Now I am no travel expert when it comes to the best travel secrets out there. In fact, truly speaking I’m still a bit of a travel novice. Sure I’ve been to a few countries, and even lived in Brazil for four months but in terms of backpacking, hosteling and all that jazz I’m still preparing for my first big RTW trip. However, I’ve been blogging for a few years, believe it or not and I’ve read a lot of articles on travel and listened to hundreds of suggestions and I’ve come to learn one thing. What I am good at is organizing those suggestions and tips from other travel experts.

I’ve written about how I am using a private Google sites page, to store my documents and important links. Well now I’d like to share what I’ve come up with so far so that if you are getting ready to travel you can benefit from some of these useful tips.

1. Double Check Every Flight

Search for flights on multiple sites, there are a million and one travel sites out there so spend some time searching out which gives you the best deal.  If you know sites that offer specific routes or target a certain region/country then check with them too.  I’ve listed a few below for your convenience including some that are specific to where they serve. The big name search indexes, basically the ones you see commercials for, only list those airlines who will buy into their program so you may miss some cheaper deals with smaller airlines. Which is why it’s recommended to search through multiple sites because different sites may have different partnerships with various airlines.

2. Triple Check Directly with the Airline

If those search engines tell you that you can get a flight for $99 through Southwestern, Continental, or another airlines, then go directly to their website and verify yourself. Maybe you can even get it cheaper or the airlines charge less for baggage which ends up costing you less when you buy direct. Nomadic Matt suggests that you check the airlines foreign website as prices may vary and exchange rates may play to your advantage.

3. Airline Alliance Programs

There are airline alliance programs that may provide more options and cheaper rates due to partnerships when booking directly through these programs. The three largest are  Star Alliance, The Sky Team and One World. Utilizing these options may provide lower costs when looking at purchasing Round The World Tickets or a Continent Pass.

4. Start Your Search Early and Do Your Homework

There are a million and one search engine sites to help you find those last minute deals, which means there really aren’t any last minute deals. In the age of the internet, everyone is their own travel agent. So start acting like one by doing some research. I get weekly emails from airfarewatchdog.com on flights from my local airport so that I know what the average price is for a flight and know when I truly am getting a good deal. This way I give myself plenty of time to check the cost of flights. The closer you get to your departure date the less likely you’ll get a good deal, especially during the holidays.

5. Be Flexible

The more flexible you are the better. Sites make you select a specific date but most give you a  ± 3 days check box. Yet, even better than that some give you a flexible dates option where you just select a month you would like to leave. The more flexible you are the better because sometimes a day’s difference can mean hundreds of dollars more or less for your trip.

Additionally, if you look at nearby airports you may be able to find a significant difference. Smaller airports sometimes have great deals, my local airline is a tiny little one but has the best deals to Florida, so why drive an hour to the closest major airline only to pay more for the same flight?

6. Time of the Week Matters

If you just Google tips on when to or how to purchase cheap airline tickets you are going to hear the same thing over and over. So pay attention because it isn’t a coincidence. Flying is cheaper if you leave on a Wednesday or Saturday, the next best options are Tuesday and Thursdays. Why is that? Well most people want to travel over the weekends and don’t want to take days off work, when they must they are more willing to take a Monday or Friday and just make it a long weekend. Those mid week flights or Saturday flights don’t fill up as often so airlines are going to give you a better deal on those days.

Also, when you buy is important. Most airline deals go off on Monday night and by Wednesday morning they start to rise again. So shop on Tuesdays to get the best deals of the week.

7. Go Old School – Use a Travel Agent

As previously stated, everyone is there own travel agent nowadays. Which means those who are travel agents have to do better than what you can do on your own. Do your homework first, but then talk to a travel agent to see if you can find a better deal. There are also sites like FlightFox.com where you list your trip and multiple travel agents compete for your trip.

8. Connect With Airlines

Many airlines offer rewards programs or, even if you don’t want to sign up for a credit card there are loyalty programs that you can sign up with no obligations. Once you sign up with one of these programs you have the option to get on an mailing list to learn about deals or special offers.

9. Be Patient but Not Greedy

You started your search online, connected with airlines and made sure you are well informed. You have plenty of time to purchase your airline ticket and see the price you were looking for but want to wait for a better offer when all of a sudden prices shoot up. Just like at the gas station prices can fluctuate, and you may have been caught off guard waiting for it to keep going down when in reality it was back on the rise. Know the price you will feel comfortable paying and when you see it, or something close to it take advantage of it.

