Job Discussion Forums

[Daphne]

I was surprised not to find any prior input on the CELTA courses offered in Hawaii through ICC.


Can anyone please write about their experiences with this school?

[Coolguy123]

Sorry for bringing back this old post...but has anyone heard anything about the CELTA course from ICC Hawaii?

[nomad soul]

[Coolguy123]

Yeah, live in Hawaii so that's not the difficulty, there's a couple courses here and was trying to pick one. The other one is at the public university.

Actually, I was thinking of taking the course elsewhere, in Poland or something, people wonder why I'd want to take it elsewhere but I'd love to do some study overseas.

If it's the same content would it look any better/worse to an employer if it's taken from one school over another (public/private, school prestige), or taken in the US vs. overseas?

[Xie Lin]

[nomad soul]

[spiral78]

[nomad soul]

Ah, Spiral... Just the thought of "Bubba's" and "Joe's" is making me salivate. Hmm... Should I have steamed crab or BBQ tonight?

[Coolguy123]

Thanks for the great info everyone! Do these celta organizations within the US provide any helpful assistance finding jobs overseas?

I'm sure while they might be able to provide counseling, I'm not sure how much help they would be in finding work.

Therefore, it seems like taking a course abroad would be the best option, as the cost doesn't seem that much higher. Thoughts?

I'm a very good student(maybe a bit too pedantic actually) so I am not worried about being able to handle the course. I'm thinking about doing the international house course which seems to come recommended from some people, as they seem to offer job assistance.

My only concern would be having to leave to change visa status or whatever, or having downtime in getting a job and the costs involved.

[nomad soul]

As Spiral stated, the advantage of completing the CELTA course in the target country is that it offers the opportunity to do your practice teaching with students that very likely fit the profile of those students you will be leading once you actually start teaching. Another benefit to taking it in your desired country is that you're already there and acclimating to your new environment. Plus, it provides more opportunities for on-the-ground job hunting in addition to face-to-face job introductions and interviews, which is key in those cities/countries where TEFL jobs generally aren't advertised. I believe that falls under your description of job assistance.

You mentioned taking the course in the US or in Poland; however, you haven't said where you'd like to teach. Start by 1) checking out ads for jobs in your target country; and 2) visiting the country-specific job discussion forum about teaching prospects, do's/don'ts, etc. You need to figure out what works for your teaching goals and budget (flight, visa costs, transportation needs, room/board, food...) as well as your expectations for facility support (availability of Internet, copy machines, learning resources, classroom size), tutor/teacher trainer support, and subsequent help in job leads.

Anyway, I suggest you check with the specific CELTA course provider as to how much, if any, job assistance they offer. Since the CELTA is geared more for teaching English abroad (i.e., outside the US), I suspect course providers overseas would offer extra job guidance to trainees.

[spiral78]

IH offers some opportunities within their own network, but it's not a job guarantee - and definitely not a location guarantee; you have to go where they have an opening.

[Coolguy123]

Yeah it seems like IH prioritizes people who took the CELTA there or people who work at IH for initial jobs or "transfers". Could be interesting if you want to move around in different countries and you're still within the same IHWO company, which could be good for seniority and knowing their system without having to relearn to much. Just speculation though.