avoid potential pitfalls and overcome common students errors, plus you'll be able to test yourself at the end to reinforce your understanding.

This brilliant pack contains everything any new EFL student will need to help you pass the course with flying colours and set you on the journey to your new career.

BUY NOW Order your TEFL Starter Pack today!

Only £36 if booked before 15th October 2012!

Step into Italian life with our new teaching placement!

5th October 2012

Explore Italy with our brand new placement in the ancient city of Cosenza. You will discover the breathtaking views of mountainous backdrops, providing lots of other activities whilst you embark on your career in Italy as an EFL teacher. Being a coastal city, there are lots of water sports to indulge in during the summer months. In the winter, you can ski down the snowy mountains as well trekking and rock climbing to name a few; Cosenza fully appreciates its natural scenery. UK-TEFL’s brand new teaching placement in Cosenza lasts for 9 months (on a renewable contract) so you will never be short of what to do there while you take on this new teaching opportunity!

Click here for more details.

£50 off ANY UK-TEFL COURSE when you book in October!
1st October 2012

Autumn brings the arrival of the wet and drizzly season so UK-TEFL want to put a smile on your face by giving you £50 off ANY UK-TEFL COURSE when you book in October!

You can claim £50 off when you quote OCT50 on the following courses :

Be classroom ready at a discount price or improve your grammar with our interactive course!

BOOK TODAY here or call the team on 0871 222 1231 and claim your £50 discount when quoting OCT50

Hail the Harvest season!

27^th September 2012

With the arrival of autumn, Hong Kong is celebrating the appearance of the harvest moon. Not only does the sky light up with natural magnificence, thousands of wonderful lanterns, all shapes and sizes emblaze the streets and parks around Wanchai in Hong Kong.

The Mid-Autumn festival honours China’s rebellion against Mongolian occupation. People fought back and wrote the call to revolt on pieces of paper and implanted them in cakes. This is remembered today by people eating special yuek beng, or moon cakes. This also symbolises the emergence of the bright moon that shines over the island of Hong Kong.

To see this festival for yourself, take a look at our placements in Hong Kong

Keeping with the theme of autumn and harvest, reap your rewards this October and watch out for a great special offer from UK-TEFL!

20% off Lesson Plans Pack!
27th September 2012

For ONE WEEK ONLY (until 4th October 2012) you can purchase the lesson plans pack for ONLY £40. That is a huge saving of 20% off the orginal price of £50!

Our handy lesson plans pack consists of Lesson Plans part 1 and 2 and is a great way to prepare for your new teaching career. With a range of easy to follow 60 lessons across a range of topics and levels, the plans are a useful resource to give you confidence and make your first lessons a little less daunting

Order your Lesson Plans Pack today!
Only £40 if booked before 4th October 2012!

London Night Hike

21^st September 2012

People are swapping their high heels for hiking boots tonight with this year’s London Night Hike. It is a chance to hike around the well-lit and traffic-free city at night, as well as raising money for Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres.

People taking part in the hike will pass the distinguished architectural buildings such as the Southbank Centre, City Hall and the Royal Institute of British Architects as well as London’s modern greats, the London Eye. The buildings will also be used as a pitstop and providing food and entertainment as a thank you for taking part in the either ten or twenty mile hike.

Turkey taking over!

13th Septmeber 2012

With being in a non euro region, Turkey is becoming an increasingly popular destination for its value for money.

UK-TEFL offers various placements in Turkey including the touristic city of Istanbul, with its outstanding historical and religious monuments as well as the fourth most populous city in Turkey, Bursa. Bursa is within a day’s distance from Istanbul, however, there is plenty to do in the surrounding areas as it is close to the coast of the Sea of Marmara and it is situated near the biggest ski centre in Turkey.

Teach and travel in upcoming Turkey and take in all that this location has to offer with short and long term paid teaching placements!

Celebration central in Belgium!

8-9 Septmeber 2012

It’s a busy weekend in Brussels with the Comic Strip Festival and the Cuizinneke. If you want to unleash your love of comic strip art, more than 70 professional artists and writers attend and showcase their talents in the Belgian city. The festival includes free guided tours, a firework display and the remarkable ‘Comics Show’, full of sound and lights where 3D films are projected onto the buildings in the Place Royale.