 10. Get A Refund

Check with your airline because some airlines offer refunds if the price of your flight drops below what you paid for. >Yapta.com is a site that not only helps you track flights before you purchase but after as well. Additionally, they offer to help you with getting your refund and list which airlines are know to issue refunds and for how much.

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10 Tips On How to Find a Cheap Flight is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Image property of Author Tom Armenante

So, how many of you love insurance? Nobody? Didn’t think so. When it comes to preparing for a backpacking trip around Europe, the last thing you probably want to be worrying about is insurance. The most frustrating thing about insuring yourself as a backpacker is that you’re paying for something that might happen, so it’s quite often the case that you end up paying for nothing.

However, the financial implications of not bagging yourself a cheap holiday insurance deal before you jet off are huge. If something did happen while you’re away, it will cost you a fortune if you don’t have insurance.

There is a whole range of things you can get up to on your travels so, realistically, anything can happen. You could be swimming with sharks one day and climbing a rock face the next, which is exactly why we go travelling but also exactly why we need to insure our travels. Insurance is not just for health reasons, either: it covers your possessions against theft in busy places where pickpockets are rife. Of course, you’ll need to be vigilante wherever you are and make sure you report any theft to local police within 24 hours of the incident.

The variety of trips available means that there is also a variety of insurance policies. If you think you’re going to be getting more active than usual, you can get cover for sporting activities like bungee jumping and water skiing on your policy. You can get extended cover that lasts up to 18 months and even a discount for buying your policy online with some companies. What’s more, you can also have the choice of extended your policy while you’re already on your travels if you fancy trotting the globe that little bit longer.

If you’re looking for travel insurance compare on websites like moneysupermarket.com to have a whole bunch of options to choose from. Backpacker’s insurance is surprisingly affordable because most companies understand that globetrotting trips are planned on a shoestring in most cases.

Meet the Author: Tom Armenante Tom is a young budding traveler who writes for many tech and travel sites with aspirations of traveling the world.

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Backpacking Around Europe: Are You protected? is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Bicycle Hazard Sign By Salim Virji on Flickr via Creative Commons

The plan is that next June I will take a long distance bike ride. That is the plan, or was the plan, I’m pretty sure it’s in the plan still… somewhere.  Yet, one cannot hop on a bike for the first time, cross the country and satisfactorily check off one more item on his bucket list. No, I learned that the hard way and my butt was reminded of why training is important, because not even the most comfortable of bike seats is all that comfortable after 70 miles.

I’ve been talking about it for weeks, yet always found an excuse not to ride my bike to work. It was only 26 miles each way so it shouldn’t be too bad, besides I’ve taken a few test runs in the past on 20+ mile rides before so I can do this no problem.

It was Friday, I had a work meeting at 8am but if I didn’t make it, I could make it up at the second meeting slot which was at 1pm. Other than that my first appointment was at 9:30 so I should be OK no matter what, right?

After not touching my bicycle for two weeks I got up at 4:45am and was supposed to be out the door on my bike at 5am, it ended up being more like 5:30am. Twenty feet into my journey I realized that my front tire was a little flat, no problem I can do this, a quick pump and back on the road.

I had my phone playing Jack London’s Call of the Wild. As a book that is from the perspective of a dog, Buck, there were some scenes dealing with dogs fighting. At one scene in particular as they get into the gruesome details I hear a barking, I couldn’t help but think wow this is realistic until I heard a jaw snap next to my ankle. PEDDLE HARDER! I was off like a fart in the wind and cursing myself for not taking the dog repellant out of the bag underneath my seat, all snug and secure. Mile 26 came and went and I still hadn’t made it to the office, my phone battery died, my legs felt like Jello and the back road route was more hilly than I recalled. Somehow it seemed that it was so very much more uphill than down. At times I would push my bike walking alongside it, my legs sore, knees tight from the work and cold air around me and my water was long gone. I did not prepare for this trip well.

It wasn’t until 9:45 that I pulled up to the bike rack, legs wobbling underneath me like a drunk baby. My odometer said 31 miles, it was going to be a long ride home. Why did my wife have to go to Chicago today? There was no one to take me home, only my bicycle and the two rubbery things beneath me that some call legs.

