|
Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
mlomker
Joined: 24 Mar 2005
Posts: 378
|
 Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 6:39 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
| Deconstructor wrote: |
| If you can find a way to teach without CELTA, or if you can take a university program, save you money and do those. |
lol. Yeah, I've heard mixed things about CELTA. The primary benefit is name recognition. I'm in the computer industry and for many years being certified as an MCSE or CNE was the ticket to a job, regardless of your actual abilities. I never minded because I'm good at taking exams.
The overseas CELTAs that I've found are as low as $1650, including housing (China and Thailand). That's pretty attractive, given that the US-based programs would cost almost twice as much. I'm debating about a local TEFL or one from SIT, but they'd set me back around $3000 and the only advantage is that the credits would apply toward an MA Tefl (assuming I do one and who knows if that'll happen).
As far as $$ is concerned, an overseas CELTA is often a lot cheaper than in the US due to the horrible pricing of graduate education and/or the cost of temporary housing for one month. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Deconstructor
Joined: 30 Dec 2003
Posts: 775
Location: Montreal
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 6:50 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| mlomker wrote: |
| As far as $$ is concerned, an overseas CELTA is often a lot cheaper than in the US due to the horrible pricing of graduate education and/or the cost of temporary housing for one month. |
What you gotta keep in mind though, is that oversea CELTA is worthless in North America if you ever wanna teach back home. But come to think of it CELTA obtained anywhere is more or less worthless if you try to teach public schools, colleges or universities. CELTA will only give you access to language schools at $15 an hour and 10 hours of work a week. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
mlomker
Joined: 24 Mar 2005
Posts: 378
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 7:00 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Deconstructor wrote: |
| CELTA will only give you access to language schools at $15 an hour and 10 hours of work a week. |
I just got done reading some articles about the job market for ESL teachers in K-12 and I was left with the impression that pursuing licensure in the US was pointless. I have *no* desire to minimize the careers of people on this forum, but it seems to me that the best use of ESL is to travel and see the world. I have no desire to be a 'backpacker' and fully intend to provide value to the classrooms that I stand in front of, but this isn't a career with a long-term future (you could only save for retirement by living your life as a pauper).
I want to travel and learn at least a little Spanish and Chinese before I call it a day (with my life). I think ESL is the way to do it. You just can't get a visa in most countries doing anything other than English. I'm a lot better at computers than English, but I like to think that I'm intelligent enough to add value. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
stillnosheep
Joined: 01 Mar 2004
Posts: 2068
Location: eslcafe
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 7:20 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Of course the Celta does not qualify anybody to teach in North American public schools, colleges or Universities. That is not its purpose. It will however teach you far more than how to have an aim in class. For instance most people find the observed teaching practices invaluable. I find most Celta trained teachers enjoy a head-start, in terms of teaching ability, over those who were not so fortunate.
Deconstructor confuses a certification scheme (Celta) with a methodology (presumably the Communicative Approach to Language Teaching). The Communicative approach is one of many methodologies of language teaching out there, albeit the most prominent and 'popular' at the moment with teachers and employers alike. I seriously doubt that Deconstructor has ever seen the inside of a Celta course. His criticisms thereof can be taken with a grain of salt. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Deconstructor
Joined: 30 Dec 2003
Posts: 775
Location: Montreal
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 7:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| stillnosheep wrote: |
it will however teach you far more than how to have an aim in class. For instance most people find the observed teaching practices invaluable.
Deconstructor confuses a certification scheme (Celta) with a methodology (presumably the Communicative Approach to Language Teaching). The Communicative approach is one of many methodologies of language teaching out there, albeit the most prominent and 'popular' at the moment with teachers and employers alike. I seriously doubt that Deconstructor has ever seen the inside of a Celta course. His criticisms thereof can be taken with a grain of salt. |
One need not pay through the nose just to be observed. All one needs to do is go to the local university library and read tons of research on teaching and become one�s own observer. And boy is it cheap!!
As for never being inside a CELTA class, you're right, I haven't and thank God!!! But I HAVE been observed by a CELTA trainer and I have seen countless videos of CELTA teaching.
Listen; give me a moment while I take my Prozac, for all that CELTA teacher watching has plunged me into deep metaphysical boredom of Baudelairean proportions. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
stillnosheep
Joined: 01 Mar 2004
Posts: 2068
Location: eslcafe
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 8:59 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Celta will give you far more than just observed teaching practice, which, by the way you cannot replicate simply with self-critiquing your own lessons, especially if you are untrained teacher starting out in the profession, which most people on Celta courses are.
What else may a Celta course cover:
| khrystene wrote: |
[H]ow to plan a lesson around one aim or goal. (I've seen guys in China teach 3 aims in one lesson, only leaving their students confused and frustrated.)
How to set up an activity.
How to generate interest.
Different ways to follow up a listening excerise.
Teaching people new vocabulary using collocations versus teaching them individual words.
Reviewing what was taught in the previous lesson, versus moving on to the next unit.
Understanding that different students learn through different methods.
