TEFL/CELTA/CELT answers...

simonsez

DeeMitch wrote: »

As to whether there are many jobs teaching English in Ireland, I imagine they are limited, probably seasonal, summer schools etc.

BUT... there are lots of jobs teaching English abroad so if it's a choice between staying here doing nothing or going to work abroad, you'd think it's a no-brainer. Would they rather pay the course fee (the equivalent of two months' dole) or pay social welfare for potentially much longer?

The latter it turns out. They don't fund it. They'll fund a van driving course though which takes 3 months but consists of only 20 hours actual driving (in a car not a van). Work that one out. FAS should be scrapped.

To be honest everything you have said makes logical rational sense and your observations are quite accurate. However when has logic rational sense ever been applied to government policies.

Like most English speaking countries the English language industry is not really
funded or promoted or exploited to the extent it should by state agencies and is usually left to private enterprise. Considering our current economic situation I personally think that there should be an option for third level graduates to be able to train to teach English. For a number of reasons .

The situation in Ireland is quite seasonal with the summer months being the time when there is plenty of work.

I am making enquiries myself about getting some form of funding as my job options in Ireland are not looking great.


SS:)

griffdaddy

Fas will provide some money if you can show that a CELTA is in someway related to your previous education and will increase your chances of work, like if you have a degree in English or something. I think they can give you a discretionary payment towards it up to €500.

DeeMitch

It costs €1,700 so a shortfall of €1,200. Plus you would have to save up to cover living expenses for a month as you lose social welfare for the duration. Not going to happen any time soon.

Outlay on FAS courses, and their effectiveness should come under greater scrutiny.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has been to France teaching English. Is it true that Celta is not required there?

simonsez

simonsez wrote: »

Deleted User wrote: »

Are there many jobs teqxhing English in Ireland though?

lol not if ya cant spell teaching...........haha:)

ss

Typing on a phone. Anyways, if you're thinking of teaching in a different country, consider doing the Celta there. I already have a 4 week classroom Tesol course and a year's experience but might do the Celta here in Vietnam in the next year.

DeeMitch

Oh cripes, this article from the Telegraph has put me right off:

The slavery of teaching English

The job is tedious, the salary appalling and the prospects nil. Sebastian Cresswell-Turner laments that 'no one with a scrap of ambition' would choose to teach English as a foreign language

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/3325192/The-slavery-of-teaching-English.html

That article made me laugh.. I make $3,300 a month net in a ridiculously cheap country. Don't let a badly written spiteful article change anything.

DeeMitch

Hi Ads, you're in Vietnam aren't you? I hadn't considered Asia as I don't want to be an oddity - single, white female. I heard about the friend of a friend who went to teach in Korea and found it very isolating.

I was thinking France to improve my French and while it would be great to earn decent money, it's not my only concern. I want to have a life while I'm there as well. If teaching English in Europe is as insecure as it's described in Telegraph article, it wouldn't interest me.

sparklyEyes111

I wish I had looked into CELTA and stuff before I completed my I to I course 2 years ago . . .*sigh*

I still have my Primary teaching degree any ways, I got summer work in Spain last year from that with I to I, so guessing my primary teaching degree got the job for me ha. . . .

simonsez

sparklyEyes111 wrote: »

I wish I had looked into CELTA and stuff before I completed my I to I course 2 years ago . . .*sigh*

I still have my Primary teaching degree any ways, I got summer work in Spain last year from that with I to I, so guessing my primary teaching degree got the job for me ha. . . .

Thanks for the contribution SE.

SS

DeeMitch

DeeMitch wrote: »

Hi Ads, you're in Vietnam aren't you? I hadn't considered Asia as I don't want to be an oddity - single, white female. I heard about the friend of a friend who went to teach in Korea and found it very isolating.

I was thinking France to improve my French and while it would be great to earn decent money, it's not my only concern. I want to have a life while I'm there as well. If teaching English in Europe is as insecure as it's described in Telegraph article, it wouldn't interest me.