I left work early; no students come in to see me on a Friday afternoon so I decided to save myself from riding in the dark. I took a slightly different route home to avoid the construction and torn up roads that was the last leg of my initial journey. I was fresh, I amazed myself at the energy I had; maybe the ride home wasn’t going to be that bad after all. Besides, I brought an extra bottle of water so I was good to go. I zipped along country roads lined with corn, the cool breeze and open air had me feeling refreshed. I came across some twist and turns that I did not anticipate but figured as long as I head south-east I was good to go.

Bicycle Stencil By Salim Virji on Flickr via Creative Commons

My energy was waning but I was on mile 45 so I should be no less than half way home when all of a sudden dogs. Big dogs, not like the little ankle biter that came after me this morning. No, I’m talking bite my bike in half big dogs and they spotted me. There is that freeze frame second when a dog stands up and looks at you where you wonder OK should I run or is he a friendly dog? I should have never slowed down because in a flash these four horses turned from inquisitive to hungry and I was their dinner. Too afraid to stop and use my dog spray I was off and peddling away till they were called back home by their owner or tired of chasing me, I’m not quite sure. My heart was pounding out of my chest and through that adrenaline a single thought came ringing to my head, where am I? I turned on my phone hoping for enough battery juice to get my bearings, I was off track and I had two options backtrack or zig-zag out of my way before I loop back. I wasn’t heading back towards the dogs so I memorize my next few twist and turns shut my phone off in case I need it for any more assistance and headed off. I finally made a turn onto a road I knew, but it was not a road that I wanted to be on, true I’ve been heading south but somehow veered west, way west. I peddled along the busy road until I found a road I knew would lead me home, little did I know that after the 5 miles of road that I regularly ride on this fun road turns into a dirt and gravel road.

Mile 70, I’m still somewhere between 5 and 10 miles away from home and I have no energy left. It is getting dark and cold, my phone is officially dead and the few trucks and cars that kick up rocks as they fly by me muffle my quiet plea – help. I swear off biking like you would swear off alcohol after a long night of drinking. I just wanted to be home. A truck going the opposite direction slows down to pull into their driveway, stops rolls down their window and asks, “Are you OK?”

I didn’t have to swallow my pride, that left me at mile 55. I quickly accepted the offer for a ride home. The gentleman pulled into his driveway, switched out his SUV for his work truck and came back to pick me up. We talked about his cement company and his children, one of whom attended the University, where I work,  a few years back. I pleaded my gratitude but was mostly silent as I didn’t know what else to say other than thank you.

It probably would have taken me a few hours to finish that last 10 or so miles of my trek, but that was more so than I could have managed at that point. I feel ashamed to say that I don’t remember the man’s name but I know which house he lives in and I plan on dropping off a thank you card as a sign of how truly grateful I was. Yes, this is a bit embarrassing on my behalf and I sat sheepishly in his truck as I accepted the ride home but it also once again showed me, that deep down you humans are a good bunch.

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I Want to Ride My Bicycle is a post from: Monkey Brewster

i'm on a plane By miss vichan on August 25, 2007 via Flickr Creative Commons

I’m back in blogging business, well I’m not sure I would say business but I’m flinging posts at you once again. August is always a hellish month for me, not that during the rest of the year I’m just sitting poolside, but August has me busy sun up to sun down and then some. BUT, it’s September – YAY! Sure once my classes pick up I’ll be back to juggling work, school and blogging, along with two new added time busters. I’m teaching a First Year Experience class, yes little college freshmen have been left to my flingings. Also, for my TESOL certification I need to rack up 100 hours of ESL tutoring volunteer hours.  What I hope is that all this busy busy business prevents me from spending money and help these 13 months fly by. Oh, and if you didn’t notice MonkeyBrewster was marked as having malware. Dirty file hackers, but don’t worry they were properly pooed and now MonkeyBrewster is clean.

I love my job I really do, and I want to give them a fair warning about quitting and all but I don’t want to tell them too soon. Even though I’m sure they have a general idea that this monkey is ready to swing overseas. Deciding when to tell them may be up in the air but I plan on finishing up working by the end of Sept 2011. Yay 12 months! That gives both the wife and I time to finish grad school by August. True we could leave in August but then I would have to quit working much earlier since I wouldn’t want to put my office in a bind,  August being our busy time. Plus an extra few months of work is more money that we can save up. Sure we’ll spend some but we’ve been good little savers and have been tucking away as much as possible each month.

