Job Discussion Forums

[Sashadroogie]

Cole, your comments about my comments on your comment are worthy of comment!

[coledavis]

[Sashadroogie]

Cole, I'm cracking open a bottle of Khortytsa right now. Here's to your health!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg_V3FWnZUc

[coledavis]

Nosderovia!

[Sashadroogie]

Join us Cole! Join the Party!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZZLqDbf38c

[coledavis]

But comrade, does the Politburo approve; it's NEP isn't it?

[Sashadroogie]

Cole, moi stary muzhik, half the Politburo is legless as we speak/slur. Not capable of approving anything but the next toast!

[coledavis]

"The women!"
"Where? Why?"

[Baggio]

Ideally we would like to teach in Europe or LA, we can't do the CELTA back in Ireland as it would cost us too much for travel and staying somewhere, doing it in Beijing would probably be the least expensive way to take the course.

Say for example we did the CELTA here in BJ, then did a years teaching in Russia or somewhere similar, would that stand us in good stead to potential employers in the popular countries such as Italy, Spain or in LA?

Thanks for all the feedback everyone , appreciated

[coledavis]

While there are preferable places, I don't think it should matter too much. However, your year in Russia might be useful in giving you experience which you yourself will value as well as moving you up the scale of desirability.

[Sashadroogie]

If you are already in Beijing and cannot afford to return home, then do the Celta in Beijing. It really will not matter too much in the long run where you take it. A year in Russia afterwards would certainly help you to continue your development too. Sharpen your classroom skills. Really cannot see too many employers seeing this in anything but a positive light.

Best of luck.

[Baggio]

Thanks for the advice

[teenoso]

I would not be confident that the CELTA in BJ is the same as the CELTA elsewhere - even if the trainers and certification process are externally moderated/checked. There has been a recent scandal over IELTS examiners in China , some of whom were recruited without proper visa authorisation, by the British Council. Who knows what other cracks there are in the IELTS testing system in China.
Too many processes here are faked /fudged, even the official ones. Maybe there are the same issues in other countries but it's pretty endemic in China.

Also, China has a short history with these kind of TEFL qualifications so you are unlikely to get the best and most experienced trainers.

[paintyourtarget]

Is it safe to assume that all US-based approved CELTA centers are legitimate? I don't care about getting a Pass A/B, or even the degree in general--I just want a quality education that'll make me a better teacher.

In academia, it's easy to distinguish prestigious/legitimate institutions from crappy diploma mills--but when it comes TEFL certifications, I don't know where to start. E.g., institutions like 'Bridge TEFL' give me the same scammy profit-oriented vibe as fake diploma mills--requiring a $400 deposit prior to any actual application, vagueness about refunds/application information, full of meaningless snazzy text like '100% GUARANTEE!!!' all over their site, etc. The fact that they concurrently sell unaccredited online 'certifications' also makes me uneasy.

I don't want to waste $2500+ on a teaching center that places more emphasis on churning out certs than actually providing a quality education :/. I was impressed by St. Giles, but unfortunately they're all full for June/July.

[spiral78]

CELTA is CELTA regardless of where you take it. Even a CELTA from a country outside the US will be considered legit by potential employers:-)