Job Discussion Forums

[fluffyhamster]

Came across this on my travels (I wasn't searching for 'problems with the CELTA' though, just IIRC for info on CELTA and CELTYL/YL centers!).

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/forum-topic/problems-celta

[coledavis]

I don't think this is the CELTA's fault. You have a lot to learn in four weeks and there is a choice between breadth of learning and meeting the practical needs of what really happens. It is very common to slide a bit when you get into ordinary practice, because you can rarely prepare enough and rarely receive feedback.

[kpjf]

[LongShiKong]

[quote="kpjf"]

[johnslat]

I suspect most young learners probably don't have CELTAs anyway. . I'm surprised, though, that they DO have teaching qualifications.


Regards,
John

[Sublime]

For me it was just about getting the 'known and recognised' qualification.

Straight after my CELTA I ended up working with young children; during those harrowing months I pretty much forgot everything I learnt on the course.

When Pablo was continually pulling his pants down and Maria was rolling under the table it didn't much feel like teaching at all.

"You native speaker, look after these god damned awful kids that their parents want to get rid of for an extra hour or three every week"

The following year I refused to teach any children and was pretty much starting from scratch again. But I had that damned CELTA and that's all that mattered I guess.

[litterascriptor]

A fair bit of what I know about teaching children came from working with violent juveniles in a secured program before I got into the ESL racket.

Nothing like experience to put everything into perspective.


I don't like the CELTA due to it being so dogmatic. About 3/4ths of the people I know who have done the CELTA come across as acolytes of the CELTA Religion or some such thing.

Maybe dogmatic is the wrong word, perhaps cult-like?

I'm going to be taking the SIT-tesol and one of the draws are reports that it is a bit more reflective in nature.

Not sure I could do a CELTA after having been teaching for 8 years. I have the feeling I'd start throwing rocks at the trainer when they demand minute by minute lesson plans. Well, either throw rocks or go full half-wit and hurl monkey poo.

As for the teacher in the link, he sounds lazy. Playing too many games is a choice of the teacher. I advocate interesting activities over games if time allows. Most of the flashcards I use have been made by my students who draw the pictures, label them correctly, and bring them to my boss for lamination.

The kids get a bit out of it. We'll start with everyone doing 1 word each, and by the end of they'll all know their word and the rest of the words assigned to the class. A suggestion, doing this every class is a bad idea, tends to end up being a bit tedious for the students.

My boss doesn't mind it either, she hasn't had to buy new flash cards in ages.

I do agree that drilling is a bit obnoxious. I try to minimize it as much as possible and just encourage good pronunciation. I like my students to compare my.... more or less decent North American pronunciation.. with that of another student or coworker. It gives them something to reflect on rather than drilling... drilling.. drilling.. drilling.

[Denim-Maniac]

[litterascriptor]

The only people I've ever notice who are drilling excessively are usually the incompetent or the novices.