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Mr.Ian
Joined: 27 Oct 2014
Posts: 6
Location: Arizona
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 Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 4:17 am Post subject: Seeking advice for CELTA cert between Apr 2015 and June 2015 |
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Hi Everyone!
I just joined and I'm excited to be a part of this community. This really seems like a goldmine of a resource - kudos to you Dave Sperling and company.
I'm a 32 year old IT and Business professional (double-major bachelors degree to boot) getting ready to take a 'career break' and travel Asia for 6 months or longer. In preparation for this life change I've been doing some research around how to get the most from my travels and how to give the most in my travels, all while carefully trying not to break my limited bank. It seems that teaching English may be the best way to find the deep cultural experience and abundance for possibility that I'm seeking.
With what I've read thus far, I've learned that the CELTA is really the keystone to opening some great opportunities. I'm currently scrambling in pursuit of a CELTA in the hopes to possibly increase my chances at placement in JET. To be able to check that valuable box on my application which claims I've completed 100 hours of TEFL training before July 1, 2015, I need to get the right plan in place soon!
All of that is to preface a few ideas I'm seeking your feedback on:
1) Is it reasonable to assume that I can obtain a CELTA between the end of March 2015 and the end of June 2015? Am I compressing a timeline for training that will reduce the take-away value of the CELTA?
2) I found a program in Beijing that starts on May 4th, and ends on May 29th, are there any good forums for finding people who might want to share a one-month rental on AirBNB or something similar? (Any other ideas here to help keep costs down?)
3) While I understand the CELTA is a well standardized Cambridge education, does the organization teaching the material add or subtract from the overall value? Is "International House" a good name? What are some good names in the industry?
I realize that some of these questions have likely been answered elsewhere so I apologize for any redundancy. I have not yet found those answers and I am in a bit of a 'scramble' as I need to have my JET application in the mail in two days! I will continue to seek advice you may have placed in this treasure trove of wisdom, and I greatly appreciate your time in reading my post.
Thank you kindly for your contributions to this resource! |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 4:41 am Post subject: Re: Seeking advice for CELTA cert between Apr 2015 and June |
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| Mr.Ian wrote: |
| ...getting ready to take a 'career break' and travel Asia for 6 months or longer. In preparation for this life change I've been doing some research around how to get the most from my travels and how to give the most in my travels, all while carefully trying not to break my limited bank. It seems that teaching English may be the best way to find the deep cultural experience and abundance for possibility that I'm seeking |
A few points:
- If you're considering TEFL for a minimum of 6 months, getting a CELTA won't really be worth the time and expense if your focus is on countries where, by the way, a TEFL cert isn't a requirement. That said, in lieu of a TEFL course, you could volunteer teach part time at one of your local nonprofit ESL/refugee organizations to gain some teaching experience.
- Your tight budget may not allow you to do much traveling during those six months since you'll likely be paying your own round trip airfare.
- Many employers don't do six-month contracts, which means you're limited as to where you can teach. |
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Mr.Ian
Joined: 27 Oct 2014
Posts: 6
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 5:02 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for those points of advice!
I don't mean that I plan to travel for 6 months firm. I plan to travel at least 6 months as in: if I land no jobs and spend my budget like I'm on vacation, I'll probably only be travelling for 6 months. I intend to travel for as long as I can or as long as it makes sense to me to keep travelling. |
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Prof.Gringo
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!
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| Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 5:03 am Post subject: Re: Seeking advice for CELTA cert between Apr 2015 and June |
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| Mr.Ian wrote: |
Hi Everyone!
I just joined and I'm excited to be a part of this community. This really seems like a goldmine of a resource - kudos to you Dave Sperling and company.
I'm a 32 year old IT and Business professional (double-major bachelors degree to boot) getting ready to take a 'career break' and travel Asia for 6 months or longer. In preparation for this life change I've been doing some research around how to get the most from my travels and how to give the most in my travels, all while carefully trying not to break my limited bank. It seems that teaching English may be the best way to find the deep cultural experience and abundance for possibility that I'm seeking.
With what I've read thus far, I've learned that the CELTA is really the keystone to opening some great opportunities. I'm currently scrambling in pursuit of a CELTA in the hopes to possibly increase my chances at placement in JET. To be able to check that valuable box on my application which claims I've completed 100 hours of TEFL training before July 1, 2015, I need to get the right plan in place soon!
All of that is to preface a few ideas I'm seeking your feedback on:
1) Is it reasonable to assume that I can obtain a CELTA between the end of March 2015 and the end of June 2015? Am I compressing a timeline for training that will reduce the take-away value of the CELTA?
2) I found a program in Beijing that starts on May 4th, and ends on May 29th, are there any good forums for finding people who might want to share a one-month rental on AirBNB or something similar? (Any other ideas here to help keep costs down?)
3) While I understand the CELTA is a well standardized Cambridge education, does the organization teaching the material add or subtract from the overall value? Is "International House" a good name? What are some good names in the industry?
I realize that some of these questions have likely been answered elsewhere so I apologize for any redundancy. I have not yet found those answers and I am in a bit of a 'scramble' as I need to have my JET application in the mail in two days! I will continue to seek advice you may have placed in this treasure trove of wisdom, and I greatly appreciate your time in reading my post.
Thank you kindly for your contributions to this resource! |
It's a waste of your time & money to get a CELTA. Sounds like you want to do the whole backpacker/EFL teacher life for a half a year, a working vacation, right?
Just grab a "decent" online TEFL and do your homework. You can prob. pick up work in Thailand if you time it right. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 5:35 am Post subject: Re: Seeking advice for CELTA cert between Apr 2015 and June |
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| Quote: |
| You can prob. pick up work in Thailand if you time it right. |
In other words, it's a hit-or-miss. |
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Mr.Ian
Joined: 27 Oct 2014
Posts: 6
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 5:41 am Post subject: |
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| Prof. Gringo: I'm kind of hoping to travel, find a place I like, see if I can stay for a bit and get a cultural experience, then travel some more. When I find a place to stay for a bit, I could see myself teaching for 6 months to a year - maybe 2 if life is good. Do you still think a CELTA is a waste? |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 5:51 am Post subject: |
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| Mr.Ian wrote: |
| Do you still think a CELTA is a waste? |
It depends on your target countries. Some don't require a TEFL qualification, while others (including visa requirements) do. But then, for some teaching positions, a lowly online, quickie TEFL cert fits the bill. That said, I suggest you look at actual job ads in the countries you're interested in to get an idea of the requirements employers typically expect. Frankly, for Asia, a CELTA is more likely to be overkill; a basic 120-hour TEFL course usually suffices if a teaching qualification is required.
Additionally, since your goal is more on travel, be aware that teaching on a tourist visa can get you deported if caught. And that's for just about every country in the world. You'll also find some employers won't even bother hiring teachers on tourist visas. |
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Mr.Ian
Joined: 27 Oct 2014
Posts: 6
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 6:20 am Post subject: |
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| Nomad: Thank you. You present some good considerations. I don't intend to be inviting deportation so I'll be pursuing work visas as necessary. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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