If comic strip art doesn’t take your fancy, you can try the Cuizinneke, with foods on offer around the town. You can taste international foods from five continents as well as local cuisine washed down with a Belgian beer such as Zinnebir or Gueuze. With 15 destinations in Belgium to choose from for a placement from UK-TEFL, you won’t be far away from these impressive September festivals. That’s one way of engrossing yourself into Belgian culture.

September sees more festivals!

7th September 2012

If you think the beginning of September symbolises the end of the carnival and summer season, fear not as there are still festivals going on all over the world.

Today marks the closing stages of the Por Tor Festival in Phuket, Thailand. Phuket, with its large scale ethnic Chinese population, celebrates the Ancient Chinese tradition where the gates of Hades open to release the impetuous spirits, named the ‘Hungry Ghosts’. The celebration occurs in the seventh month of the year in China, but Thailand celebrates the festival in September.

Thailand is a popular destination for past UK-TEFL students, so if you were to take a trip to Phuket in Septemebr, don’t forget your turtle cakes! Click here for details of our placements.

If festivals in Spain excite you more, UK-TEFL have voluntary, short and long term placements so you could be hopping on a plane and enjoying the annual La Muixeranga Fetival. Muixeranga, or acrobats, create outstanding human pyramids in the town of Algemesí in Valencia, which takes place this year on 7^th and 8^th September. The town becomes even more atmospheric and immersed with festivities with dancing, music, local food and wine to compliment the festival.

Finnish Festival!

31 August 2012

Finland’s capital and largest city, Helsinki, sees a 17 day festival which draws to an end this weekend. Helsinki Festival celebrates the arrival of summer with diverse genres of music performances all over the town including classical, dance and theatre as well as art exhibitions with galleries open late into the night to prolong the atmospheric festivities.

There is plenty to do in the bustling city during the Helsinki Festival wherever you go, from music playing in parks and churches to dancers and orchestras resounding on street corners. On the first Thursday of the annual festival, there is a Night of the Arts where art floods the streets.

If you’re thinking of completing a UK-TEFL course and heading to Finland on a placement, you may fancy taking a trip to the capital on your day off to fully soak up the Finnish culture.

Click here to discover our placements in Finland!

GCSE Results Day!

23rd August 2012

It's GCSE results day and whether you've been disappointed, ecstatic or want a change from college or apprenticeships, you can do a 2 or 3 day UK-TEFL Standard course and become a qualified TEFL teacher!

It doesn't matter on the outcome of your results, as long as you're sixteen years old, you can take a course and be eligible to teach abroad to all age groups!

UK-TEFL have great money saving bundles so you may wish to choose our Student Bundle which includes completing a 2 day Standard course, an NCFE accredited certificate, reference letter and manual all for £250!

Fancy adding teaching and earning money in an exotic location to your CV as an ideal gap year...

Festival Fever!

23rd August 2012

This Bank Holiday weekend sees festival fans thriving with the likes of Carling Festival in Reading and Leeds featuring rock enthused headliners Foo Fighters and Kasabian. Over in Cheshire, dance lovers can enjoy such acts as David Guetta and Afrojack at Creamfields.

For the fewer lovers of camping and wellies, there is the annual Mathew Street Festival, which includes tribute acts from Bon Jovi Experience to Pearl Jammers. Not forgetting a nod to The Beatles, who gave Mathew Street its fame.

Whether you're enjoying a festival, taking part in a UK-TEFL course or just relaxing this Bank Holiday, have fun this weekend!

The Guardian recommends TEFL as a great alternative to University
17th August 2012

Following the celebrations or commiserations of A-Level results, UK-TEFL courses are available for anyone wanting to take a gap year before their studies or as another option to University.

We offer courses to anyone, regardless of their grades, so it is a great opportunity to travel for a year whilst earning money and gaining experience...and the Guardian thinks so too!

Our Student Bundle is perfect if you want to complete a 2 day Standard Course and gain the qualifications to teach abroad and jet off as soon as possible! The bundle also includes an accredited NCFE Certificate, Reference Letter and an Absolute TEFL Manual so it's great value for money to make you really employable!

