Rogelio Alvarez’s Post

🌟 Did you know that in 2023-2024, a growing number of prestigious universities in the USA are accepting the Duolingo English Test as proof of English proficiency? 🌐 Say goodbye to traditional testing hassles and explore a world of opportunities with Duolingo! 🚀 Check out the list of participating universities and start your academic journey on the right note! 📚 #studyabroad #studyabroad2023 #duolingo #career #studyabroadconsultants #educationabroad

👥 Recently, one of my best friends faced peer pressure while checking his social media news from his circles. I shared my long-standing secret with him, a method I’ve been using for the past five years since entering college. Thanks to this approach, I’ve only experienced transient and insignificant pressure a few times over the years. Where there is peer pressure, unfollow 🚫 Don't get me wrong. By "unfollow" I mean feel free to take a break from absorbing irrelevant news to you ❣️ I don’t know what people are achieving out there. I don’t care and don’t see any reason to care. I’m more interested in hearing what people had to trade to achieve their goals. Early failures in life taught me how much family, education, environment, and finances influence our paths. When I was 16, I rode my electric bike every weeknight through rain and wind, across four lanes of container trucks in Thu Duc, Binh Duong, to attend English classes—a 40km round trip. Soaked in rain, my white ao dai clinging to me, the dark road ahead, the sound of wind, and my body stiff with tension and fear, I still didn’t miss a single class. I had dinner at 9pm, studied until midnight, woke up at 6am, and repeated this cycle, becoming thin and pale. - Weak in speaking? I worked on improving my speaking skills. - School far away? I gritted my teeth and persevered. - Found an IELTS teacher who only taught groups? I gathered friends to join me. Despite all my efforts, I eventually had to give up because the teacher refused to teach us—it was too dangerous for us to travel far without parental supervision given the chaotic traffic in our area (now I feel really thankful but at that time I just couldn't accept). My family and I gave it our all, but even reaching the starting line for the IELTS test took 200% effort, making the dream of a European scholarship seem impossible. I learned that trying alone isn't enough. We are not the center of the universe, and there are limits to what we can control. This painful lesson grounded me in understanding my starting point. That’s why I don’t idolize anyone or easily feel pressured by others. Instead, I focus on understanding and building my own resources. Because, I know everyone has to trade off to get what they want. Sometimes, they have what I don't, I have what they don't. We can't see the whole picture via some online posts. Ps: Some of my mentees are starting to see results—some as expected, some not. I don’t wish everyone gets everything they want, but rather that everyone dares to try and advance to their finish line 🥺 #GOIIES #IrelandFellowsProgram #IFP

O Virtual Exchanges and the benefits to student teachers At 8 years old we all dream about our jobs when we “grow up”. Well, my childhood dream never changed and I became exactly what I have always dreamed of, a teacher!!! I followed my dreams, my passion and my somewhat weird need to always help others, regardless of them asking me to or not. In the process of achieving my dream, I had many different jobs, but none of those temporary jobs kept me from getting to where I am today, teaching ESL, finding international opportunities for my very socially isolated students and fighting with all my mighty to get more colleagues on board this amazing journey that is internationalisation of our profession. So what does all this has to do with Virtual Exchanges? Everything!! You see, shortly before the pandemic hit I was lucky enough to finally get a break and join the very exclusive Erasmus+ world in Portugal. It was March 2019. After that, I joined all the VE Valiant was offering. However, each time I applied for a VE, I was faced with a very unjust question “Are you teaching in a rural or geographically isolated area?” I thought, no, but why would you only cater to those teachers? So, I always justified my application with the fact that despite living and working in a city with 2 million people, I had no support from any of my colleagues. I was the only person willing to work openly with teachers and students from abroad at my school. Also my students barely have money to eat and rarely leave their neighbourhood, let alone get in touch with different teaching environments. So, we were not in rural areas, nor in geographically isolated ones, but we were socially isolated!! When I learned I had been selected to participate in these VE’s I was over the moon!!! Needless to say that my professional development was faster in these VE’s than in any mandatory training we must undergo each year in Portugal. I could finally exchange ideas with like-minded people and share ideas, thoughts, problems and anxieties! Suddenly, I wasn’t alone anymore. ETwinning projects were easier to come up with and soon VE 3, with student teachers, showed my students how wonderful teaching could be in the EU because we could work with teachers from different countries as well as colleagues without travelling (during Covid time). Why were these VE’s so important? Because student teachers were not ready to be teachers in the real world!!! Because student teachers were still being asked impossible tasks that are not useful in their daily practices as future teachers!! Because our socially isolated students had the chance to experience what internationalisation is without spending money!! Because there was real impact in student teachers and my own students. In my own point of view, a Virtual Exchange should be mandatory for any and all student teacher across the world. You just never know where you will end up teaching, in the world! Ana Magano