South East Asia is a world away from Korea.. Its a tourist destination so everything is catered for. I've tonnes of single white female friends. Very few couples come here together.. 90% of expats come alone.

See Ye

I'd love to hear from anyone who has been to France teaching English. Is it true that Celta is not required there?
Yes & no. This is part of what I said in another thread :
if you want to work within the French national education system as anything more than a classroom assistant you need to do one of their qualifications (& essentially become a French civil servant).

(Remember - This is my experience not fact writ in stone.)

Private language schools as anywhere fall into two camps - those that require you to have a CELTA or equivalent and those that don't. Certainly in places like Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Paris you'll stand a better chance of getting a good job if you have a qualification. However if you move to Saint-Nowhere-des-champs you'll have less competition and your nationality will often suffice, even somewhere quite large for France like Rennes, schools wouldn't be that demanding about qualifications. In smaller places Google the local chambre de commerce, find out of they are affiliated with a school then research that school.

See Ye

DeeMitch wrote: »

Oh cripes, this article from the Telegraph has put me right off:

The slavery of teaching English

The job is tedious, the salary appalling and the prospects nil. Sebastian Cresswell-Turner laments that 'no one with a scrap of ambition' would choose to teach English as a foreign language

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/3325192/The-slavery-of-teaching-English.html

Check the date of the article ... January 2004 !!!. While I admit I recognised some elements of it I would also say it was out-dated at the time it was written. I've been an EFL teacher since leaving uni - worked in different aspects of the industry and the last time I borrowed money "from home" was simply accepting a gift towards my mortgage ten years ago. I certainly don't recognise myself in this definition : After the age of 40, English teachers are burnt-out, skill-less and unemployable, their working lives a wasteland, their future oblivion.
Like any job you have to be realistic - research the place you are applying to, find out if it's legit. When you go for an interview you'll get a feel for the atmosphere in the place, trust your instincts.

Let me know if I can give you any more info on working in France.

DeeMitch

Thanks a mil See Ye for all the info, very helpful!

Orizio

Chaps, have an interview in the coming weeks for the CELTA course in UCC, one on one with the course co-ordinator, anything in particular I should expect to be asked, what I should research etc?

rexthedog

anybody out there teaching in greece? and before you start, yes, i do read the news. is there still opportunities out there?

TheRealSquishy

Just gave CELT a ring there to see if I needed a degree to be able to do the course and they told me they don't do teaching courses, that they actually teach English as a foreign language. Seriously confused now, did I pick this whole thread up wrong?

I'm dropping out of Arts in NUIG and yerman told me a TEFL would be my best option to go teaching, pretty much my only one actually seeing as he said they don't do English teaching courses...so confused now.

Anyone here able to help give me a bit of advice on the TEFL? Will I actually be able to get a job without a degree if I do it? Thanks.

griffdaddy

What do you mean you gave CELT a ring? There's a few places that do CELTA training, UCC and the International Houses in Dublin and Cork are the 3 I know. There's a couple more in Dublin but I can't think of them off the top of my head

yosser hughes

TheRealSquishy wrote: »

Just gave CELT a ring there to see if I needed a degree to be able to do the course and they told me they don't do teaching courses, that they actually teach English as a foreign language. Seriously confused now, did I pick this whole thread up wrong?

I'm dropping out of Arts in NUIG and yerman told me a TEFL would be my best option to go teaching, pretty much my only one actually seeing as he said they don't do English teaching courses...so confused now.

Anyone here able to help give me a bit of advice on the TEFL? Will I actually be able to get a job without a degree if I do it? Thanks.

Who did you ring exactly?CELT and CELTA are the qualifications and they are taught in many different places.
Why are you dropping out of NUIG as a matter of interest?

batista

Im thinking of doing the CELTA course as im hoping to take some time off work to go travelling. Just wondering are there tefl jobs available for approx 3 months other than the Summer? As thats about the time im looking to teach for. Also are there jobs part time in the evenings or at weekends in Ireland, as it would be something i would be interested in to earn extra money if i come back to my job

Columbia

How much grammar should one know before beginning a CELTA?

