TEACH ENGLISH IN SAUDI ARABIA Profile of the Ideal Teacher
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The following personal qualities are essential: Patience Natural teaching ability and a real affinity with language learners Good communication and social skills Positive outlook Energy Courtesy Positive presentation skills Ability to adjust and adapt to a new culture

Preferred experience and qualifications:

• At least a year's prior teaching experience (not necessarily English)
• Degree, HND or equivalent
• RSA certificate, TESOL, PGCE or equivalent

Marital status and age:

• These are bachelor-status positions for males only, and wives are not normally able to accompany their husbands.
• Candidates should ideally be in the 25 to 45 age range (although older applicants are sometimes hired).

Teachers who do well:

• Do not show anger or frustration in front of their students.
• Avoid basic cultural taboos.
• Are always well prepared.
• Work hard to get the most out of every lesson.
• Are natural authorities in class (as regards attendance, participation and work completion).
• Humour students into doing work on slow days, rather than bullying them.
• Relate lesson content to real life examples, and do not slavishly follow the book.
• Elicit successfully.
• Know their grammar and teach it, not merely exemplifying, but working from the existing level of understanding.
• Pre-teach effectively.
• Do not merely go through exercises in classes.
• Maintain interest by providing varied activities.
• Use the course book as a platform for exploratory work, projects or extension work, not treating it merely as a finite set of pages to be got through.
• Are attentive to learner errors, monitoring and correcting them.
• Are successful at generating class discussion on specified themes, especially on ESP courses.
• Are able to create and to lead student-centred learning sessions.
• Can use a word processor.
• Are able to supplement lessons effectively and to produce study and test materials.
• Have the ability to maintain a formal but charismatic authority and distance between teacher and learner.
• Get on with their colleagues.
• Enjoy teaching.
• Acclimatize quickly to Saudi culture.