Imagine this: You're ready to hit submit on your college applications to top universities worldwide. After a year of anticipation and months of preparation, everything's in place: 1. Essays ✅ 2. Letters of Recommendation✅ 3. Transcripts ✅ 4. Scholarship Details/Essays✅ You're about to click submit when you realize there's one crucial thing missing: your English language proficiency test🤯. Cue the panic! With just three days left until the deadline, you're in dire need of a solution. 🤦🏻♂️ But fear not! There's a saving grace waiting for you: the Duolingo English Test (DET). It's the magic wand you've been hoping for! As someone dedicated to guiding you on your journey to studying abroad, I understand the challenges you face. That's why I swear by the Duolingo English Test—a game-changer that aligns seamlessly with your aspirations. Let's talk about the unparalleled convenience that sets the DET apart: 💡 Say goodbye to the stress of finding the right exam center or reshuffling your life to fit a rigid schedule. DET gives you the freedom to showcase your language skills on your terms, whether you're a night owl or an early bird. 🎮 The convenience factor lets you focus on nurturing your skills and ambitions without the hassle of traditional testing methods. 🔮 But here's the kicker: DET isn't just convenient; it's efficient too. Get your certificate in just 2 days, or opt for express results in as little as 12 hours for a nominal additional fee. It's not just a test; it's a catalyst propelling you toward your study abroad goals at your own pace. ⏳ In a world where time is precious, the DET stands as a beacon of convenience, ensuring that your journey to international education is smooth, fast, and tailored to your busy life. 🌍 So, fellow dreamers and future leaders, let's redefine convenience together. Choose the Duolingo English Test—because your dreams shouldn't wait for a schedule; they should be realized on your terms. Your success, your convenience, your future—all in one test. #studysmart #duolingoenglishtest #languageproficiency #studyabroadjourney

Navigating the complexities of studying in the U.S.? 📚 The journey can be overwhelming, from essays to transcripts, recommendations, and scholarship applications. Enter the Duolingo English Test – a game-changer that transcends the ordinary. 🌐 Unmatched Flexibility: Take the test anytime, anywhere – just a stable Wi-Fi connection and a laptop. Say goodbye to exam centers and rigid schedules, and welcome a test that adapts to your chaotic life. ⏱️ Efficiency is Key:Receive your results within 2 days, or if urgency calls, expedite the process in as little as 12 hours for a minimal fee. The Duolingo English Test aligns with your study abroad timeline, providing efficient feedback to fuel your plans. 💡 Smart Choices Matter: Priced around INR 5,000, the DET isn't just affordable but also harnesses the power of AI. It's a high-tech buddy, offering a budget-friendly option without compromising quality – a boon for the tech-savvy generation. Why settle for ordinary when your dreams deserve extraordinary? 🚀 Choose the Duolingo English Test – your passport to a world of opportunities! #studysmart #duolingoenglishtest #languageproficiency #studyabroadjourney

Anyone else got a horrible feeling of déjà-vu? Of course cheats must be caught and compliance is critical for institutions but my heart goes out to those unfairly impacted by this issue. The cancellation/withdrawal of English test results potentially affects Skilled Worker visa applicants as well as Students. If a candidate is relying on an online Pearson Academic test it is worth checking the result is still valid. In person tests apparently not affected. #immigration #visa #englishlanguage #test #student #skilledworker

