Voices

'We were living martial arts - not just taking a class in a room, but training out in the elements.' Image (c) nuzree, licensed under CC0 and adapted from the original.

Ted Duran: How I began a career in the Chinese film industry

Date: 03 February 2017 - 13:16
Tags: Work outside the UK, Study outside the UK, Skills, Professional development, Arts

How do you become a martial arts movie star if you aren't Chinese? We asked UK-born actor, fight director and filmmaker Ted Duran, a member of our Generation UK: China Network.

'If you want to succeed at football, you need to overcome societal barriers.' Image (c) Hamdy Reda.

Faiza Heider: 'Football is practically my life'

Date: 30 January 2017 - 19:35
Tags: Football, Skills, Sport

Captain of the Egyptian national women’s football team, Faiza Heider, told us how she overcame barriers to become a successful player and coach.

'Dancing with the locals has been one of the purest joys I have had.' Image (c) Rona Proudfoot, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 and adapted from the original.

How living in a different country changed me

Date: 27 January 2017 - 20:45
Tags: Work outside the UK, Teaching, English language

Rose Delamare describes how her view of Colombia has changed since she moved there to teach as an English language assistant six months ago.

'Quebec's early colonisers had to survive bitter winters that last half the year.' Image (c) Noel_Bauza, licensed under Creative Commons CC0 and adapted from the original.

A few differences between French spoken in Québec and France

Date: 26 January 2017 - 19:06
Tags: Work outside the UK, Teaching, Schools

We asked John McEvoy, who is taking part in the British Council's English Language Assistant programme in Québec, how Canadian French differs from the French spoken in France.

'Get students out of their seats and moving.' Image (c) Mat Wright

How to keep your students motivated

Date: 20 January 2017 - 10:00
Tags: Teaching, Teaching resources, Schools, English language

Cristina Cabal has been teaching for 26 years. She shares some of her top tips for keeping students motivated.

'Nestled in south-west Germany, bordering France and Luxembourg, Saarland was not officially part of West Germany until 1957.' Image (c) Kay Gaensler under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 licence, adapted from the original.

How many languages do you need to learn on a year abroad?

Date: 18 January 2017 - 10:00
Tags: Work outside the UK, Teaching, Schools

Elliot Douglas, who is currently on our English Language Assistants programme, explains how a local dialect showed him a different side to Germany.

'Literature helps us understand who we are as humans.' Image (c) KIAT of Singapore, July 2015

Bernardine Evaristo: 'Books expand our imaginations'

Date: 16 January 2017 - 10:12
Tags: Literature, Arts

Who are the most compelling new voices of contemporary UK literature? Ahead of the British Council Literature Seminar in Berlin, we interviewed author Bernardine Evaristo.

'There's an easy way to immerse yourself in the culture: live with a French family.' Image (c) barbara w, licensed under CC BY 2.0 and adapted from the original.

How to make the most of your time abroad when not teaching

Date: 12 January 2017 - 09:34
Tags: English language, Work outside the UK, Teaching resources

What should you do when you're not teaching as an English language assistant? We asked Faye Briscoe, who is on a teaching placement at a primary school in France.

'At our school we have a collection of Chinese scrolls, umbrellas to dance with, and paper lanterns for decorations.' Image (c) ITN

Eight ways to celebrate Chinese New Year in your school

Date: 11 January 2017 - 10:19
Tags: Schools, Teaching resources

As Chinese people around the world prepare to welcome the Year of the Rooster, Clare Kelly and Gemma Squires of Dane Royd school in England suggest how your school can join.

'You'll get so much more out of your year abroad if you go in with a positive mindset.' Image Bud Ellison, licenced under CC-BY 2.0, and adapted from the original.

There's no such thing as a bad teaching placement abroad

Date: 10 January 2017 - 21:10
Tags: English language, Teaching, Schools, Work outside the UK

A year abroad comes with many challenges. Sam Pollard, who is on our English Language Assistants programme in Mexico right now, explains how to make the most of the experience.

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