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Career Changers
Meet Bridge graduates who shifted to a career in TEFL after following their passion for language teaching. Drawing from diverse professional backgrounds, they share how they have applied their unique skills and expertise from previous careers to enrich their teaching and support their English learners.
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Roger, Retiree From the U.S., Teaching English Online
Even in retirement, Bridge IDELTOnline™ grad Roger Ewing, from the U.S., has continued to seek out opportunities to learn, build new skills, and pursue his passions. Leveraging his background as […] -
Roberta, From Brazil, Teaching English at a School and Online
Preparing for the IELTS exam and teaching English to monks abroad inspired the TEFL journey of Roberta Serralvo, from Brazil. Eight years after taking her newfound career to her home […] -
D. Purohit, From India, Teaching English in Canada
After a decade of helping newcomers in Canada as a Literacy and Basic Skills Instructor, Bridge alum D. Purohit, from India, has struck out on a new English teaching path. […]
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David, From the U.S., Teaching English in Japan
From learning a new language to living in distant towns, Bridge alum David Leach, from the U.S., has lived many colorful experiences in Japan for almost two decades. Formerly teaching […] -
Eddie, From the U.K., Teaching ESL Online in Spain
For Bridge grad Edward “Eddie” Hallifax, from the U.K, age has never been a setback to thriving in the English teaching field. Eddie started his TEFL career in Spain – […] -
Larissa, From Brazil, Online ESL Teacher in Chile
Coming from the speech-language field, Bridge grad Larissa Franca, from Brazil, seized an unexpected opportunity that began her career as an online ESL teacher in Chile. The pursuit of her […] -
Margaret Jones, From the U.S., on Teaching English as a Volunteer
When Bridge grad Margaret Jones, from the U.S., made the leap to English teaching from working in the tech industry, she started building her skills by volunteering as an ESL […] -
Angie Joy, From Teaching Special Education to Teaching English Online
What keeps you going as an English teacher? For Angie Joy Certeza, it’s watching her young learners grow every day. After a stint in teaching kids and special education students […] -
Behzad, From Iran, Online ESL Teacher and “Lingo-Musician”
Drawing from his extensive career as a violinist and composer, Behzad Limooie, from Iran, used music’s link with language as the groundwork for developing his own English teaching methods. An […] -
Maiss, From Jordan, Teaching Various TEFL Niches
Is it possible for an English teacher to thrive in three different TEFL niches? For Bridge grad Maiss Abu Fadaleh, from Jordan, it definitely is! She teaches English to young […] -
Tonia, From the U.S., Teaching English Online
Teaching from the comfort of her home has been the biggest perk for Bridge grad Tonia Herrera, from the U.S., ever since she set off as an online English teacher. […] -
Halan, From Brazil, Teaching Aviation English Online
Leveraging his background in aviation and his communication skills, Bridge grad Halan Bastos, from Brazil, began his own online ESL venture, in which he specializes in teaching aviation English in […] -
Julianne, From Nursing to Teaching English in Cambodia
Inspired to expand educational opportunities to underserved areas, Julianne Abbott shifted from nursing to the TEFL field. Currently, she teaches young learners in Cambodia. She recounts the opportunities she has […] -
Suchismita, From India, Bilingual School Teacher in France
Determined to make her own way in a new country, Bridge grad Suchismita, from India, has been teaching English since she immigrated to France. She’s currently teaching ESL to young […] -
Beverley, From the U.K., Teaching English Online
After working at an adult education college for more than a decade, Bridge grad Beverley Dupont, from the U.K., decided to teach English online during the pandemic. Nowadays, she’s teaching […] -
Emily, From the U.S., Teaching English Online
Inspired by her mom’s profession and a mission trip abroad, Bridge grad Emily McCray, from the U.S., switched from the retail industry to the English teaching field. Nowadays, she is […] -
Ken, From the U.S., Teaching English Online in Colombia
Stemming from his passion for learning languages, Bridge IDELTOnline™️ grad Ken Haile, from the U.S., decided to teach English in retirement six years ago. After having worked in the tech […] -
Nkwa, From Trinidad and Tobago, Teaching English Online
The pandemic gave Bridge grad Nkwa, from Trinidad and Tobago, a window of opportunity to make a career switch to online English teaching. Currently, she specializes in giving Business English […] -
Margaret, From the U.S., Teaching English Online
Having worked in various sectors throughout her career, such as publishing and tech, Bridge grad Margaret Jones, from the U.S., leveraged her English and computer programming skills to embark on […] -
Rock-Country Artist Anthony Tullo, From Canada, on His Latest Pursuit: Teaching English
With several albums, films, and awards under his belt, Canadian rock country artist and actor Anthony Tullo has made a name for himself both onstage and onscreen. Now, he’s amplifying […] -
Randy, From the U.S., Aspiring to Teach English Online in Retirement
