Site Search:
 
Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today!
Teach English Abroad and Get Paid to see the World!
Job Discussion Forums Forum Index Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

The Distance Delta by IH, London
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> General Discussion
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
mmcmorrow



Joined: 30 Sep 2007
Posts: 143
Location: New Zealand

PostPosted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 9:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I believe that the Centre number (representing the institution where the person took the course) is marked on the Delta certificate .. this is down the bottom of the certificate in small print ... so someone who knows the scheme quite well can work out where someone took the course, including whether this was the Distance Delta or not ...

I don't believe it will make any difference to the value of the diploma for teachers .. the whole point of the qualification is that it's standardised, so that a person who's passed in Sydney, London, by distance mode or in the Czech Republic has reached the same standard. So where the Delta is recognised, I really can't see it making any difference at all whether it was the distance version or one from an onsite course.

The reason online teaching diplomas in general are not always accepted is that most of them do not include assessed teaching practice. This is not the case with the Distance Delta. The practical teaching assignments in Module 2 are assessed by a local tutor and then the final one is assessed by an external examiner - in the same way as for the onsite Delta. I've assessed candidates for full-time, part-time and distance Delta courses - it's the same deal.

I've also worked as a tutor on courses in London and in New Zealand and on an orientation course for the Distance Delta a few years back. It's essentially the same programme. What teachers on the distance Delta need to ensure is that they're in a supportive environment, with good local resources and it helps if there's a high standard of teaching in the school you're working in. If not, it's going to be more challenging, and it might be worth considering going and doing it on an intensive course instead.

Martin McMorrow, Massey University, New Zealand
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Solar Strength



Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 557
Location: Bangkok, Thailand

PostPosted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 12:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

mmcmorrow wrote:
I don't believe it will make any difference to the value of the diploma for teachers...the whole point of the qualification is that it's standardised, so that a person who's passed in Sydney, London, by distance mode or in the Czech Republic has reached the same standard. So where the Delta is recognised, I really can't see it making any difference at all whether it was the distance version or one from an onsite course.


I think everyone here understands that.

However, it is the Taiwanese, Japanese and Korean school managers, teachers and professors who do the hiring that are distrustful of anything distance study related.

Maybe it may not make any difference, however, since *most* are completely in the dark when it comes to understanding credentials like CELTA, DELTA or Trinity TESOL training programs. Many of them still have never heard of these certs. before.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Solar Strength



Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 557
Location: Bangkok, Thailand

PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 4:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is the second email reply I received after inquiring a second time with International House asking them if their DELTA diploma indicates that it is completed through partial distance study:

Quote:
Hi,

Thank you for your email. Don�t worry, I can confirm that the Diploma does not state that anywhere that it was completed via Distance.

Kind regards,

Natalie Gunn
Distance Learning Administrator
International House London

16 Stukeley Street
Covent Garden, London, WC2B 5LQ
T: +44 (0) 20 7611 2456
E: [email protected]
F:+44(0) 20 7117 4182
www.thedistancedelta.com
http://www.ihlonline.co.uk
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Sashadroogie



Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise

PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 6:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Curiouser and curiouser. Perhaps they used to signify the distance stream previously, but have now dispensed with it - for precisely the reasons of confusion stated above.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Solar Strength



Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 557
Location: Bangkok, Thailand

PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 3:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

We are getting conflicting messages from people involved in the program or who have looked at the DELTA diploma.

We have the International House coordinator above, who clearly reports that there isn't anything at all written on the diploma that indicates that it is obtained by distance.

Then there's the poster above who says that he saw "DL" written on his nephew's DELTA diploma, which seems like it stands for "Distance Learning".

Finally we have a DELTA tutor above who reports that there is a series of letters or numbers on the face of the diploma that can be used to determine the location of where the DELTA was obtained and also in what format.

I'd like to learn what the reality is here with respect to the exact information the diploma reveals, e.g. whether it was obtained online, distance or on campus.

You'd think it would be pretty straight forward to get a clear answer on this, but evidently not.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Denim-Maniac



Joined: 31 Jan 2012
Posts: 1238

PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 6:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

As some of you in this thread know ... Im currently doing the distance delta module 1 with IH on the course mentioned.