In the mean time we wait and plan, depending on a few possible road trips we may be departing from California or New York. We still haven’t sorted out which bank we will use but any tips or suggestions are welcomed. Oh and our plans are still up in the air. It’s pretty safe to say we are going to Brazil first, Rio  to meet my old friends and then São Paulo with my wife’s family. Then we are going to travel through Argentina, Chile and up to Lima, Peru.

We are thinking that New Years in Lima would be a good timeline giving us a total of 2+ months to explore those three countries. Then back to work…but this time it’ll be different. I want to find a job teaching in Lima for a while and my wife wouldn’t mind being back in her hometown with fresh civiche and sun shine. Sometime in February or March my family wants to come down to Lima and visit, plus we are thinking about having a small wedding ceremony that her side of the family can attend.

After that who knows, there are thoughts of Ireland for a PhD but I’m not in a rush to go back to school. I’m leaning more towards back packing Asia and then landing in Japan with hopes of finding a new teaching job.

It is all becoming so very real, and I’m starting to get nervous. Will we have enough money? What are we going to do with all our stuff, what do we keep, sell or take with us? Is there enough time to get everything set and organized. What the hell are we going to do in Argentina and Chile for over a month? What about prescriptions and health insurance. My college loans won’t be paid off do I ask to postpone payments, continue paying, ask to pay a reduced amount or something else? Sure I’ve traveled to both Asia and South America before with my wife but backpacking through multiple countries is a little different. Can I keep her safe? Will this be something that brings us closer than ever before or will this be the start, where we have our first fight and things go downhill till Lima?

Did I ever mention I over think things way too much?

I will be leaning on you my fellow travelers for tips and resources along the way and hopefully after blogging about traveling for 1 1/2 years I have made enough connections to get me through the next 13 months.

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13 Month Countdown #RTWsoon is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Scrabble Slam May 12, 2010 By: windygig, Flickr via Creative Commons

Once you’ve completed TESOL training, it’s time to think about your personal teaching methodology. To succeed in an English language classroom, you’ll need to focus on engaging your students. Here are some tips from TESOL masters that can help you capture your students’ attention and become a better teacher.

1. Bring Some Drama into the Classroom
One way to hold your students’ interest is by adding some drama to your lesson plans. TESOL students in most countries are familiar with American film, television and music. Instead of asking them to simply read dialogue from a textbook, assign roles and ask your students to act out the words to their favorite American TV show or karaoke to an American pop song.

Film reel By eelke dekker December 26, 2009, Flickr via Creative Commons

You can take drama in the classroom one step further and ask your students to dramatize scenes from well-known movies. Create a simplified script that includes some famous movie quotes, like “May the force be with you,” and let them have fun. A great resource for film quotes is the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Movie Quotes. If possible, try to videotape your class’ performance. Not only will this give you the opportunity to review your students’ English competency at a later time, it could offer the prospect of very engaging, entertaining in-class activities.

2. Have Fun with Word Games
Many teachers employ classroom games to help students learn English vocabulary and grammar. Using word games helps to motivate students and makes repetition less tiresome. There a variety of sources online for English language games, such as EnglishClub and Interesting Things for ESL Students. Create a repertoire of games that focus on different skills, so when your students begin to lose interest in one game, you can switch to another and keep the learning process fresh. Be sure to avoid complication by looking for games that require minimal or no equipment.
3. Solicit Student Feedback and Adapt your Lesson Plans
At the end of class, ask your students which activities they enjoyed most and then adapt your lesson plans based on the feedback you receive. The idea is not to let them dictate the lessons they learn — of course there are subjects that need to be covered and benchmarks that need to be hit — but by asking for their opinion, you’ll get to know your students and gain a better understanding of the teaching methods that are most effective for them. Although it may seem that using a predetermined lesson plan will save you time, in the long run it can keep you from succeeding because it may fail to actually engage your students. Adapting your lessons to your students’ language level and learning style is the best way to meet their language needs.
You can also ask your students how topics discussed in class relate to their culture. For example, there may be a holiday or other cultural event that you can incorporate into your lesson plan. If your students have trouble understanding your question, do some cultural research of your own outside of the classroom.
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For additional tips on becoming a better TESOL teacher, visit the TESOL Association resource center.

Meet the Author: Sarah Fudin Sarah Fudin currently works in community relations for the University of Southern California’s Online Masters in Education program, which provides students the opportunity to earn a TESOL certificate online. Outside of work Sarah enjoys running, reading and Pinkberry frozen yogurt.

