Job Discussion Forums

samm · Joined: 08 Aug 2004 Posts: 6

Ill post what i said in my email on registration!

17 year old starting, and finishing, his A levels in september, passion
for english, and travelling, wanting to know more about EFL etc. Basically,
i've been surfing around this topic for 2months or so now, and quite
confused, my plan is, to finish my A levels, work with an organisation
such as GAP, to travel and gain experience in teaching; for 3-6 months
or so. Come back into the UK, and gain a CELTA; i want to know if this is the one with the most status. Having gained that after the intensive
training course i will then start looking for a job. I need to know where
i can get CELTA in the UK, or do i get it abroad!? Thankyou.

I just need some info on CELTA or different TEFL courses!

Varvian · Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 29 Location: New York, USA

People on this board consider CELTA to be the best TEFL certificate you can get because it has a very well known reputation. Also you can get a CELTA in any country you want. However in some cases the cost of taking just the CELTA class in a country like the UK is the same as the cost of the course plus a month's living expenses in a place like Spain.

samm · Joined: 08 Aug 2004 Posts: 6

thanks for the info. What websites can i find the CELTA courses abroad, and in teh UK?

Varvian · Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 29 Location: New York, USA

http://www.ihworld.com/ttcentres/index.asp

It's the link to International House's CELTA course. They have locations all over the world.

http://www.cambridge-efl.org/teaching/centres/

This is a link to Cambridge ESOL which also has a listing of centers.

http://www.goabroad.com/

This is where I started my TEFL search. It has links to various TEFL certificate programs. It also has other information about traveling abroad in general.

Also just browse Dave's ESL Cafe, especially the job listings. I've learned a lot by scanning the various forums. And also NEVER underestimate the power of google.com. I can't even begin to count how many times google has helped me with various research topics.

samm · Joined: 08 Aug 2004 Posts: 6

Thankyou

http://www.ncn.ac.uk/courses/coursedetail.asp?courseid=3071&providerid=320

Would this be the correct course if i was to stay in my home town of nottingham. Also, is CELTA recognised by most schools?

Varvian · Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 29 Location: New York, USA

Look whatever course you're interested in, hold it up to the same strict standards you would give when picking out a university. Here are some things to look out for when looking at a school.

1. Is the school accredited?
2. What organization accredits it?
3. What is the school or degree's reputation?
4. How many hours of practice teaching do they give?
5. How is this school similar and different from other TEFL certificate schools?
6. What are future employers expecting of me? (read the international job board to see what it takes to get hired)
7. Do they assist in job placement? If so how active are they in helping you secure a job?
8. What is the job placement rate?
9. Can I talk to any current students or graduates of the program?

If the school can satisfactorialy answer those questions, plus whatever ones you come up with on your own then it is a school worth attending. If you are concerned about how valid a CELTA is then read some of the older threads to put your mind at ease.

samm · Joined: 08 Aug 2004 Posts: 6

well i know for sure ncn is an excellent colege, but if you look at that URL i posted, what is UCLES?

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

samm · Joined: 08 Aug 2004 Posts: 6

im guessing that course is a standard CELTA? if so, that's what i want to do.

Ki · Joined: 23 Jul 2004 Posts: 475

What study you do will depend on where you want to teach. In countries like Taiwan, Korea and Japan you will need a degree as a government legal requirement. This is more important than the CELTA course. If you wanted to teach in Thailand or Indonesia the CELTA would probably be better (and more practical). I think there are quite a few opportunities to teach in the UK (at least in summer) with the CELTA but I guess you were wanting the overseas experience.

You don't have to do a GAP program. The people I have met from these programs have enjoyed and appreciated their experiences. Most are expensive though. It is much cheaper to just pick a country you want to live in and just go and teach. But as you are only 17 you would probably welcome the support of the program.
Ki.

Taishan · Joined: 30 Oct 2003 Posts: 110

Do a degree before a CELTA.

A CELTA is well recognised, because it is a difficult and highly intensive course. It's a pain to attend, and to complete and if you end up not teaching adults, it's not that practically useful. As teaching single nationality children with limited English ability is a whole differnt area of expertise.

Completing a university degree is good preparation for a CELTA course, and actual experience is also very useful.

At your age save some time and money and spend six months to a year being a pronounciation teacher. Worry about qualifications later.

Just my opinion.

samm · Joined: 08 Aug 2004 Posts: 6

thankyou for your response!

The reason i thought of a GAP project, was the fact it will give me valuable experience in order to find CELTA easier, it will also help me decide if it's what i want to do!

This is why i thought 3-6months teaching to gain experience would be useful, then going on to do CELTA would just ensure i have a qualification to prospective placements.