Job Discussion Forums

[Gioan]

Would appreciate an advice re. where to take CELTA in VN.

Apollo or ILA ?

Hanoi or Saigon ?

As a non-native speaker I am looking for the place that gives you more for your buck (not just getting a paper).


Tks.

[nomad soul]

[ExpatLuke]

There were some posts about this, but I believe they're already several years old. I haven't heard much updated information. But strictly speaking, a CELTA is just a piece of paper.

Try your best on the course, cater your lessons to suit your instructor's interpretation of what teaching is so you can get the highest score. And then once you actually get in the classroom and start teaching with the specific ages, nationalities, and dynamics of the job you want, you can start to actually understand teaching.

These 4 week TEFL courses are a bit of a joke to me personally. There's no way that 4 weeks prepares on to be a teacher. CELTAs are highly regarded because they're the best of the minimum.

[Gioan]

Tks for advice Luke

[skarper]

CELTAs and the equivalent courses do vary enormously. The best one in Hanoi used to be the one at Language Link. But that is very old information too.

CELTAs and equivs are meant to INITIATE people wanting to be teachers. It is meant to give you a foundation to build on. There is a good deal of hoop jumping involved. You can't argue the toss about how to teach - you just have to demonstrate understanding of the principles set out.

I would persist in trying to get up to date information about what each centres' courses are like. If you can't find anybody on here to help ask the centre for some referees. They really ought to be able to provide you with a few names and email addresses to contact.

I'm sorry I can't give you more details.

[Gioan]

Tks for your thoughts, scarper.

[nomad soul]

Gioan:

My question wasn't meant to be flippant. What specifically are you looking for in a CELTA course provider in terms of "more for your buck?"

[Gioan]

nomad soul

Well, it is usually referred to as “a course” on the sites that are peddling it (and as a certificate as well).

After reading stories and reviews, on this forum and the others, about the general attitude of "certain" English language schools in VN, I began to wonder whether the same could apply to this “course” as well.

If I needed a paper from a mill, I could have gotten it online for about a ninth of these offers, hence the question.

And I am of course aware that 120 lessons over 4 weeks can only get you so far.

[Elicit]

If it were me, I'd go with ILA.

Apollo feels like a friendlier place overall, with ILA having a corporateness about it. However, a colleague did his CELTA with ILA years ago and they still send him a visa invitation letter when he goes back to Vietnam for holidays.

You have a reasonable chance of a job offer from either if you do reasonably well and are thinking about sticking around. ILA would be marginally better for the CV in my humble opinion.

Ask for the trainer's names and do a little research. Courses will obviously vary dependent on the trainer.

Best of luck.

[Gioan]

Tks for your input, Elicit.

[suphanburi]

CELTA is what it is - and the quality control is somewhat better than a generic TEFL cert from a no-name academy.

Cambridge is somewhat protective of their brand name (CELTA is just the Cambridge branded TESOL cert) and to that end they provide a little more quality control over the course, content and instructors.

If the cost is an issue then for visa purposes any old TEFL course will suffice.

If you are legitimately wanting to learn something then the CELTA is one of the top 3 branded short courses (120 hour) and the one with the best brand recognition.

If you want to really become a teacher (and are willing to take the time to do it) then take a teacher certification course (PGCE, Dip.Ed, Dip.T, etc) at a recognized university.
IF your goal is just to do TEFL until something better comes along or to do TEFL for a gap year or 2 then the CELTA is OK.

What it won't do is get you off of the entry level of the TEFL ladder. It is just an entry level cert to get your feet wet.

.

[Gioan]

OK, thanks for clarification, suphanburi

[reblair79]

[1st Sgt Welsh]

Personally, in one sense, I don't think it matters where you do the CELTA. As suphanburi mentioned, the quality control from Cambridge is pretty extensive and you will cover exactly the same ground wherever you go.

However, in another sense, it will matter because your experiences will depend on who your instructors are and who you get stuck with as classmates. If you get pretentious jackasses for instructors then, obviously, it will be a less enjoyable experience than what it otherwise could be. Much the same with your classmates. Personally, I made some great friends during my CELTA course, but, of course, in any fairly large group, there's always got to be at least one nimrod . However, that largely comes down to the luck of the draw and there's not that much you can do about it. Besides, it's only for a month and hardly the end of the world either way.

I'd make my decision based on the most suitable dates the course is being offered and based on where you want to live. Personally, all things being equal, I'd go for ILA in Saigon. However, that's just my two cents and I haven't worked in Vietnam for quite a while.

[theoriginalprankster]