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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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 Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 9:52 am Post subject: |
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| You mean 'actual' teaching ability, Spiral? |
Naturally, Sasha.
In fact, I'd even go so far as to say 'measurable,' in the sense that students make quantifiable progress according to CEF, CLB, ACTFL, or other appropriate established proficiency guidelines:-)
Last edited by spiral78 on Sat Sep 13, 2014 11:47 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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| Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 11:36 am Post subject: |
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| That all sounds tickety-boo. At least I actually hope so. |
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greasy ponytail
Joined: 10 Mar 2015
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2015 3:05 pm Post subject: |
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| These CELTA certificates. Worth as much as a university degree certificate stolen out your office cabinet, taken out into the Arabian desert and unrolled into an accelerant to ignite the evening camp. Nothing like watching those black ashes fly. To taste the smoke in the air. To hear those guys cheer. To see thy perplexed face. CELTA, what a dream. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2015 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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"Elvis didn't die from constipation either"
He is DEAD ? Why did no one tell me ? |
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Hod
Joined: 28 Apr 2003
Posts: 1613
Location: Home
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| Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2015 11:18 pm Post subject: |
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| greasy ponytail wrote: |
| These CELTA certificates. Worth as much as a university degree certificate stolen out your office cabinet, taken out into the Arabian desert and unrolled into an accelerant to ignite the evening camp. Nothing like watching those black ashes fly. To taste the smoke in the air. To hear those guys cheer. To see thy perplexed face. CELTA, what a dream. |
It has flaws as does any qualification, but if you want a semi-decent to decent job teaching adults, CELTA can't be labelled as worthless. Neither can a university degree, unless it's in an Arts subject.
Do you have any alternative suggestions for a TEFL qualification? If possible, avoid bizarre and unnecessary reference to desert bonfires.
---
What about the opening poster? To fail CELTA is odd. It implies either a lack of ability of the part of the trainee or a failure to interact with the trainers, who give ample warning of any shortcomings as it's not in a school's interest to fail any CELTA candidate.
And on that last point, why do people whinge about CELTA trainers who are unfair, bullies, etc? If that was the case, you'd have half the course failing every time, which would raise eyebrows within the school and Cambridge.
In any profession, you're going to eventually work with someone you don't get on with. You do what you have to, e.g. ignore/tolerate them. You don't let it get to you, and this is in a job which might last for years.
Why anyone can't put up with an annoying CELTA trainer for a mere four weeks makes no sense. |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 12:55 am Post subject: |
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Hod's right. Better toughen up. Just think - you might get him as a colleague. 
Regards,
John |
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onomatopoeia
Joined: 15 Mar 2012
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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I came in here just to see how many people replied saying they passed with B or A, and that it wasn't very hard for them. I love forums.
Sorry about your trouble with the CELTA. They say they're all the same no matter where you take it, but that's not true. While researching where to take mine I read that Boston, and Paris fail often; but Athens, where I ended up going, failed only one person in its history.
Another thing I noticed is that grading got a lot easier after officials from Cambridge University finished their audit and left. It's possible that your school was being audited like mine, and teachers were being overzealous to impress.
This whole experience will make you a stronger teacher. I hope you take it again. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 8:30 am Post subject: |
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| I can tell you this. CELTA is no preparation for the classroom in Saudi Arabia. the techniques and teaching styles emphasized are not appropriate to groups of Saudi learners. |
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grahamb
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
Posts: 1945
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| Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 10:49 am Post subject: CELTA |
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| CELTA is no preparation for the classroom in Saudi Arabia. the techniques and teaching styles emphasized are not appropriate to groups of Saudi learners. |
CELTA is not alone in that respect; anything learner-centred is inappropriate for teaching in the Middle East. Teachers have to adapt to survive there. |
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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| Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:41 am Post subject: |
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| Hee hee! Is it learner-centredness that is inappropriate for teaching in the Middle East, or is it that the Middle East isn't appropriate for learner-centredness...? |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2015 3:31 pm Post subject: |
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| And yet Saudi Yoof are better at acquiring foreign languages than their agemates in Ukania ! |
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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| Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2015 5:12 am Post subject: |
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| Are they? |
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mmcmorrow
Joined: 30 Sep 2007
Posts: 143
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2015 5:26 am Post subject: |
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I imagine the Celta courses run by the British Council in male or female-only environments in Riyadh and Jeddah do probably prepare teachers for at least certain kinds of Saudi classrooms - after all, that's where they take place.
Martin McMorrow, New Zealand |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2015 6:00 am Post subject: |
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| mmcmorrow wrote: |
| I imagine the Celta courses run by the British Council in male or female-only environments in Riyadh and Jeddah do probably prepare teachers for at least certain kinds of Saudi classrooms - after all, that's where they take place. |
Based on the number of CELTA holders that I taught alongside in KSA, the majority tend to be Saudi in-service teachers with degrees ranging from language education to English lit. And despite what others have posted, some of us don't have to resort to teacher-centered strategies. |
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