Korean Job Discussion Forums

[santalucia]

The CELTA WILL help you be a better teacher. And you need it or the Trinity version of it if you want to teach anywhere else other than East Asia. I'm glad I did it and it carries real weight in Europe. But I'm annoyed because although schools worldwide want the qualification the salaries for EFL teachers remain in most parts of the world pitifully low 0- ok if you are backpacking but terrible if you are trying to make a living. The DELTA is even more expensive - many MA TESOLS are actually cheeper.

Personally I think its a hell of a lot of money - my company paid for my CELTA as part of my professional development and thats they way I would go. In Korea though, the ESL market is one big racket whereby students are ripped off by inferior publishing companies. They don't care if you are a great teacher, are you a white native speaker female with a degree in any discipline. There is some sign that knowledge of the qualification is greater than it was when I came to Korea in 2004. If you are working in a public school and have one then you get more money, and that has gone a long way to increasing recognition.

If you don't want to shell out the money - and do remember that the CELTA focuses on adult learning - then you can try Oxford University Press online TEFL Certificate. I'm doing this because my CELTA didn't cover young learners, and my work in Korea is mostly with kids. You can do two certificates, one for kids and one for teens. Although they do try and plug the Oxford books (personally, as an experienced teacher I think the Oxford books are the best in the world anyway) this online course (KRW 200,000 for both certificates) contains similar content to the CELTYL and a lot of really helpful lesson tips which have transformed my Young Learner classes, and is definately worth the money. For teachers at the sharp end of hogwon teaching wanting to improve their young learner teaching fast and unwilling to shell out for the CELTA, this might be the way to go. You can find it at www.oxford.co.kr.

[jillbean1217]

I know this is digging up an old thread. But I did a search on the forums, and this is what I found. Does anyone know of any TESOL/CELTA classes offered in or around Seoul? Maybe a melding of online and classroom work? I've tried searching online, but haven't come up with much.
Thanks!

[Draz]

Cheaper one:

http://edulife.igse.ac.kr/curriculum/curriculum_3.asp?bcd=C01#FaqArea6

Other one:

http://www.britishcouncil.org/korea-teacher-development-courses-celta.htm

I'm thinking about it for January.

[son of coco]

Personally I found the CELTA a good experience and valuable in that it was an introduction to good teaching techniques and standing up in front of the class.

In Korea though I've found it's been useful, but not as useful as it was on the course with 10-12 students. 40 is a whole different ball game and sometimes the techniques work and sometimes they don't (Techniques like holding the worksheet up - 'chesting' while you introduce it aren't so good when the people at the back can't see it). And I've basically given up on concept questions the kids don't have the English to answer.

Probably should get back to sticking to it a bit more though as I liked the structure it provided at the course. A mate of mine that I did the course with said he still uses it. I've just found a lot of the work I've done since hasn't really mirrored the CELTA experience.

I did mine in Hungary, it was $1400 as opposed to $3000 in Australia and living on the Danube in the old part of town was a much better experience than being in Brisbane.

I didn't find the course that difficult from a coursework point of view, but the first two weeks were difficult when it came to doing the practical stuff. I had 4 lessons in a row from the 2nd day as we were 1 person short in our group. I managed to read two books during the course though and took a walk along the Danube every night. After you get past the first 2 weeks (and maybe 1/2 of the 3rd with assignments) the 4th week is a breeze.

[runthegauntlet]

[conradcook]

I'm pretty amibvalent about the CELTA. I paid $2k for mine, in NYC, and felt that the trainers weren't clearly telling me what I was supposed to be doing.

The idea behind the CELTA method is that you don't lecture; rather, you play games with the students and ask questions to lead them to the correct understanding. And the problem was that they would teach us these games by playing us through them, as if we needed to learn English.

We spent one entire 1-hour "lecture" matching adjectives to nouns.

I'd say, get the CELTA if you know from your personal experience on the ground that it will improve your marketability, or if you have the money to throw around to get interesting new perspectives in teaching.

Conrad.

[VanIslander]

[John Henry]

Here's an interesting question.


I'm considering doing a celta this summer, but not sure if it would help me other than my marketability.

I taught ESL for five years. Now I'm teaching a subject in a high school. My classes are in English, but 100% of my students are ESL learners.

Would a CELTA help my teaching ability?

[speakyword]

I did my CELTA and it was 2500 Canadian. I was extremely busy but somehow I managed to do it while living in a crazy youth hostel. I loved the course and it helped me immensely in terms of confidence and by helping me to examine my teaching philosophy.

It helped me get a teaching job here in Canada. They were impressed with the CELTA. The pay was terrible and the hours were worse, but that's how it goes in the off-season in Canada especially for new teachers.

As others have mentioned, I've yet to talk to a Korean who know what a CELTA was in my job search. But I feel more confident about teaching so it was worth it to me. Although I have no idea, maybe I would have felt that way had I taken a TESL

The one thing I regret is that I am still unprepared to teach children. Also, although you'll never really teach the CELTA style in many schools, I am still glad I know how to go into such rigor, it comes in handy when Ss just aren't getting a concept. You can go CELTA on their asses

[jahson4]

[jahson4]

I think a CELTA is unnecessary in Korea. If you devote enough time studying ubiquitous ESL material online, you'll be fine. The certification won't increase your employability here. But, if you want the training, it certainly won't hurt.

[sm]

Thanks for all the info everyone.