What's more, completing the course not only opens doors to work abroad; whether voluntary or paid placements, but if you are still considering University or applying for jobs back in the UK, you have great additional skills to add on your CV, having developed communication and teaching expertise as well as appreciation and consciousness of other cultures.

Air Crazy!
16th August 2012

Fresh from the Blackpool Air Show on Sunday 12th August which included the RAF Typhoon Aerostars to the spine tingling air walkers, this weekend welcomes the 1940's Wartime Festival in Lytham.

Walking round the quaint town this weekend will feel like a time warp as 1940s costume is available to hire on the two days to absorb you into that era.

The festival also includes re-enactments of WW2 battles so the skies once again with be filled with thrilling action packed entertainment. It also includes music, dance and educational talks that will transport you straight into the 1940s.

Singapore commemorates their National Day of Independence today!
9th August 2012

Can you imagine being in Marina Bay District dancing in the atmospheric streets, watching Singapore Armed Forces perform electrifying stunts, listening to the phenomenal school choirs echo around the bustling city and finishing off the evening with an extraordinary National Day Fireworks display?

UK-TEFL offer short and long term teaching placements in Singapore so this time next year, you could be well and truly immersing yourself in the culture! Click here for details on placements in Singapore

Happy Independence Day Singaporeans!

Lytham Proms 2012 is here!
3rd August - 5th August 2012

Lytham is hosting a three day festival which starts tomorrow featuring a whole host of music acts from opera star Alfie Boe to heartthrob pop star Olly Murs!

The event, which takes place on Lytham Green, kicks off on Friday 3rd August with the Best of the 80s to get you into the party mood, including acts such as Bananarama and Rick Astley.

Tickets for the Saturday are sold out but there is still availability on the other two days. Anyone heading there this weekend, enjoy the Fylde coast’s music celebration of the year!

Go Team GB!
27th July - 12th August 2012

The London 2012 Olympics is well underway, after a spectacle Opening Ceremony directed by Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle. Millions of people all around the world are flocking to the UK to witness the greatest athletes around competing in various sports. The games are being held around the country, not just in London, including Old Trafford, Manchester United’s home ground for the Olympic football.

Team GB have scooped up some medals in their host city already and our UK-TEFL team would like to wish Team GB and all the athletes taking part the best of luck!

NEW UK-TEFL Bundles
25th July 2012

UK-TEFL are proud to announce our NEW course bundles exclusively designed and inspired by past UK-TEFL graduates. You can find the course to best suit your needs, complete with products to complement the course.

By selecting a course bundle you will automatically receive a discount of up to £170, whilst making sure you have all the skills, and materials to become an accomplished and employable EFL teacher.

Choose your perfect bundle here :

The Student Pack: 20 hour standard course, NCFE accredited certificate, Reference Letter AND Absolute TEFL training manual
£250 SAVE £40!

The Career-Gapper Pack: 28 hour standard course, NCFE accredited certificate, Reference Letter AND Absolute TEFL training manual
£300 SAVE £40!

The Teacher’s Pack: 20 hour advanced course, NCFE accredited certificate, Reference Letter AND Lesson Plans Pack
£250 SAVE £60!

The Ultimate Pack: 20 hour standard course, 20 hour advanced course, Online Grammar Course, 3 NCFE accredited certificates (1 for each course), Absolute TEFL training manual AND Lesson Plans Pack
£500 SAVE £170!

Call the team on 0871 222 1231 to pick your perfect pack and choose your course date(s)!

Open Championship 2012 comes to Lytham!
19th July 2012

Here in UK-TEFL’s home town of Lytham, the biggest names in golf have been arriving for the Open 2012 which gets underway today. This is the 11^th time Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Course has hosted this major sporting event, and the last Open to be held here was in 2001.

The UK-TEFL team have been eagerly celebrity spotting, but despite plenty of rumours of George Clooney and Will Smith, a confirmed sighting is yet to be reported!

We wish all the players the best of luck, and fingers crossed this will be the year for an English Open Champion!