Meet The International TEFL Academy Staff

Meet Your Advisor John Bentley — John Bentley

Senior Advisor

Director of Content Development

What is your role at international TEFL Academy?

As an Advisor, my job is to help people realize their dreams of teaching English abroad & traveling the world. That means providing straight-forward & realistic answers to important questions like "where can I teach?", "what type of certification do I need?" & "how can I actually make this happen?" People are depending on me to provide guidance & information to help them make a life-changing decision to move and live abroad as an English teacher, so it is incumbent upon myself & the rest of the ITA staff to be up-to-speed on all aspects of teaching English abroad, including job markets, visas, hiring requirements, financial matters & TEFL certification. I also need to be able to help our students put together a realistic plan and timeline that will enable them to realize their goals.

In addition, I am the chief writer and Director of Content Development. Our goal at ITA is to provide the most comprehensive and accurate information anywhere on teaching English abroad & TEFL certification. We understand that by providing great information, we are empowering people from all walks of life to realize their dreams of teaching abroad and we have published more than 600 articles from our staff & alumni in addition to more than 50 videos.

NOTE: John is a recognized expert within the fields of TEFL certification & teaching English abroad. As an author, his articles have appeared across many of the field's top websites, including: Goabroad.com, InterExchange, GoOverseas.com, StudyAbroad.com, AdventureTeaching.com & many others.

Watch the video to learn more about John

What's Your Story?

I'm originally from Southern California (Malibu), but I had the great fortune of growing up in Cairo, Egypt, one of the World's truly colorful & historic cities. I was lucky that my parents were avid travelers and growing up I was fortunate to travel not only throughout Egypt, but across Europe, the Middle East & Africa, and later Asia (my folks later to moved to Vietnam where they have lived for 20 years).

I got the travel bug and leaped at an great opportunity to write for the Let's Go! guidebook series (Egypt-Israel edition) during my student days at Harvard. I later got a Masters in Journalism (MSJ) from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, and have worked in the fields of international education, journalism & travel throughout my career.

I have been with International TEFL Academy since 2010, and as a father of two daughters, I value international travel & education more than ever.

John grew up in Egypt & has traveled to more than 50 countries worldwide

where did you go to college & what did you major in at college?

I earned my BA in Middle Eastern History from Harvard and I also hold a Masters in Journalism (MSJ) from Northwestern University.

What countries have you visited?

I have traveled to more than 50 countries worldwide, primarily in Europe, the Middle East & most recently, Latin America. As one of the more "senior" members of the team, I have been to quite a few countries that don't even exist any longer including Czechoslovakia, East Germany, North/South Yemen and the old USSR.

ITA Content Team

Teach English Abroad with International TEFL Academy

Hitiching a ride in Colombia

ITA Staff in Nicaragua

NAME SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE LITERATURE & MEDIA:

Websites: Saveur.com

Favorite World Travelers: Ibn Battuta, Sir Richard Burton

Music: Classic rock - when I'm on the road, I love me some Johnny Cash, Led Zeppelin & the Grateful Dead ("Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad"). I also love classic jazz & World Music, particularly reggae, African Highlife, and the great Egyptian masters such as Om Khalthoum & Abdel Halim Hafez.

Television: Masterpiece Theatre & Mystery on PBS; Anthony Bourdain; HBO series like "Rome," "The Sopranos," & "Deadwood". I also love soccer, so I catch ESPN FC virtually every day.

What is your favorite international cuisine?

Asking me to pick a favorite cuisine is like asking me to pick my favorite child - it just can't be done. That be said, some of my favorite cities to eat include Lyon, Florence, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore & Portland, Oregon.

WHY DO YOU LIKE WORKING AT INTERNATIONAL TEFL ACADEMY?

1. I love helping others experience the adventure of a lifetime & help others by teaching English abroad. Nothing makes me happier and more proud than to learn & read about the successes of our students on their blogs, in their articles, emails, Q&As, and videos. It absolutely makes my day.

2. The Team at International TEFL Academy. It's a requirement that every staff member at ITA has lived and traveled abroad extensively. That means everybody has seen and done interesting stuff and that we can all share fantastic stories and insights with each other and with our students. It also means that everybody here understands the challenges of moving to and living in a foreign country.

"I’m happy to share my story in hopes of helping other
International TEFL students connect to the world."