I can identify (and define, although in pretty simplistic terms) the parts of speech, and I can identify verb tenses and give examples (although would only be able to give perhaps one example of when each should be used). I'm ok on gerunds and infinitives, as well as active and passive speech.

I'm weak on reported speech and modal verbs, and perhaps a few other things.

Does it pay off to know as much grammar as possible before going into the course?

griffdaddy

It's always good to know your grammar but I wouldn't worry about the parts you don't know too much. From what you've said I'd say you have a good grounding, and they fill everything in as you go along anyway. Plus you'd be teaching specific topics from the book, so you might just be teaching the conditional tenses, the past perfect and 5 or 6 other topics along the way, and you can prepare very specifically for that topic. Obviously it's good to know your grammar, and you could get hit by a curve ball from a student in a class, but I wouldn't worry about it too much, the tutors understand if you just say 'I'll have to check that and get back to you.' (Unless it's related directly to the topic at hand, and you should know it.)

wayoutwest

When you say a degree is needed, does it matter what the degree is in?

Charisteas

Just barely testing the waters at the moment in regards to any future plans to teach abroad. But after speed-reading through this thread, I haven't read much about South America, in particular Brazil. I would love to hear from anyone who has taught in Brazil, and what the qualification requirements are. I'm looking into a CELTA course, International House seem to run 1 per month, and I plan to send a few e-mails around English schools in the big cities in Brazil to ask what qualifications I need, but would be nice to hear from someone here.

Also, and I may be a tad unrealistic here, but I only want to teach children, so i'm not sure if there is a better suited course for me rather than CELTA, although i'm open to either a classroom or private tutoring.

JayC5

Hi,

Male, 30's, education: Cert / Diploma / Degree and soon a Masters, 10 years experience in 2 Multinationals but zero teaching experience.

So, which would be better to help me secure a good teaching position in Thailand - a Celta or Tefl certification? Apologies if this has been covered but I couldn't locate any info...

Also, do you think it's a bit stupid to go teaching abroad at my age (early 30's but single, no kids and no debts or mortgage), are there many people in that age bracket or is it mostly young 'uns?

Thanks in advance folks

JC

Denerick

A surprisingly large number of people who go travelling are at least post 25, a fair chunk being post 30. I wouldn't worry about doing it at that age. You'll have a bit more experience and maturity anyway and will likely savour the opportunity more than a younger person. Just my two cents.

Marie212

Has anyone completed the CELTA course at IH Barcelona? I'm trying to decide whether to do the course here at home or abroad in November.

sedric

Didn't do it abroad but did it in IH in Dublin, part time ( ~4 hours a night, 3 night a week , 12 weeks).
It was very thorough, the feedback is excellent , though can be a little painful.
The skills taught are important and I have found them very useful in real teaching.

I would say the full time course is very demanding, as it's squeezed into four full time weeks, so forget about any other activities outside CELTA , there's lots of prep for classes , all done in your own time.
Anyway , I'd also suggest that no matter where you do it, check out material in advance e.g. assignments. Get some of the reference books in advance if possible so you have them to hand during the course.

If you are in IH they often have a library ... use it e.g. say you are doing a lesson ( most are from a book) use the teacher's notes from the library. If they are not there check the web there are lots of scanned pdfs about.
Also work with other trainees e.g. swop ideas about lessons, and if they did well get their plans to see how you can improve.

Whatever feedback you get , and you will get a lot of written feedback , clarify it with the tutor and then use it. You may not like or agree with the feedback but in general they are pretty objective and they expect you to learn from each lesson/assignment.

You will get a chance to see other teachers in action , take it early and take notes you will learn a lot. They sometimes have videos watch them if have time . This is especially useful for teaching students with little English.
As native speakers we take some things for granted , watching an experienced teacher will help make you aware of good technique.

Best of luck .

PS the students make it worthwhile!

