Job Discussion Forums

senor boogie woogie

Hola!

I have decided that it is time for me to get certified to teach English here. I have seen some good courses in Thailand, but I don't wish to go all the way there (except to travel and have fun of course).

Is there a program in Shanghai? I seemed to have read awhile back that there was.

OK, I am confused, which is the best certificate to get, the CELTA, TEFL, TESOL, DELTA, or Trinity? I would like to get the CELTA because it sounds cool. The DELTA is what you get after the CELTA. The DELTA sounds manly and powerful, "I have a DELTA, bring on the brats! I'll have them reading Shakespeare before the week is out!!" Of course, "Trinity" sounds Godlike, and I could be a real geek and exclaim "I am Neo, and I have done Trinity, and did her well." Cool

OK, so I am making fun of all this. What I really desire is to do a good, intensive program which will teach me how to do this job well and effectively. I am getting tired of China and want to go somewhere else, either Thailand or Japan. So which one of these programs should I aim for? Where do I take the course?

SENOR*

*Believe it or not, I am sober tonight.

AKA · Joined: 04 Jul 2003 Posts: 184 Location: China

I think Shanghai Uni. offers CELTA. wOZ may be able to tell you more.
If you've got a first degree though, consider a post grad. TESOL by distance ed. through one of your home-country's accredited universities. You can study part time, and in my case it gives me a greater choice of teaching options when I return home.

Susie · Joined: 02 Jul 2003 Posts: 390 Location: PRC

Two websites for you to browse, both places are in China, both offer Certificate in Teaching courses.

www.boland-china.com - Jiangsu - RMB12,300 approx. - overpriced/not recognised everywhere, no external examiners/auditors, insurance promised but not given nor reimbursements made

www.polyu.edu.hk/cpbe Hong Kong

www.edservices.org.hk - Hong Kong HKD22,000 4 weeks full-time

www.teflinternational.com - zhuhai

I can't comment on which type of course (CELTA, TRINITY, etc.) is worth getting, but I will say that these courses are not cheap.

To invest in your own self-development is a good and worthy pursuit, however, after making the investment, it is assumed that you would want to make money from that investment, and my own view (for what it is worth) is that to try to do that in China would be a slow and painful process - but you did say, (in a manner of speaking if I understood you correctly), that you are going to move on.

Susie · Joined: 02 Jul 2003 Posts: 390 Location: PRC

Forgot to mention, for the Boland School course when you mention www.teach-in-china.net you get a discount!

wOZfromOZ · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 272 Location: Shanghai

Senor

How's the missus old pal?

Again, I cant emphasise too much the importance of getting qualifications if you want to teach in the Middle Kingdom ..........everybody says - "oh go to China if you're not qualified" ----------- what a load of BS - more than anywhere else in the world - you need to be qualified here if you want to play your song mate!!!

Do the 'celta' - Come to Shanghai Uni and you'll probably see me doing a demo lesson!!! - no joke - that's what they had me doing over the Summer break - got paid a fortune for it too!

It'll set you back about 8000Y - you'll be in a small class and the course is tough........... but it's got "ESL street cred."

They do these courses when there's time ie. Summer break

SO...........maybe you'll have to wait until next February!!

wOZfromOZ

struelle · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 2372 Location: Shanghai

You say,

senor boogie woogie · Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2003 5:57 pm Post subject: Screw Ecc-Thai.

Hola!

Well, I guess I wont do ECC-Thai. The program does not include accomodation, they require a deposit a month before hand and they require a "pre-interview task". So I have to be interviewed to do this course, pay 1500 USD and find a place to stay in a country that I have never been before.

What's this "pre" s--t?

CELTA its self sounds like a pain too. I don't want to sit in a room all day being "intensed and stressed out" just to get a piece of paper. I heard that you can just buy a copy of the CELTA on the streets of Bangkok for a few dollars. I would rather do this, save the 1500 bucks, and kick it in Phuket while the "honest" foreigners sit in a white box all day.

SENOR

Minhang Oz · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 610 Location: Shanghai,ex Guilin

Disappointing response Senor.
You want to get qualified, but only if there's no money or effort involved.

wOZfromOZ · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 272 Location: Shanghai

Senor

I totally agree with MOZ. You're comments are symptomatic of the cancer that needs to be excised from ESL teaching in China. Please dont justify the proliferation of dishonest school/college/uni administrators by delving into that realm yourself! Maybe you were a bit 'cheesed off' when you wrote your post. I hope so!

Anything or any plave worth working for already will demand competance and qualifications and in the future it will be get more and more ......
......................................dare I use the word ........PROFESSIONAL!

wOZfromOZ

struelle · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 2372 Location: Shanghai

roywebcafe · Joined: 13 Jan 2006 Posts: 259

I suppose if Senor like me has alot of experience and has done other courses in the tefl/esol world and studied material on teaching then doing the course would be a formality? But an expensive one!

It says CELTA is for people with little or no expereinece. I have over three years experience with an online tefl which i find many employers don�t accept. So should i do the Celta? The DELTA looks very expensive? I understand the DELTA is in 4 mods now. Would one mod justify me saying i have DELTA on my CV/REsume to get a good job?? If not i find Senors idea tempting.

SnoopBot · Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 740 Location: USA

A question for all.

Has anyone actually benefited from having some type of TESOL cert here in China?

I applaud those teachers that want to be more professional and feel they will benefit in this quest.. so don't get me wrong here. I would like to know if getting these certs actually allow the cert holder to advance in the Chinese ESL market.

I know having a Master's degree in TESOL with TESOL certification will equal 300-RMB more a month and with a PhD 500-RMB.

I'm curious if these certifications will actually help a teacher advance their career here in China. 90% of the FLTC's do not know what a Celta is.

samhouston · Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 418 Location: LA

I'd like to know this as well. Especially which online cert would benefit me. I'm not looking for a salary increase from it, but just something to go along with teaching experience to help in the hiring process.

Adeem · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 3:44 pm Post subject:

We are coming into the last week of Shanghai CELTA fun right now - I extend a future invite for all of you to come and join the party.

It is a funny beast. Despite many of us having years of experience previous to this course, one still feels like one is starting from scratch and trying to figure out how to teach in the communicative way. It certainly has some good points and some interesting stuff to learn, and the most pleasaing aspect is the fact that you are doing teaching practice every other day, and watching other teachers going at it for the rest. This grading of everything you do and the giving of pointers on how to do it better is certainly valuable.

As for a return on the BIG investment to do the CELTA, about 200 kuai a month (and I think I was already getting that already).

One for the future.

ShanghaiSurprise · Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 47 Location: Korea...soon China

What is the fail rate during a CELTA class?

I know someone that did a CELTA class in Korea recently and he told me that 2 students didn't pass out of a class with a total of 10 in it.

Are the people that fail just not showing up?

I'm a bit worried about the aspect of failing the CELTA which is basically subjective (from what I understand).

How hard is it to pass the CELTA?