Remembrance

The month I spent in Prague while charging headfirst through my TEFL course at The Language House was brief, but amazing. Those were some of the longest, challenging days I can remember. From morning till night, we shoved TEFL knowledge into our heads. Completing the course felt fantastic. No longer was I an underprepared chemistry major! I had some new found skills under my belt and was ready to tackle my future.

 My class was quite diverse, people coming from all ages and backgrounds. We covered grammar, phonetics, teaching methods and even a crash course in Czech. My notes from these classes are something I will always keep with me. The staff was incredibly supportive while you are a student and after. They are there to ensure your success and had an excellent network of alumni that would bring in the job offers. I look back fondly on my short four weeks there and still remain in touch with my classmates.

 Before starting the course in Prague, I had selected Plzen, a smaller city in the west, in which to start teaching. I had made a good friend there and knew she would be able to support me. Plus, it was closer to the German border and all of my relatives over there. Needless to say, the short week I spent at my friend’s house before starting the course did nothing to prepare me for life outside Prague.

Plzen is a lovely smaller town of about 200,000 inhabitants. I returned from Prague with all my heavy
luggage and moved back into my friend’s apartment while I attempted to find my own place to live. I had severely underestimated the speed of the Plzen realty market. Apartments would appear online only to be taken later that afternoon. My friend and her Czech boyfriend helped me as much as they could, but both were working full time. He ended up scheduling my appointments. I would meet with the realtor and communicate with their minimal German skills, the only language we had in common. Needless to say, awkward smiles, silences, and many hand gestures became the norm. I finally managed to secure a small studio on the third floor of a building tucked away in Slovany by the river. An absolutely peaceful and beautiful neighborhood that was just a quick tram ride away from the center.

I also had to settle all my paperwork. I procured my zivno, business license, within a week, and then had to find time to get my social security number and tax paperwork in order. My friend was absolutely invaluable during this time as all the officials only spoke Czech and I needed these things in order to work!

I did start at Eufrat Language School in the meantime with a part-time schedule. More and more classes were added until I had about a full schedule (for me) of 22 hours in the end of November. Eufrat has a central location and plenty of computer and printer/copier access for teachers. I met some of my fellow teachers quite quickly and received many offers of aid if I needed any help with anything. I taught an age range of 1st graders through adults and a mixture of Business English, conversational English, and general English, and some private classes. My trickier classes were definitely those with the middle schoolers. They are reluctant to speak up no matter where you are in the world. I greatly enjoyed my one-on-ones and more advanced speakers. We ended up with quite simulating discussions and managed to share a lot of each other’s cultures. I even helped one student with his online MBA. My dear 1st graders was another fun group. Week after week they were enthusiastic and up for any games and songs I threw at them. Despite the huge language barrier, I have never received so many smiles, hugs, or broken attempts at English.

 Honestly, I look back at those nine months with such happiness. A piece of my heart remains in the Czech Republic. I will definitely return! I’ve now been back in the US for 5 months and am constantly homesick for the delicious food, and friends I made. Truly an unforgettable experience laid out by my strong foundation in my TEFL course at The Language House. I highly recommend it to anyone! If you are looking for an excuse to live abroad, here it is. Now I’m planning for my next adventure, Japan!