I dont believe there will be any 'distance learning' marking on any certificate I get, and the reason I think this is that anyone here on this forum could apply to IH or any other exam centre and sit the module 1 exam on December 5th regardless of studying on the distance learning program. As far as I can gather ... IH and the BC have just prepared some study material and readings to help prepare candidates for the rigours of the exam. But I dont believe the course material is a pre-requisite for taking the exam .. kinda like the way you can book yourself a Cambridge First Certificate exam independently. You just pay at a test centre and sit the exam.

Although I paid for the course with IH, that doesnt include registration and examination fees to Cambridge, which are dealt with seperately. And I think if I fail the exam, or dont sit the exam, I can just contact Cambridge later and take the exam again on my own.

For anyone considering the course, Ill just add to something Martin said earlier in this thread.

What teachers on the distance Delta need to ensure is that they're in a supportive environment, with good local resources and it helps if there's a high standard of teaching in the school you're working in. If not, it's going to be more challenging, and it might be worth considering going and doing it on an intensive course instead.

Im not even working at the moment, and Ive never worked in a supportive environment with a high standard of teaching. As a result Im failing miserably, am quite unable to cope, about to quit and fairly depressed and miserable about the whole thing. It's hard, bloody hard and whilst Im fairly confident in my teaching ability the academic side of the course and the language analysis is really hard. Martins advice probably applies to me, and the distance route is hard.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Shroob



Joined: 02 Aug 2010
Posts: 1339

PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 7:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Denim-Maniac wrote:
As some of you in this thread know ... Im currently doing the distance delta module 1 with IH on the course mentioned.

I dont believe there will be any 'distance learning' marking on any certificate I get, and the reason I think this is that anyone here on this forum could apply to IH or any other exam centre and sit the module 1 exam on December 5th regardless of studying on the distance learning program. As far as I can gather ... IH and the BC have just prepared some study material and readings to help prepare candidates for the rigours of the exam. But I dont believe the course material is a pre-requisite for taking the exam .. kinda like the way you can book yourself a Cambridge First Certificate exam independently. You just pay at a test centre and sit the exam.

Although I paid for the course with IH, that doesnt include registration and examination fees to Cambridge, which are dealt with seperately. And I think if I fail the exam, or dont sit the exam, I can just contact Cambridge later and take the exam again on my own.

For anyone considering the course, Ill just add to something Martin said earlier in this thread.

What teachers on the distance Delta need to ensure is that they're in a supportive environment, with good local resources and it helps if there's a high standard of teaching in the school you're working in. If not, it's going to be more challenging, and it might be worth considering going and doing it on an intensive course instead.

Im not even working at the moment, and Ive never worked in a supportive environment with a high standard of teaching. As a result Im failing miserably, am quite unable to cope, about to quit and fairly depressed and miserable about the whole thing. It's hard, bloody hard and whilst Im fairly confident in my teaching ability the academic side of the course and the language analysis is really hard. Martins advice probably applies to me, and the distance route is hard.


No, don't give in Denim. I've seen your posts and know you're commited to professional development. It may be hard, but it will be worth it. To quit now would be a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mmcmorrow



Joined: 30 Sep 2007
Posts: 143
Location: New Zealand

PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 9:02 am    Post subject: Distance Delta Reply with quote

Just to clarify ...


At least when I was last involved directly in Delta training (a couple of years ago), the diplomas which candidates received included the code of the Centre where a person took the course - i.e. in the case of the distance Delta, a five-figure number. This means that for people like me, who are very familiar with these centre numbers, it's possible to work out that someone did the distance delta. Someone else could, presumably, find out the meaning of that code with some investigation on Google. By the way, Centres, including the distance Delta, also publish lists of successful candidates in the EL Gazette, together with the centre where they took the course, so that's another source sleuths could possibly use to find out whether someone did the distance delta (though I think you might have to tick a box somewhere to say you're happy for your details to be published ...). On the other hand, if I really wanted to know if someone did the distance Delta, rather than taking it in Covent Garden or George Street, Sydney, I'd probably just ask them! Life's too short.

This doesn't mean that the diploma says anything like 'by distance learning' etc. I don't believe it's ever done so. I'm also surprised to hear from another poster that she's seen the letters 'DL' on a Cambridge DELTA Diploma - where do these letters appear on the diploma?