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3 Tips to Become a Better TESOL Teacher is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Everyone talks about the difference between creating a travel blog for a one time trip vs a long standing blog that outlives an adventure but few talk about how a website can save you hours of hassle. Sure I have my own web blog of sorts here, but I also have a google site.

Google provides an opportunity to create a website that is free for you as long as you have a gmail account. True wordpress, blogspot and many other services provide the same thing without having to sign up for the email account but I’m not talking about creating a blog site. No my friend I’m talking about a resource and documents private site just for your viewing pleasure.

Often you hear recommendations to scan and save digital copies of all your important documents, but then what? You can save them on a flash drive or on your computer but then that means you must have those things on you in order to access those resources.

I will likely do the same thing, and password encrypt the hell out of it, for things like birth certificate, social security card and passport but what about all those other important documents? I don’t need to carry my University degree, teacher license, marriage certificate, and letters of recommendation on me at all time and saving them all in an email account is doable but why not instead save them on a private website.

That is just what I did, and will continue to build up as time passes so that I have the most complete online resource designed solely for my travel purposes. Well, our travel purposes, can’t forget the wife now can I?

Now, anyone can create the site and you can specify if you want this to be a public site, or only specified users. In this case my wife and I are the only ones who have access to this site.

You can choose from a host of preloaded themes, I personally recommend the ‘Document Library and Sharing‘ theme because that is what I’m using this for. While I have just begun to utilize this resource I know it will end up being a big time saver because I’ve even begun to transfer a host of sites that I bookmarked on my work computer that have job postings that I know I wouldn’t remember to transfer over otherwise.

So far I have:

• An ‘Academic Docs’ section with our undergraduate and soon to be graduate school diplomas.
• A ‘Financial Docs’ section that will help coordinate our budget, income, banking statements that we may need verified for visas and a link to a few travel budgeting resources.
• a ‘Job Resources’ section that has not only the name and URL but I’ve organized them by profession (so far mostly teaching) and location. As you can see I have big plans to end up in Japan.
• A ‘Legal Docs’ section that will have our marriage certificate, possibly a living will, travel insurance, etc.
• A ‘ Professional Docs’ section that probably will end up as a subsection of the ‘Job Resources’ page since it has my resume, CV, letters of recommendation and other bits of information.

Now I’m sure this website will undergo a whole host of changes as I count down till we leave but in the meantime it will help us stay organized and plan ahead as much as possible with everything in a central location, kind of like an e-filing cabinet. I recommend you look over the web and pay attention to all the tips, tricks, and suggestions. However, you may want to find a way to file and save all those documents without having to tote around your computer or a flash drive. Heck I may even make a ‘Favorite Blog Posts’ section and organize them based on the type of post (resource, tips, finance, etc) or by location (country, city, etc).

Good luck in your travels and don’t forget to fling this post to others if you like what I’m flinging at you!

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Google Your RTW Travel Plans is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Image property of BrittaniPhotography.com

I’m married and this isn’t that hokey happily every after fantasy tale married, I mean I’m really married. It has taken me a month and a half but those words keep coming back to me and the experiences since continue open up my eyes. Forever isn’t just a word, it’s forever. No this isn’t the panic ravings of someone looking for a way out but the stark realization that this is real, this is it. When I was only responsible for me it was easy but now that I have added responsibilities a whole other being to take care of, things have changed.  It doesn’t diminish the value of the words I said as we stood before this last minute preacher man, him, our families none of it made it as real as the few experiences since our wedding. I read how Caz and Craig, of YTravelBlog.com talk of their 11 years together, and not to knock  them or the lessons they shared but no words can make that realization any more real than what I feel now. Sure life, travel and the beautiful daughter that Caz and Craig have are a blessing and I don’t think it was easy but no amount of stories or chats can prepare someone for that moment when it all becomes very real, no matter how inspirational they are.