Marie212

sedric wrote: »

Didn't do it abroad but did it in IH in Dublin, part time ( ~4 hours a night, 3 night a week , 12 weeks).
It was very thorough, the feedback is excellent , though can be a little painful.
The skills taught are important and I have found them very useful in real teaching.

I would say the full time course is very demanding, as it's squeezed into four full time weeks, so forget about any other activities outside CELTA , there's lots of prep for classes , all done in your own time.
Anyway , I'd also suggest that no matter where you do it, check out material in advance e.g. assignments. Get some of the reference books in advance if possible so you have them to hand during the course.

If you are in IH they often have a library ... use it e.g. say you are doing a lesson ( most are from a book) use the teacher's notes from the library. If they are not there check the web there are lots of scanned pdfs about.
Also work with other trainees e.g. swop ideas about lessons, and if they did well get their plans to see how you can improve.

Whatever feedback you get , and you will get a lot of written feedback , clarify it with the tutor and then use it. You may not like or agree with the feedback but in general they are pretty objective and they expect you to learn from each lesson/assignment.

You will get a chance to see other teachers in action , take it early and take notes you will learn a lot. They sometimes have videos watch them if have time . This is especially useful for teaching students with little English.
As native speakers we take some things for granted , watching an experienced teacher will help make you aware of good technique.

Best of luck .

PS the students make it worthwhile!

Yeah I've read a few horror stories about the full time course and how stressful it is! I'd imagine the part time course is much less stressful and gives you time to let the information sink in. Hopefully though it won't be too scary :eek:

What books did you use? I'm thinking on buying a couple online before the course to read up on -Learning Teaching by Jim Scrivener and Grammar For English Language Teachers by Parrott.

Thanks for all your information Did you find it easy to secure a job after completing the course? Where are you teaching now?

sedric

Each person does it their own way, but here's some info:

1. Practical English Usuage by Swan. As the course goes on, this becomes more and more useful, it's a reference , not for end to end reading, I also found it very helpful in teaching later .

2. Learner English by Swan and Smith, this deals with specific language difficulties for people who speak particular languages e.g. difficulties learning English for Spanish speakers, Russian speakers, Polish speakers. It has been very useful later and was good for the CELTA lesson plans and assignments, as you get to know your class and their backround, again a reference. (A copy may be held in the IH library)

3.Cambridge Learner's dictionary ( Advance or Beginner ), very useful for helping you with meaning and for the lesson plans CELTA demand, put it on the PC .

4.Get a ( free) phonetic typescript ( IPA) application you can put on pc.

5. Use the pc for lesson prep so you have a templates for the lesson so correction is easier.

6. Use englishfile.com ( free) for ideas, IH often use english file for their lessons. Before you do the course go on this site and do the lessons to get a feel for the method.

7. I got the Scrivener book you mentioned, it's good especially for later assignments. It is also consistent with the ideas on the course. I also like his approach, which is very supportive of the student,

8 Other trainees bought the CELTA Trainee book by Cambridge, that was little use, as IH Dublin give you plenty information in a folder.

9. IH have books with games and activities check them out.
I am teaching one to one privately in Ireland and also doing voluntary work with immigrant groups.

On the course I was on, two ( of 12) were offered jobs in IH, they had experience beforehand and were good teachers. Others were travelling to Spain and Asia with varying degrees of work arranged or promised. At least one was going to Spain and seem to have found work, I don't know about pay etc.
It seems quite seasonal here .

10. I used Practical Grammar Ceri/Jones, I also used the Grammar for English Language Teachers but found it too detailed for the course.

11. The CELTA course has two types of class , you get taught and you teach. When you are been taught, relax and observe the way you are taught in class, take notes, the techniques they use are the same as those you will use in class, so you can pick up ideas from your tutors method as well as the content.


This seems a lot, and it's not all necessary. But having references to hand can speed up preparation time which is quite long in CELTA.


Good luck

Marie212

Thanks very much sedric for the detailed information. It will come in useful, now to get organised!