A backpacking experience abroad inspired Bridge grad Randy Rudloff, from the U.S., to rekindle a past career in English teaching. He shares the story of how he got TEFL certified […] -
Cheryl Evans, From Jamaica, Teaching Business English Online
With 20 years of experience in the corporate world, Cheryl discusses what it's like to teach Business English online and shares how she first got a taste of teaching English when she volunteered to teach with Syrian refugees. -
Anne, From Great Britain, Teaching English in Argentina
Following a career as a researcher, Anne Usher de Ranson, from the U.K., got into English teaching and hasn’t let age, long commutes, nor the pandemic stop her from teaching ever since. She discusses what life is like in Argentina. -
Mathews, From Brazil, Shifted From Engineering to ESL Teaching
After studying engineering in college, Mathews decided to return to a long-held passion and become an ESL teacher. In our recent interview with him, he details how his professional path took this turn, and how he uses social media to... -
Sisi Reid, Training to Teach English Using Hip-Hop
Fueled by her love of art and teaching, Sisi is training under the Lo-Fi Language Learning's Arts ‘n EFL program, which aims to help teachers integrate hip-hop into their classes. She talks about how art and ESL teaching can be... -
Anzhela, From Russia, Online ESL Teacher and Digital Nomad
Bridge grad Anzhela Karamysheva, from Russia, enjoys many perks as a digital nomad teaching kids online. She tells us what it's like to travel the world as an English teacher and shares strategies for building rapport with young learners. -
Dieko, From the U.K., Teaching at an Academy in Brussels
Coming from a career as a TV producer, the path that led Dieko to discover her love of teaching English was a unique one. She shares how she switched to the ESL field, what it's like teaching children, and more. -
Gabrielle, From South Africa, Online English Teacher to Kids and Adults
After leaving the sales industry, Gabrielle discovered her passion for teaching English and training ESL teachers. She shares what it's like working online with two companies and teaching English to both kids and adults. -
Betsy, Teaching English Online to Business Professionals With EF English First
Online English teacher Betsy describes how this job is the perfect complement to her other work as a freelance writer and editor. We interviewed her to learn how a volunteer experience launched her teaching career, about the benefits of teaching... -
Margarida, From Portugal, ESL Teacher and Globetrotter
World traveler, Margarida, visited more than 50 countries while working on a cruise ship before getting certified to teach English as a second language. Now, she's a freelance online English teacher and will soon be starting her new job teaching... -
Luis, From Colombia, Teaching ESL at a Bilingual School and Online
We sat down with Luis Cardona, an ESL teacher from Colombia, to find out how becoming an educator changed his career goals and what his experience has been like since switching to the online classroom because of the pandemic. -
Joshua, From the US, Teaching English to the Military in Saudi Arabia
Following a five-year teaching stint in South Korea, Joshua then landed a position as an English instructor in Saudi Arabia, teaching military English. We interviewed him to learn more about his experience. -
Brandon, From the U.S., Teaching English in Prague
When his workplace in New York went out of business due to the pandemic, Brandon saw a chance to transition from retail to education and make his dream of teaching English abroad a reality. -
Elaine, From Singapore, Teaching English Online in Chile
Elaine was an experienced corporate trainer with a Master's in Adult Learning when she chose to get TEFL certified with Bridge to freshen her skills. Later, she relocated to Chile, where she's been teaching English for the last two years... -
Suchismita, From India, Freelance Online ESL Teacher in France
A few months after relocating from India to France, Suchismita found her footing abroad amid the global pandemic by becoming a freelance online English teacher. She details how she has succeeded through the teacher marketplace, Preply, and how she's developed... -
Mark Lee, English School Owner in China, on Reopening Amid the Pandemic
A long-term career in facilities management led Mark to Asia, where he has lived for the past decade. Two years ago, he made a professional switch to the field of English teaching, opening a language center for children in Changchun, called... -
Filipina Educator, Piya, on Her Journey From Teacher to School Principal in Africa
Bridge grad, Piya, is an experienced educator who got her start in Guangzhou, China, where she taught English for three years. She later relocated to the Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa, where she worked her way up from... -
Paul, From the UK – Dive Instructor Turned Online English Teacher
As a scuba diving instructor in the Philippines, Paul's career was deeply impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, so he decided to make the leap to teaching English. He tells us about this professional shift and his new job, teaching Russian... -
Jorge, From Chile, Engineering Student Turned English Teacher
A former engineering student, Jorge switched career paths to pursue his passion for teaching English and lifelong learning. He shares his experience with the many TEFL/TESOL certification courses he has taken and describes how he has adapted to become a...