My wife coughs, we have both been sick this last week but there is a bit of worry in my heart. It didn’t really hit me then but as I sit and rub my wife’s back I think back and begin to realize a few things. Last week I was caught up setting up a formal banquet, yes I volunteered my time a while back but during the whole event who was by my side but her, it was no longer my time I gave up but ours. True we raised enough money to endow a scholarship but now I must look at whose time I am sacrificing. Less then a week later at 4 am I shake the hand of my father-in-law who looks me sternly in the eye and says to take care….he holds onto me a bit longer and stares then he says to take care of his daughter and to watch over her. This is not a favor or a light hearted plea, but a sincere demand before this man leaves to Peru that I watch over his only daughter as her husband who promised to watch over her till death do us part…. and then as I lay next to her after a week of both of us being sick she coughs and I get scared a little because she is my responsibility and forever starts to sink in, this isn’t a fling or some casual encounter. When I get some crazy notion to back pack across Asia and she lightly replies ‘OK’ it is with the notion that I will protect her always, and that scares the living shit out of me.

I’ve been robbed before, a gun pressed to the back of my head as my friends and I sat atop the steps of Selaron in Rio de Janeiro I worried for their safety and mine but I realized give the man our money and camera and there is no reason to kill us…it truly would have been the waste of a bullet at best. To be honest my heart never really jumped a beat. Yet now I have a wife to take care of, replay that whole scenario in Rio and would I be the same?

These are all extremes I know but as I lay next to my wife and reflect on all the great travel dreams, the realization of it all hits me. We made a pact and beyond that we set a date, by my 27th birthday we are out of the US and who knows what happens next but whatever it is, it is a change. And of all this change and of the world we invite into our lives I wonder, can i really be that guy, can I really take care of her forever.

My biggest travel worries planned right now are going to North Carolina and possibly going to a gay pride parade in Chicago to support my cousin. Both a first and a new experience but nothing in comparison of what is to come…and that scares me. Today and tomorrow I can remotely plan out for me for us but what follows next and the unknown thereafter is what scares me can I really be all I promised her I can be? Good golly I hope so because forever without her is not how I vision the future and tomorrow or any day without her doesn’t seem like the same journey I had in mind.

Forever, it seems so far off and distant but another cough brings it rushing to the here and now and I can only hope the the promises I made yesterday can fulfill the dreams of tomorrow.

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Marriage is Forever! is a post from: Monkey Brewster

de l'Isle globe, 1765 by Minnesota Historical Society, on Flickr, via Creative Commons

Teaching English overseas has been the travel ticket for many throughout the world for generations. Popular places like Japan are now no longer show up and land the job type destinations, you have to be prepared.  Even after you checked out sites like the Publications of  the Japan Association of Language Teaching, O-Hayo Sensei,  Westgate, and the Japan Association of College English Teachers you still had no luck. Then you realized that there are still many other popular destinations where the job market is hot for English teachers.

So you go off and explore resources like TIE, Teaching International, Joy Jobs, Transitions Abroad,  Teachers Without Borders heck you even explored the Department of Defense Education Activity site (which is more of teaching on a military base) and you eventually found a job. Now what?

You teach, duh! But maybe that TESOL crash course didn’t adequately prepare you for the classroom. That’s OK because I have a few recommendations that will help you prepare. Everything that I recommend is geared towards travel purposes, if it is a book I’m recommending, throw it on an E-Reader to save space. The other supplies are small and lightweight and some can even be made or purchased once you arrive.

Supplies

Learner English – This book helps identify common difficulties English learners have based upon their L1 (first language). Additionally it also has IPA pronunciation charts to help you understand what part of your mouth is used to pronounce certain vowels.

Merriam-Webster’s Pocket Thesaurus – This little book can be a lifesaver when all you can think of is one, maybe two, synonyms for a word. Dictionaries are good to an extent because they break down pronunciation but often I found a thesaurus is more helpful.

Finger Strings/Cat’s Cradle  – now I don’t expect you to buy a book or even the strings online. You can go to a hardware store buy string and use a candle to join the two ends. But this is a simple and interactive tool that you can use to engage your students. Teaching them ordering sentences (First, Next, Then) and giving instructions in their L2 (Second Language) while designing a cat’s-cradle because doing is more fun than reading it out of a book.

Inflatable Earth Globe Beach Ball – I really wish I could remember the post I read about a traveler(s) who brought a globe with them and how it was a great simple resource. If you are reading this and know which post I’m talking about comment below I’ll be sure to place the link. This, like the string is a classroom tool that will make your lessons more engaging and can be used a variety of ways.

