Job Discussion Forums

[ebooktrial0001]

Hi Everyone,

I'm considering applying for, and getting a DELTA. However, I want to get experienced people to help me weigh the pro's vs. the cons.

Here are the pro's I see:

- It's a universal standard of competence, the same way a pilot's license, etc. While a Master's program varies from university to university, a DELTA is the same pretty much anywhere in the world.
- Only takes two months (whereas a master's takes at least a year).
- I like teaching in the Gulf, because the savings is high, the weather is sunny, and Arabs are pretty hospitable. I'd like to get jobs in other countries than Saudi.

Here are the things I fear:

- The DELTA will be changed or replaced, so that the one I earn won't be respected.
- It'll be too hard for me to pass, so all that time and money will be wasted.
- The jobs I want will require a master's degree.
- I've always thought of English teaching as a temporary job. So, it won't be a good thing for me.
- It won't ensure more money, the way a CELTA ensured me jobs in Saudi.

[Pikgitina]

If you haven't already, check out this thread http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=106565 on the Saudi Arabia Forum. On page 4, a poster summarises the benefits of the DELTA quite succinctly. You might find the entire discussion of interest.

To get jobs in Gulf countries other than Saudi Arabia, an MA would help you far more than the DELTA, because most of the better and better paying employers demand one.

[3701 W.119th]

I have zero experience to weigh either way, but this is an interesting topic.

Ultimately (and I'm a young 'un) I want to come back to Britain and be a CELTA tutor (I haven't even started teaching English yet). I think DELTA might be my ticket to that goal, though.

To be fair, the tutors I spoke to on my CELTA course recently all had Masters degrees AND DELTA.

So... looks like I'm playing catch up.


EDIT: Ultimately (and I'm ABSOLUTELY NOT a young 'un).

I'm 32. I'm pretty much in the death throes.

[mmcmorrow]

I think the poster comes across as pretty realistic about the pros and cons of attempting a Delta qualification. Like all qualifications, I think you need to consider:

how practical it is to complete them, given your current circumstances
what difference they'll make to your future plans
how engaging the learning process is going to be
what your chances of success are

All of these decisions are more about you than the qualification per se, which is why there's one-size-fits-all answer to questions like this.

I'd advise the poster to think about their plans over the next five years. If they think they'll still be teaching English in 2019, then it makes it worthwhile getting a higher qualification. If not, don't bother.

Then, I think they should check out some desirable locations / institutions and find out if their current qualifications will get them a job and, if not, what they will need. If the answer is an MA, then go for that. It'll take two years part time though, so you'd need to decide if you want that job that much. If a Delta is enough to make a difference, then go for that - you can always use it as credit towards a Master's (at certain institutions) later if you do decide to go on and do a Master's.

Are you likely to succeed on the Delta? That's hard to say. I think teachers with the highest chances of success are those who:

have a good basic grounding in language analysis and methodology
have taken a regular interest in professional development (e.g. attending workshops, reading, trying out new resources, activities etc)
have worked in an institution with high professional standards (e.g. well resourced, well-qualified and committed colleagues, professional development programmes, observations and feedback etc)
are self-critical, hard-working and tough

You don't necessarily need all of these. When I took the Delta (well, an earlier version back in 1989), I'd been working in mediocre institutions and I failed my first (fortunately unassessed) observation. On the other hand, I did have a sound linguistic background, which helped, and I remembered useful stuff from my (equivalent of) Celta from 3 years previously. I actually got a job in a much better school towards the end of the course - and swiftly realised what I'd been missing out on! Anyway, I passed it and went on to take a Master's and become a trainer / assessor etc as the years went by. So there you go!

Martin McMorrow, Massey University, New Zealand

[nomad soul]

[adaruby]

[psychedelicacy]

I was going to say almost exactly what the above poster said. I did DELTA over twelve weeks and I would dissuade others from doing likewise. I suggest doing Modules 1 and/or 3 first and Module 2 after that.

DELTA is not, in itself, a difficult course; if you read what you're supposed to and pay attention during input sessions, anyone of reasonable intelligence could pass. What makes it difficult is the lack of time if you do all three modules at once. A background essay and a twenty-page lesson plan written over the weekend are unlikely to be much good. I take my hat off to those who can do (and have done) it!

In my group, even the person who has a PGCE didn't pass all three modules. Out of twelve of us, only one person managed to pass all three. One person (not me!) failed all three. Perhaps we were a weak group, or perhaps our provider isn't very good, but I think the likeliest explanation is that doing all three modules intensively is a bit much for the average person.

[kpjf]

I thought in another post you said you were pretty inexperienced as a teacher? I say this as I was under the impression that a DELTA was only for people with a lot of teaching experience. For instance, I thought someone on another thread said they were turned down for a DELTA due to lack of experience, but I could be mistaken.

And, contrary to what psychedelicacy says I heard the DELTA was tough as hell (I haven't done it, but that's what I heard), although maybe it was more so the factor s/he mentions about doing it intensively.

Like Nomad Soul mentions you seem to be looking at it from superficial reasons, and, you don't really see teaching as a career, so it seems to me to be a waste of your time and money, unless you end up enjoying teaching so much that you stay in it.

[dackinator]

I can only speak for my school, but getting a DELTA here significantly increases your salary ceiling by about 30%.