How I Decided Which UK University to Attend There are many universities international students can choose from in the UK. However, it is not as easy as it seems and can be a daunting task. As someone who applied to and was admitted to over 12 schools in the UK for the 2023/2024 academic session, and had to downsize that number to settle for just one university, here is how I did that. First, I overlooked the total tuition fees. I know you are like 'what!', but calm down. Instead of first focusing on the tuition fees, I went back to each of the Course pages to recheck the content of the course modules. I highlighted key things I saw that aligned with my goals. Then, I read out the Course Title again; if it seemed too detailed, it was too good to be true. For example, having a course called 'International Education, Economics, Development, and Teaching' (this is fictional as I don’t want to mention the real Course titles) is not realistic. How would you be able to effectively cover all of these in less than a year? Also, how is the Course title more explanatory than the module itself? Analyzing Course titles and Course modules helped me reduce my choices to about 7 schools. Next, I struck out three other schools based on the type of offer I was given and how willing the schools were in revising my offer conditions. For every school that asked me, a Nigerian whose first language is English, for an IELTS, I told them I couldn’t provide an IELTS document because I have spoken English more than I have spoken my mother’s tongue my entire life. There was even a particular school that demanded I show them an official transcript despite showing them my original Bachelor's degree certificate alongside my student copy transcript. It was easy to strike the school out of my list. For some of the schools, they ended up waiving off the English Language Requirement of IELTS while a few others insisted. After this, I was left with just 4 schools to choose from and this is how I finally chose my current university. I went online to check out the pages of some of the Universities' alumni, with more attention on the people that studied the course I was to study. I checked what changed in their lives since attending the school and what new things they were up to.I went on to check the rankings of the school in relation to my course. My focus wasn’t on the overall ranking of the school but rather the overall ranking of my intended course in the school. Finally, I was left with three options and finally settled for the school with the lowest initial tuition deposit and flexible fee payment structure. Another key thing that influenced my final decision was the availability of numerous student jobs on campus.I know it might be tempting to settle for the school with the lowest tuition fees, but think about life after your degree and make the best choice. Till I come your way again, I am Similoluwa Mary Adefioye, that proud student of the University of Sussex.

Why do many teachers procrastinate when it comes to deciding to become independent and find their own students at a higher rate? 🥺 I honestly don’t know. But I guess there could be more reasons for that. #1 They don’t know what going independent really means and what benefits it has #2 They had bad experience with being independent so they are afraid to do that again #3 They prefer the stability of a full-time school job although deep down they desire to start something independently #4 They want to only focus on teaching and they don’t want to deal with marketing and selling which is actually part and parcel of teaching-entrepreneurship # 5 They are very happy in their current teaching position where they already feel respected, prosperous and prestigious. 🤩 I wish all of them had #5 as their reason. Then I would be happy for their procrastination as that’s a pretty valid and empowering reason. But what if your reason is not #5? I also spent some time procrastinating as an ESL teacher because of reason #1. So I get you! But you know what? That procrastination cost me a lot: ❌ I was paid £12,50, or even less, teaching general English for years, and I could never live a lifestyle I always dreamt about ❌I didn’t make much impact on my students’ lives as I had to teach them everything about English language, but it wasn’t really customised to their particular needs ❌ I let others (both school directors and students) discriminate against me for being a non-native English teacher, which massively impacted my confidence 🤢 I got to the point where things went so bad that I was already getting sick of procrastination. When the student is ready the opportunity will appear. So, I came across the program called 21-Day Teacher-Entrepreneur Challenge in July 2020 where I learned how to go independent as a teacher and charge a higher rate. I often say: 💡 “My life before and after the 21-Day Teacher-Entrepreneur Challenge” And I wonder: “How would my life be different today if I had procrastinated less? ❓ So are you going to procrastinate longer or are you going to give the 21-Day Challenge as a gift to yourself this Christmas time? ………. 📌 If you’re ready to join this Challenge round in December (starting tomorrow actually), you can find more details about the 21-Day Teacher Entrepreneur Challenge in the comments below