One of Extension's Rising Stars

Kyle Cech — Extension’s TEFL Program leads student to teaching job in the Land of the Rising Sun

This winter’s rising star from UCR Extension is now in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Following an intensive four-week course this past summer in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) at UCR Extension, 23-year-old Kyle Cech boarded a plane in September to start his new job teaching English in Japan. He went well prepared, armed with his TEFL certificate from Extension.

"I think the instructors in the TEFL program did a really good job," Kyle said. "The days were long. We covered a lot of material. It was a good crash course, very demanding. They throw you into teaching right away."

Kyle will teach English to Japanese students for Nova, Japan’s largest chain of English schools. He has been assigned to teach in Ota, Japan, 50 miles northwest of Tokyo. He lucked out, finding a house with a fellow teacher located in a quiet neighborhood on a picturesque hillside near an "amazing Buddhist temple."

"I’m really excited to be here," Kyle said.

Perhaps Kyle comes by his interest in international affairs innately. His mother, Sheila Cech, once worked at UCR Extension handling immigration issues for international students. She now works at UC Irvine as the International Scholar Advisor.

When it was time for Kyle to go to college, he chose to leave California. He earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy and religion from Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. As a junior, Kyle spent a semester studying in the Czech Republic.

"I was exposed to a new language and a new culture there," he said.

After graduation, Kyle spent a year teaching in an after-school program for elementary school children. But the travel bug had taken a bite. Kyle and a friend started talking about teaching abroad. They both applied to teach English in Japan. Both were hired, but Kyle decided he needed additional skills. He entered the Teaching English as a Foreign Language Intensive Program at UCR Extension.

"It was eight hours a day for four weeks," Kyle said. He moved from Irvine to live in International Village while he studied every day. "We would have class from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., then teach from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. That was really helpful, to have that real classroom experience."

The lessons were provided for free to students in Extension’s International Education Programs. Kyle was exposed to teaching English to students from Japan, Korea, China, Brazil and South Africa.

"One thing that was really helpful were the grammar lessons," Kyle said. "As a native English speaker, you take grammar for granted."

Kyle also bonded with his fellow students in the TEFL Intensive Program. He said he hopes to meet up with Sherwood Choe, who went to Korea.

"Sherwood and I are talking about visiting each other in our respective countries," Kyle said.

For more information about the Teaching English as a Foreign Language Four-Week Intensive Program, contact Stacey Sweeney at (951) 827-1701.