Anyway, as I said above, I don't think that anyone for whom the Delta is a meaningful qualification, is going to see the distance Delta as in any way inferior to a face-to-face mode, so it's a moot point.

Martin McMorrow
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
smedini



Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 178

PostPosted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 1:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi all Smile

Thought I'd throw my two cents' into the hat here. I have certificates for DELTA M1 and M3 (and have spoken with Natalie Gunn several times, so I can confirm that she is the coordinator at IHL). Neither of my certificates say that I did the 'distance' DELTA; they just say DELTA.

And by the by, if anyone is interested in knowing or needs to know, if you take M2 through IHL, it takes nine months and requires a two-week onsite orientation, which will significantly increase your cost of an already significant tuition (M2 is the most expensive of the modules by far!). However, there are at least two other schools (Bell and Norwich), that offer it without the orientation AND have slightly cheaper tuition AND offer a 12 week intensive course. I'm currently doing M2 with one of them now.

Ta!

~smedini
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message MSN Messenger
Solar Strength



Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 557
Location: Bangkok, Thailand

PostPosted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 2:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

smedini wrote:
Hi all Smile

Thought I'd throw my two cents' into the hat here. I have certificates for DELTA M1 and M3 (and have spoken with Natalie Gunn several times, so I can confirm that she is the coordinator at IHL). Neither of my certificates say that I did the 'distance' DELTA; they just say DELTA.

And by the by, if anyone is interested in knowing or needs to know, if you take M2 through IHL, it takes nine months and requires a two-week onsite orientation, which will significantly increase your cost of an already significant tuition (M2 is the most expensive of the modules by far!). However, there are at least two other schools (Bell and Norwich), that offer it without the orientation AND have slightly cheaper tuition AND offer a 12 week intensive course. I'm currently doing M2 with one of them now.

Ta!

~smedini


smedini,

First, thank you for your comments regarding what the DELTA certificate indicates in terms of whether it was earned through distance or not. So it is clear then that there is no indication on the diploma that the module was earned through online or distance study.

Do you receive a diploma for each module or a DELTA diploma at the end of the completion of all 3 modules? How does that work?

I have a couple of other questions about the modules and the different schools that offer them. For example, can a student take Module 1 with Bell and then do Module 3 with Norwich and then do Module 2 with IHL, if they were inclined to want to attend the orientation at IHL even though it would mean more money?

Will all of these schools recognize any modules that might be obtained at competitor's schools (e.g., would Bell recognize module 1 that was completed at Norwich if a student wanted to then do module 2 at Bell?)?

Finally, which school offers the cheapest tuition for all of the modules?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mmcmorrow



Joined: 30 Sep 2007
Posts: 143
Location: New Zealand

PostPosted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 2:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just wanted to add something in response to Denim Maniac's comment about the difficulties he's facing in Delta Module 1.

It's not unusual, even for talented teachers who've been successful and also have considerable potential, to struggle with specific aspects of a Delta course, particularly early on.

See if you can network a bit more with other students on the course, through online forums, or Skyping with them, etc, so that you feel less isolated and are also able to pool more of your knowledge.

If you haven't already done so, you might well find the books by Scott Thornbury and/or Rod Bolitho particularly useful - e.g. 'About Language' could help on Module 1 - and various books like 'How to teach vocabulary / grammar' etc could be very helpful on Module 2. And the Teaching English site has plenty of useful stuff.

I was teaching in a fairly unsupportive environment when I started on the precursor of Delta (the DipTEFLA), back in the day. I found the initial observations pretty stressful. Half way through the part-time course, I managed to change jobs and get into a much better school, largely on the back of doing the Dip. That helped a good deal in various ways. The staff room was full of people who'd done the Delta before - they were a source of tips, encouragement, understanding etc. There was also a file in the Teachers' Room with lesson plans, essays etc done by teachers in the past; not to mention a well-stocked library of resources. Of course, it's not necessarily possible to get a job like this - I'm just underlining how important it is for professional development to be in a good school.

