If You Speak English, You Can Teach English With GeoVisions

I’m Kevin Morgan, GeoVisions CEO.  I’m travelling now through Asia ...  meeting with our English language tutors, future Work and Travel students, and leaders in education and exchange.  I’m also reading the region’s newspapers and websites.  There are so many stories I read, and conversations I have that stress the importance of people in Asia learning to speak better English … and there is a role for you.  

“If you speak English, you can teach English.”  Okay, maybe not the intricacies and nuances of dangling participles and conjugation of verbs.  You see, our tutors teach people how to speak better, by talking with them, making them more comfortable with day-to-day conversation.  We give you tools to help you coach others along, and as much support as you need, but, if you like to talk with people, and have a bit of self-confidence, you can help people learn to be better English speakers.

Why is this important in Asia?  Here are some things I learned in just the past week:

-       Reuter’s News Service reported that in Japan, some of the biggest retailers announced they would start testing employees for English proficiency.  Even Toyota and Nissan have announced moves to make English more common in the workplace.

-       In Beijing, where it was recently announced that English will be taught in China starting in kindergarten, the government announced plans to have every public employee to know more than 100 basic English sentences.  80% of police officers will be required to pass English tests starting in 2015.

-       In Bangkok, a survey of business people uncovered trends in English training that call for more practical and specialized language training in Thailand.  Language coaching and conversation specific to a person’s needs are becoming as important as the basics learned in formal classroom teaching.

-       In Singapore, there is a growing need for English teachers and Conversation assistants.  Why, you ask?  Don’t Singaporeans speak English already?  Yes, but thousands of mainland China students are flocking to Singapore to learn English and still be comfortable in this city/state with a rich Chinese heritage (and maybe some relatives with whom they can live!)

All the above reinforces the need for English speakers to come to Asia (or anywhere in the world for that matter).  On our Conversation Corps and Conversation Partner program you can come to exciting world capitals or provincial villages, spend 15-25 hours a week “talking (as a tutor/coach)” and travel and get to know people in your free time.  As Asia develops its global leadership skills, you can see what drives these economies and these people … and you’ll have a great time.

Do you speak English?  Think about becoming a conversation tutor!  GeoVisions offers Conversation Corps and Conversation Partner programs in over 15 countries, with more new countries like Korea, Japan and Singapore coming on board every week.