My EFL Life

You know as far back as I can remember I have always been deeply fascinated with everything related to US. I've got great childhood reminiscences of those American preachers who would visit this foster home I was raised in from time to time. I recall being enchanted watching those tots communicating with the far and few between English speakers at hand. In one of those especial events I told myself that someday, no matter what it'd take, I'd be able to speak that language that somewhat had an especial effect on me. Guess what?!? Nearly 20 years later, here I'm, starting the endeavor of a blog. Since I endured a bit of hardships in my childhood for not being brought up by my parents It took me actually 20 years to start learning the language and making stride. As any other layman I first signed up for an English course that claimed I'd be fluent after taking their 9 months course. I religiously attended the classes to finally find out that was just one more scam intended to get my hard earned money. Even though my teacher was a bit of an airhead I was actually able to learn the nuts and bolts of the language; which in fact spurred me on to keep learning more and more. Then I tried this new English institution that, unlike the previous one, came clean and told me that its also very short English course - targeted to people who have urgent needs (13 months) - wouldn't make much of a difference unless I hit the books adamantly.
After attending classes mostly everyday and interacting with a handful of Natives on daily basis, I finally got the taste of speaking, broke, but still English LoL. If I could go back in time and change my behavior in the English classes I would. I remember giving Brazilian teachers a hard time, they would go berserk over my insatiable hunger for knowledge, I would make them gaze into space with my "bizarre", sometimes far-fetched questions. It saddens me that my very inquisitive character would make some of them avoid the very thought of me after school. Anyways, after finishing up all the books to me handed and networked a lot I decided that it was about time I should be flying solo and quit handing my sweated dough to those scavengers who were getting rich at my expense.
So I'd get together with some chums and shoot the breeze, do some grammar exercises, listen to some English material and meet up with a couple of Americans in town for a bear. Although I knew I'd never have the same network I used to have at the English schools that was pretty much what I did, my routine for a couple of years until I decided that I should try my hand at teaching. You know I've always been told there are a slew of awful people in the English field who have long been making a living out of uninformed people who can't differ a good from a terrible teacher. People who think that since they have reached the so-called "advanced level" they are entitled to a classroom full of pupils eager to learn. They dwell on the belief that the experience they will acquire as they go will provide them with what it takes to become proficient. The way I see it, though, it creates a very vicious circle that will unarguably takes a toll on their student's ability to grasp more complex concepts of the language and therefore producing bad English speakers, just like their "teachers".
Having pondered over this for awhile I even so decided to grab the bull by the horns and do as every good English teacher out there once did, start teaching...lol. Yes, next thing I know I was standing in front of this bunch of adults trying to portray the confidence that I didn't quite have. No sooner I started teaching than I realized that people will believe whatever you tell them with confidence, though. (Even if it is all bull. Lol.) I then taught for nearly 3 months at Wise Up, an English school that had a one hour long TV commercial stating they work with the best, teachers who have been overseas in English speaking countries for at least 3 years. At the time the farther I had been was to Paraguay to visit my grandparents. What was a bit hard to swallow, however, was having the coordinator consistently reminding us of the school policy of not reproving anybody. That was so discouraging since there were so many slow-minded students in some of my classes. I mean watching them go past levels made me grow mad at the school and eventually resign. I also taught for a few months at another alleged great school. At least this time I had a proper training. Although it was very time-consuming and bit tedious I felt my English and ability to perform in an English class had in fact improved. The problem is that I had to ride my bike for about 40 minutes twice a week to teach at a company where most of the students wouldn't give a flying beep for English. It was very tiresome having to wake up with the lark and face all haze of the wee hours.
Anyways, it didn't last long. What I really wanted was to have this experience I'm having at the moment. I've been living in US since last November, mingling with as much Natives as I can, broadening my horizons and as a result taking my once "plateau hit" English command to the next level.