Classroom Stickers – Not just for elementary kids, even Jr. high and high school kids can get into stickers. Especially if they say little words or phrases in English like “Good Job” or “Way to Go”

I also recommend locating a teacher store nearby (yes there are stores just for teachers) and try to find some other great resources that can help you. Often they’ll have plenty of suggestions for you, all you need to do is figure out what is worth taking up space in your luggage. Also knowing what age group you are working with will help you in what level English language resources you’ll need.  There are also plenty of online resources like Purdue OWL or ESL Site to give you a start and from there you can really just Google any ESL lesson plan ideas and probably get a dozen free examples. There are also a few blogs that you may want to check out like Wandering Educators, Grammar Girl or TEFL Newbie.

So why should you listen to me, well because I said so. There.

…That and I’m half way through earning a Master of Arts in Teacher Education specializing in Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). You can get into details about consonant clusters, intonation, and other over complicated strategies but to be honest as long as you are genuine and really work at trying to help your students instead of using it just as a free travel pass you’ll likely find your own rhythm and end up doing fine. That and make sure you quickly set up some classroom management rules as Sasha learned when teaching in China. My two biggest tips, be careful about over-correction not every mistake they make will become fossilized (permanent) the point of learning a second (or third) language is for communicative purposes, so let them communicate. Read below about the acquisition of grammatical morphemes to see what I mean. The other tip, learn to distinguish between local errors and global errors. Local errors are mistakes that do not hinder the comprehension of what the speaker is trying to say. Global errors are mistakes that alter the speaker’s message so much you are no longer able to distinguish or it alters what they are trying to say.

Lastly, as Brown (1973) discovered in children learning their first language there is a set order in their development of grammatical morphemes. This has been found as also being true with second language acquisition.  What this means is, there is no point stressing over a student’s misuse of a certain morpheme if they haven’t already developed those that precede it.

1. Present Progressive
2. Prepositions
3. Plural
4. Irregular Past Tense
5. Possessive
6. Regular past tense
7. person present tense, regular and irregular
8. Auxiliary

EX: “I be gone to the store tomorrow.” It would be better to focus on correct use of present progressive ‘going’ vs ‘gone’ over correct use of the auxiliary ‘be’.

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So You Are Going to Teach English Abroad is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Fireworks International Fireworks Competition, Putrajaya, By Amani Hasan on August 31, 2007 via Flickr Creative Commons

Happy new year to all indeed. I seems as it was only but a moment ago that I was making my 2010 Resolutions and yet here we are a year later. When I first made my resolutions I was fairly new to the world of blogging yet now I stand a year older and a year wiser or at least that’s what I’m flinging.

I fulfilled some of my goals, others I worked towards but haven’t quite reached, and others yet still have newly come to me that I hope to accomplish this year. I learned it isn’t easy to run a travel blog by yourself and social media stuff is a pawful or I guess in your case handful.

Last Years Goals

1. Travel - I definitely got around (hehe that sounds dirty) but not to all the places I wanted to. I never made it to Canada, NYC, or LA but I did make it to Savannah, Japan, Chicago and enjoyed a motorcycle trip through the Midwest.
2. Start Graduate School – Not only did I start but I got A’s in my first two classes and just started my second semester.
3. Credit Debt – I cleared off any credit card debt I had, to be honest I never really accrued much but it was one more obstacle to traveling long term. My balance never runs over a couple hundred and is used mainly to get points. However I’m thinking of buying into a better card so that I can really start adding up the flier miles.
4. Perfect Poo Flinging – Oh yeah I got that one under wraps but it doesn’t mean I’ll stop practicing.
5. Sort Out College Loans – This one was the least fun but I have been working on payments and even though everything has been deferred due to being a full time grad student I’m still paying off as much as I can. I continue to try and live a minimalist life but every once in a while the travel bug gets me.
6. MonkeyBrewster.com – I’ve put a lot of time and effort into making Monkey Brewster into a site others would want to visit. I purchased a new theme as well as bought a subscription to Travel Blog Success by David Lee. I hope that by the time I set off to travel the world the name Cornelius Aesop is up there with the likes of King Kong…OK maybe that’s a little high how about Bubbles?
7. Round The World Trip – I don’t really know when I’ll get there or where I’m going but I just know that If every day isn’t moving me one step closer towards seeing the world than I need to evaluate where I’m going.
8. Bucket List- Checking off some items on my bucket list is difficult when my lists keeps growing and changing but non the less I’m still flinging away at some of them.

#44 Read The Classics- I’ve read Alice In Wonderland, The Swiss Family Robinson, Robinson Crusoe , The Jungle , Around the World in 80 Days, A Christmas Carol, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and I’m currently reading Moby Dick .
#55 Learn To Ride a Unicycle – Still working on this one, but I hope to be able to complete it by summer at least move about on it. I’m not promising circus skills but not falling down would be a plus.