There's an interesting evaluation of the impact of (a full-time) Delta on teachers' values and behaviour in Cambridge Research Notes 45 by Simon Borg from Leeds Uni. The teachers who took part in the study identified a wide range of positive effects on their professional practice:


� confidence in observing and supporting other teachers
� reflective skills
� ability to participate more fully in discussions about language teaching at work
� confidence in the classroom
� ability to evaluate courses
� ability to work as a teacher trainer
� credibility as a manager
� the sense of value they saw in their work as teachers
� a sense of control over their own practices
� speed and focus of planning
� ability to improvise
� ability to implement student-centred practices
� awareness of the rationale for their pedagogical choices
� broader views of the role of the teacher

Borg noted that the changes teachers reported as a result of the Delta encompassed "the thinking behind their work, their awareness of their learners and of the rationale for their pedagogical decisions, and their interactive decision making" (p.24).

So, keep up the good work!

Martin McMorrow, Massey University, NZ

__________________________________________________________


Borg, S. (2011). Teacher learning on the Delta. Cambridge ESOL Research Notes 45, 19-24.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
tina20



Joined: 01 Jul 2010
Posts: 49

PostPosted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 1:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you everyone for your valuable input...appreciate it! Smile

smedini wrote:
Hi all Smile

Thought I'd throw my two cents' into the hat here. I have certificates for DELTA M1 and M3 (and have spoken with Natalie Gunn several times, so I can confirm that she is the coordinator at IHL). Neither of my certificates say that I did the 'distance' DELTA; they just say DELTA.

And by the by, if anyone is interested in knowing or needs to know, if you take M2 through IHL, it takes nine months and requires a two-week onsite orientation, which will significantly increase your cost of an already significant tuition (M2 is the most expensive of the modules by far!). However, there are at least two other schools (Bell and Norwich), that offer it without the orientation AND have slightly cheaper tuition AND offer a 12 week intensive course. I'm currently doing M2 with one of them now.

Ta!

~smedini


Hi Smedini, I'm considering Bell as well for M2. What's your opinion about them?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
kerrilee



Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 59
Location: Dalian, China

PostPosted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 2:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I did all 3 modules with BELL online, but sat the module 1 exam at a centre in Vietnam where they run an onsite DELTA. So anyone looking up the centre number would not know the difference. Also, once you get all 3 modules, you can apply for the overall DELTA certificate. My original certs have 3 different centre numbers on them as I sat the exam in one town and BELL changed centre for their online DELTA between me doing Modules 3 then 2. The overall certificate does not have any of this information on it, it looks just like my friend's who did the onsite DELTA in Vietnam.

BELL DELTA 2 - I think depends to a large extent on your working environment at the time and your local tutor. I moved jobs to do it but realised the new situation was not supportive enough and so did Module 3 there instead. I moved again to do Module 2, back to an environment I knew and that changed their rules so they could supply a local tutor. I am glad I waited. People in the first place were doing another online DELTA and 2 out of 3 failed to finish citing lack of support for module 2 as their main reason.

Through all the modules, I found others on the course to be supportive even though we were all working in different places.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
backtothefront



Joined: 02 Sep 2012
Posts: 48
Location: uk

PostPosted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 6:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm currently working towards the DELTA mod 1 exam with IH. Yes it is difficult, but I'm learning loads. It's not been so bad for me because I've been unemployed in the UK and I've had time to study, I'm still getting crap marks on the exam practice though. Some things you know or you don't.
I'm starting work soon in China and plan to take the exam in Hong Kong (my nearest BC centre). To make matters even more complicated I've started the second part of my Open University masters degree in Linguistics, so I'm hoping to pass the DELTA in December before the degree course gets going again..

I was wondering if anyone who has done the DELTA can say what the most difficult part of the course was? I'm a bit worried about Module 2! Ideally I'd like to get mod 3 out of the way before I finish my degree module but moving to China will be stressful! I just hope I haven't taken on too much.

If anyone else is studying mod 1 and wants to form a SKYPE study group PM me and we can talk DELTA together!!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mmcmorrow



Joined: 30 Sep 2007
Posts: 143
Location: New Zealand

PostPosted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 4:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

By the way, if you are looking for some good free online materials on ELT, you could try the TeachingEnglish site from the British Council and the BBC. It's very well categorised - you can choose from Teacher Training, Methodology etc and then locate whatever it is you're looking for.

One of these sections, Publications, is, I think, newish and brings together numerous research studies commissioned by the British Council. Well worth a look!

Martin McMorrow, Massey University, New Zealand
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> General Discussion All times are GMT
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next
Page 2 of 3

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.

Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group

Teaching Jobs in China
Teaching Jobs in China