Billie Said:

Is the Summer@Brown University Pre-College Program for Travel Writing worth it?

We Answered:

Yeah, just because it's an Ivy doesn't mean its summer program is better, especially if another course is taught by a professional travel writer.

Most Ivy League college students do not attend their own schools' summer programs. So the summer programs, while not bad, are not necessarily up to the caliber of the normal school-year classes. They may be just a fundraiser for the school.

Rodney Said:

What would a good summer program be for a student going into college? ?

We Answered:

You can easily compare these summer precollege programs here - careers.scienceontheweb.net
It has info about them, tips to apply and students feedback - so you can compare and choose the best one for you.

Jackie Said:

Teaching abroad programs as a college student? (like TaLK Korea)?

We Answered:

First off, you don't need to know the local language of the country if you are teaching English there so you can, in effect, teach almost anywhere!

To actually teach you don't need to know the local language. These days classes are taught almost entirely in the Target Language which means you introduce, explain and practice in English.

This is called Full Immersion and essentially you are trying to put the student in the same kind of linguistic environment that a native speaker learns their own language.

In fact, it does the students good. To communicate they MUST speak English and that's what it's all about.

Of course knowing a bit of the local language helps when you're outside school (e.g. shopping, ordering in a bar, etc) but you'll soon pick up the basics and it's rare that you'll find yourself living in a town where no one speaks any English at all! :)

Next thing: most teaching jobs look for a degree (although there are still possibilities if you do not have this) and a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate to get a visa and work.

The degree can be in almost any subject as it is usually required for the visa only so you will find teachers with a degree in Engineering or Sociology. Having said this, to help get the job it's obviously better to be English or language related, for example a degree in English literature.

The TEFL certificate can be taken either in-house or online at your own pace which is a much cheaper option (see http://icalweb.com).

So the program you're talking about is only a very specific program which doesn't really apply in most cases. You can get qualified and go and teach all over the world if you wish! :)