9. Alcohol – I have been busy with my New Brew Tuesday posts and have even added  Monkey Brew U. courses every once in a while to better educate my pallet on all things alcohol. I’m surely no expert on drinks but I am starting to enjoy the idea that I’m advanced beyond my teenage years of King Cobra and Natty Light
10. Find Mini Clothes – Mini clothes are hard to find, after a few rounds of New Brew Tues I can no longer squeeze into Ken’s clothes. Plus the whole tail thing makes it difficult too.

2011 a Year’s Worth of Experience

A lot of things have changed this year and most of it was good. I’ve reached over 100 posts, my visitors have gone from maybe 100 in a month to occasionally having 100+ on a day, I recently got engaged and my grant was renewed so I got to keep my job and thus start grad school. So what do I hope I will accomplish this year?

• Make Money Blogging – Blogging isn’t cheap and although I wanna be a billionaire I’m not expecting to be able to fund my life through MonkeyBrewster nor was that really ever the goal or why I blog. However being able to pay my site’s domain rent would be nice or maybe getting freebie items like a cool new video camera (hint hint wink wink….anybody?) @(^_*)@
• Finish 90% of Grad School – If I bust a move I can finish up most of my classes, minus maybe one or two classes that I would have to take at the beginning of 2012. This would also give me time to finish up my thesis at the end without too much on my plate. I’m thinking about writing about the art of poo flinging, kind of like the art of war but smellier.
• Blog about TESOL, Traveling and Drinking – I figure if I’m getting a MA in TESOL why not share the wealth, tips and insights to others who are teaching English or plan on it soon. As for travel and drinking well that’s the core of what I fling here so I should probably keep doing it. That kind of includes knocking off a few more Bucket List items as well.
• Solidify Plans and Set a Date – No I’m not talking about a wedding date, I’m talking about a quit my job and start traveling date. As of now the plan is to leave after my fiance (That sounds so cool to say) finishes her MA which should be around August 2012, head to Peru for a few months, celebrate her 10 year high school reunion and then head somewhere else. We are thinking of Japan but getting a work visa isn’t easy if you don’t have a job lined up. Either way Fall of 2012 looks like it will be the time to pack em up and move em out one way or the other.

There are so many things coming up and changing and I can only hope I stay on track. It’s hard to imagine how much I’ve done this year, and hopefully I’ve improved in my writing. There will always be room for improvement but I’d like to think I’m doing an OK job. How about you what are your plans for the new year, have any resolutions yourself?

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2011 Resolutions After a Year of Blogging is a post from: Monkey Brewster

The days of last minute deals are fading fast; as airlines struggle to stay profitable they have lowered the number of incoming and outgoing flights, which means less empty seats. What does that mean to you the traveler? It means shopping fast, buying early, and exploring around for low prices. There is a multitude of travel sites willing to help you find the lowest price, but be smart when shopping around.

Be flexible. You know that + or – 3 day check box often available, use it. Some sites will give you a calendar of price changes based on leaving a different day or using a nearby airport. Sometimes even being more flexible and playing with the dates outside just 3 days can end up saving you hundreds of dollars. Additionally, often in larger cities you will find a smaller airport that you can fly into that has a better deal. These smaller airlines tend to have fewer options but if it just so happens to be your destination then you can take advantage and save a lot of money.

Weigh the cost benefits. I am enjoying my time in Tokyo right now for half the cost that most others will, why? It is because I flew in a week early. Is the money you save more than the money you would be earning if you worked those days? Promise your boss a souvenir and a postcard if it means saving a few extra dollars, if they don’t agree ask for a raise or holiday bonus as an alternative, I’m sure they’ll come around.

Take into consideration other countries’ holidays too. It may not be a holiday for you but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a major holiday in the country you’re traveling to.

The airlines are a business, and they know you need to get home for the holidays. If you must travel during this time then be smart, shop around and be flexible. If all else fails there is always Skype.

*DISCLAIMER: A/some links within this post are sponsored by an outside source. In order to maintain rapport with you the reader, MonkeyBrewster.com will always disclose sponsored reviews, links, and posts. MonkeyBrewster.com is not responsible for any transactions or sites linked within MonkeyBrewster.com.

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How To Travel During The Holidays is a post from: Monkey Brewster