I think all EFL teachers should start off with a CELTA. |
The kind of things covered can be seen in this syllabus from another accreditation scheme:
| Quote: |
Basic and fundamental techniques for teaching complete beginners
How to teach without recourse to the students� mother tongue
Principles underlying effective lesson planning
Stages and sub-stages within lesson plans
Activity and task types
EFL/ESL terminology
Pre-teaching of vocabulary in text-based lessons
Approaches to the presentation of lexis
Motivation, Aptitude and Performance in TEFL/TESOL
Learners� preferred learning styles
Multiple Intelligence Theory
Introduction to Communicative Language Teaching
Aspects of Communicative Competence: Fluency vs Accuracy
Teaching Models: PPP, TTT and ARC
Insights into second language acquisition theory (SLA)
How to teach �speaking�
Speaking within Communicative Language Learning
Correction and feedback in speaking lessons
Teacher roles in the speaking lesson
Grammar: Auxiliary verbs; main verbs; parts of speech; sentence structure
How to teach �writing�
Product versus Process Writing
Authentic and Restricted Communicative writing tasks
Correction and feedback in writing lessons
The role of the mother tongue in TEFL/TESOL
Managing multicultural, monolingual and mixed-ability classes
Teacher roles in the EFL/ESL classroom
Managing large classes and related disciplinary issues
Interaction patterns in the EFL/ESL classroom
Principles in vocabulary teaching
The Lexical Approach and The Lexical Syllabus
How lexis is internalized and mentally stored for effective retrieval in communication
Clarification and Language Focus stages
Approaches to clarifying the function of language
Concept checking techniques
Highlighting of language form
Situational presentations of language
Presenting language through texts
Pronunciation drilling techniques
Approaches to error correction
Errors vs mistakes in language learning
The fluency-accuracy dichotomy and implications for correction
Insights into second language acquisition (2)
Grammar: tense vs time; tenses and aspects; presents; pasts; futures
Major intonation patterns in English
Features of connected speech
Contrastive stress
Sentence and word stress
English as a stress-timed language
Exploiting visual aids in the EFL/ESL classroom
Task Based Learning
Introduction to Interlanguage Theory
A reactive focus on form
Recycling and recording vocabulary
How to teach �listening�
How and why people listen to different pieces of information
Teacher roles within a listening lesson
Tasks and activities for intensive and extensive listening practice
Analyzing Teacher Talk and its place in Communicative Language Learning
Teacher Talking Time vs Student Talking Time
The Output Hypothesis
Teacher Talk as a valuable source of language input
How to teach grammar
Inductive vs deductive approaches to grammar teaching
Grammar presentation techniques
Presenting grammar through text
Grammar as process vs grammar as product
The English Verb: a new outlook on grammar description
How to teach �reading�
Bottom-up vs Top-down reading processes
Skimming, scanning and intensive reading approaches
Schema theory
Tasks and activities for extensive and intensive reading practice
Insights into second language acquisition (3)
Grammar: modal auxiliary verbs; conditionals; the perfect aspect; the passive voice; reported and direct speech; defining and non-defining relative clauses and pronouns
Differences between young and adult learners
Teaching teenagers: potential problems, solutions and motivational factors
Total Physical Response
Materials, activities and games for young learners of English
Pronunciation: vowel and consonant sounds
Pronunciation: place and manner of articulation
Introduction to phonemic scripture and the phonemic chart
Task, activities and games to teach pronunciation
Using songs in the EFL/ESL classroom
Using video in the EFL/ESL classroom
Exploiting Drama in TEFL/TESOL
How to teach exam classes
Major official external examining bodies
Features of major internationally recognized EFL/ESL examinations
Teaching General English (TEFL/TESOL) vs Teaching Business English (TBE)
How to teach Business English
Needs analysis and syllabus design in Business English
Materials for Teaching Business English
Insights into second language acquisition (4)
Career paths in TEFL/TESOL
Professional Development: workshops, conferences, websites, magazines, journals, literature � to keep abreast of latest developments in TEFL
Things you must know and do�s and don�ts for your job interviews |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
mlomker
Joined: 24 Mar 2005
Posts: 378
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 10:05 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| stillnosheep wrote: |
| Celta will give you far more than just observed teaching practice, which, by the way you cannot replicate simply with self-critiquing your own lessons |
I don't think that anyone can seriously disparage the value of the CELTA until something better comes along. I, personally, am leaning toward the SIT TESOL course because I've always wanted to have a Masters degree (regardless of subject). It's one of the personal goals that I have in life. I don't pretend that it's the right move for everyone, but I think that eventually obtaining an MA from SIT would allow me to feel good about my life.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tirelesstravelerasia
Joined: 14 Mar 2006
Posts: 50
Location: Dalian, China
|
| Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 5:39 am Post subject: |
|
|
How about the best of both worlds, mlomker? Do the SIT course in Thailand!
http://www.auathailand.org/sit/index.html
The cost of the course is 56,000 baht / 1400 USD. They do it 4 times a year. And AUA is one of the oldest and best-respected English teaching institutions in Thailand.
Expect to spend another 200 bucks on housing and air-con, and round up to an even 2grand to include food and whatever -- not a bad total price. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Miyazaki
Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 635
Location: My Father's Yacht
|
| Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 3:58 pm Post subject: Re: Average CELTA price |
|
|
| Floyd_ wrote: |
Whats a good price? what are the high prices, what are the low prices..and the average that you see around
the progam i'm considering (if i can get any feedback on the school) is $1650 (the airfare price is good too)...is that a good price or should i keep looking? |
My CELTA cost me Baht 2,500 down on Kao San Road, Bangkok! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
