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eslman · Joined: 05 May 2006 Posts: 44

Hi all Celta's,

I am planning to take the CELTA this summer and am very nervous and anxious about takingit. I know it will be English "Bootcamp", but I think good for me. I have one major problem in my way; If I take a Friday off from the first week, would I be totally lost or fail? I have an important thing to do (family) on a Friday and will return on Sunday night. I could work during the weekend on assignments, if I knew what I had to do.

Anyone know, if I should still take this course and maybe will be ok, or will most likely not make it if I take this day (and weekend away)?

Also, is CELTA for anyone with decent grammar and native speaking skills?
My grammar is ok, but not great, would I still be ok in this course? I was accepted by the school. I can take criticism and want to learn.

Thanks in advance:)

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Tell them now about your problem and see what they have to say. Usually one class missed would be OK, but I'm not your trainer.

They don't expect you to have great grammar, most native English speakers have terrible grammar. You will need to work on that though.

tedkarma · Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 1:32 pm Post subject:

Most programs have an attendance policy - ask what it is for the program you want to sign up for. Typically, one absence is not a problem. CELTA is not so difficult as it is busy.

eslman · Joined: 05 May 2006 Posts: 44

I called the course director and he told me he cannot say I would fail, but was worried about my assignments for Monday and class teaching preparation. I wonder if I could get the info and still do on the weekend.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

If your director doesn't know, we won't know. You will have to convince him that you are hard working and will be able to make up the missed class.

eslman · Joined: 05 May 2006 Posts: 44

I am hard working and determined, but just wondered if it would be possible to make up the time or be "screwed" from that day on.

cubs05 · Joined: 21 Apr 2005 Posts: 11 Location: Barcelona, Espa�a

Well, when I took my CELTA course in Sept 2005 at IH Sevilla, one of my classmates let the pressure get to her and she balked at giving one of her scheduled lessons because she had not slept a wink the night before. The trainers, grudgingly, allowed her to reschedule and she ended up passing the course.

Another of my classmates fell ill during the course and had to leave. My understanding is that he was allowed to retake the course without having to pay again.

But these two instances happened after both classmates had already done several teaching lessons. I agree with Tedkarma that the CELTA is not so intellectually difficult as it is a lot of busy work and learning a routine to doing lesson planning. In fact, I thought some of it was utter nonsense, particularly some of the idiotic writing assignments. But the point is that during that first week you will be getting the "big picture" on how CELTA works and if you miss some inputs or lessons you will be immediately behind the curve from your classmates. I don't know where you are taking your CELTA, but if you are in groups, another group member may be doing a lesson just before or after you relying on the same teaching materials that both of you develop. (The idea was to facilitate "teamwork" with another teacher) If you are gone, that may mess that classmate's preparation up also. You also are not around to bond with the classmates and bounce ideas for lesson plans with each other.

The thing to think about taking the time off is how you handle pressure and preparing lessons on little time and sleep. Because of my prior career of having to prepare under pressure and be "on stage", it wasn't as hard for me. I don't know your background, but I saw perfectly well- adjusted people in my class come unglued because they were so afraid of "being on stage", failing (which is tough to do) and not understanding the CELTA framework.

As for the grammar, I thought that it was useful to have a good grasp, but not essential to pass. You are adapting most of the grammar out of the textbooks anyway, with a variety of ways to explain it. You can fudge for awhile, but that is another thing you will be playing catch-up on. That is one area where you can prepare now.

In sum, I really think that this family business better be crucial than to skip one of the first important days of the course. Unless it's crucial, I think the family will understand.

Luck,
Mark[/quote]

eslman · Joined: 05 May 2006 Posts: 44

Not to sidetrack this thread I made, but what parts of grammar would you suggest the most crucial?

I would think tenses.

Also what is the certificate? A piece of paper or a laminated card?

tedkarma · Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:36 pm Post subject:

The whole CELTA thing is WAYYYYYY overdone. The course is NOT that difficult.

It is only that they give you poorly planned - short-noticed work to do. And too much of it.

TEFL/CELTA is not rocket science - it is ONLY a four-week program that requires ONLY a high school diploma to sign up. And there are even a few of them that ADVERTISE that no one will fail (okay, they say "No one has failed . . .")

If the program you are thinking of attending won't work with you - take your business elsewhere. It is, after all, a business.

zewd · Joined: 16 Feb 2005 Posts: 42 Location: Lynchburg, VA, USA

I think one person in my TEFL class failed. (The instructors are usually pretty discreet about this, so I'm going from word of mouth here...) He did some additional work and e-mailed it to the instructor from home after he returned to the US, and was mailed his certificate at no extra charge. Another girl missed an important grammar presentation because of heavy drinking the night before. She fought a bit and was allowed to make up the lesson, else she would have failed.

It really does depend on your instructor. Some may not be so forgiving, but from what everyone is saying on here, it seems that most are.

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

Is it possible to fail the CELTA?

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

zaneth · Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 10:25 am Post subject:

Make sure to act really scared and nervous so they'll know they are working you hard enough. They seem to like that. Keeping you worried about passing until the last minute warms the hearts of some trainers. So you might need to show your soft underbelly a bit.

eslman · Joined: 05 May 2006 Posts: 44

I have already informed the instructor and he seemed nice about it, but of course was worried if I could keep up with the pace after. It would be on the first weekend of the course. I have to take the Friday and Saturday off for family matters. I can only do my best to find the missed work and try my best and make a good effort after.

stillnosheep · Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 2068 Location: eslcafe

I'm not your trainer but a planned 1st week Friday absence can be overcome.

Tell the course in advance (as you have done) and request that you be given your Thursday assignment a day early and your 1st Friday handouts and assignement in advance. Then you can catch up/do your Friday assignment over the weekend.

Any lesson prep to be handed out on the Friday for the Monday could be given to your mini-group of trainees one day early on the Thursday.

The important thing is to show yuor trainers, and trainees, that you are prepared to do extra work the first week to get a little ahead. I am sure that they can work around you if everybody displays goodwill.

Then buy the first round at the post-course piss-up!

Enjoy!