Job Discussion Forums

[jen_blue]

Hello,

I have been awarded a grant by the British Council to go on a TESOL/CELTA course but am finding it very difficult to find a course which completes in the time period required (the end of March). I really have not had much luck what with course providers cancelling or filling up.

I live in Preston, Lancashire and having researched courses there arent really many options as Manchester is an hour away as it is -

UCLAN - arent doing their TESOL until late summer

Bolton College - cancelled

Manchester Academy Teacher Training - full as of Friday gone - loads of plava with them in enquiring about it and they insist on having a �300 deposit off you with your application.

The Manchester College - em-ed and ahh-ed about dates and have now decided to run their course after Easter

The University of Manchester - only offer 8 places and are interviewing this week and next, the lady on the phone said if every is offered a place who is interviewed and accepts then the course will be full.

Has anyone else received this grant? Could there be other options Im not considering?

Thanks
Jenny

[HLJHLJ]

There's 3 places that run it in Liverpool, Blackburn College, Wigan & Leigh College, University of Sheffield and a couple of places in York. York and Liverpool both have online courses as well. Maybe one of them still have places, it's pretty short notice now though.

[jen_blue]

Liverpool is probably too far. Blackburn College doesnt start now until September. Wigan and Leigh stopped the courses 2 years ago. Uni of Sheffield and York are too far, its an hour and 45 minutes journey time on the train + whatever to the college/uni.

Jenny

[HLJHLJ]

It's just less than an hour by train from Preston to Liverpool. Given the short time frame you have to work with you are going to have to be more flexible and either accept a longer commute or look for cheap accommodation near a training centre.

[jen_blue]

Hello,

I currently rent a room in a shared house in Preston so am paying rent which I cant not pay if I am also paying elsewhere. To travel to Manchester a monthly rail ticket was �260 or around �60 a week.

I have had a look at Liverpool and The Uni of Liverpool is running their course in June, Liverpool International Language Academy starts on the 6th Feb so I would need to be quick there and very lucky. The City of Liverpool Community College seems to be the same place as The Uni of Liverpool; same links etc.

The University of Sheffield is running their course in July 2012.

The TESOL course seems to be less available than the CELTA and no where in my area is offering it; UCLAN's course is running in August.

I'm really getting to the end of my tether today as I have worried all day about it before I could get home to start looking at stuff on the internet and now Im finding that most courses dont run until later in the year.

I got a call while I was at work from someone at the British Council who wasnt a great deal of help; she seemed to think there wasnt much she could do and I was dependant really on the Manchester University either someone refusing their place/not being successful or them allowing more people than they normally do.

Jenny

[jen_blue]

[HLJHLJ]

Did you look into CELTA online courses?

No-one can fix this for you, including the BC who are bound by their own rules and regulations. You've already ruled out the convenient options, so you either find a way to make an inconvenient option work, or you give up.

If you REALLY WANT to do something, you make it happen.

In general, life doesn't fall neatly into place, that's doubly true in EFL. If something as simple as this is stressing you out then maybe you want to think about whether you would really cope with the uncertainties and difficulties of teaching abroad.

[jen_blue]

Yes, I looked into online courses........... another dead end.

In what way did "I rule out convenient options" ? May you could telephone the orgs and tell them they MUST run the courses because I need it - because thats the ONLY thing I havent tried yet.

"In general, life doesn't fall neatly into place" you're not kidding, maybe you should take a hike because I have DONE EVERYTHING I can to get on a celta/tesol course, considered every option, do-able and otherwise and more, but I'm still stuck without a place on a course. Today Lila said they didnt have any places available.... after saying they did late last week.

Please only post if you have a useful or helpful suggestion to offer because I dont require any more patronising, blaming shit ones.

[HLJHLJ]

I said you ruled them out, I never said it was your fault, if they don't have places, they don't have places, end of story. Get a grip on yourself.

The only answers you are interested in are ones that tell you about a new course about to open on your doorstep, or a way to get a place on a course that's already full. You know those answers are not going to be forthcoming from anyone. So you can stamp your feet and throw temper tantrums as much as you like, it's not going to change anything, and it's certainly not going to encourage anyone else to want to try and help you.

[Sublime]

[jen_blue]

Hello,

I'm a little less stressed now and I apoligise for losing my temper. Not a lot has gone right for me recently or in fact for the entire of 2011. The British Council grant is the first positive thing that has happened to me in a long time and now it seems to be going down the pan along with the opportunities that it could bring.

There is nothing I can do to change things because I KNOW I have done everything physically possible to get on a CELTA/TESOL course - I can no more conjuror up money to allow me to relocate for a month + pay rent on my current house + take a month off work and cover the fees (even if I will only be paying 50%) than I can make water into wine.

Sublime - please re-read my posts. I have applied to all the providers of the CELTA/TESOL course in Lancashire, Manchester and Liverpool. I then moved sights further and further outwards and this week have researched provider as far as Sheffield, Leeds and Birmingham applying to the ones who offer a course which completes in the time period required.

We ALL wish the moon came on a stick but I KNOW it simply doesnt, getting my entire degree wasnt this difficult.

I dont normally believe in destiny or "putting things out to the universe" but there isnt a lot else I havent done so why not. Universe do your worst.

Jenny

[Perilla]

When I did the TEFL course I borrowed 1,500 pounds from the bank so that I could do it in Prague, and paid my UK rent while I was away. I really can't see the problem. If you want to do the course it's going to cost you some money. See the grant as a bonus - it will reduce the amount you need to borrow. Now, choose a nice place to do it (Barcelona? Madrid? Prague?) and get on with it. OK so you'll have to pay your rent in the UK for a month, but in the big scheme of things that is nothing.

[jen_blue]

My bank wont even give me an overdraft!! I understand that its going to cost me some money hence 50% of anything +�something but I simply cant manage everything.

50% fees = �700 ish.
Rent = �280
Costs = �30 (to include pet food, homemade sandwiches while away and meals etc) a week x4 = �120
Travel = To manchester for monthly ticket was around �280 and would be more to go further obviously.

I wont be able to work in this time either. Rent elsewhere I simply dont have.

Jenny

[HLJHLJ]

I'm pretty sure the BC grant can only be used on UK courses. So that does limit things a bit. I think the question for me is, are there any courses anywhere in the UK with places before March? If the answer is no, then it really isn't possible. If the answer is yes, then with sufficient motivation it can be made to work. The grant will more than cover the costs of a month's rent.

[morrisonhotel]

Will the grant cover doing the online CELTA?