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Kramer

Joined: 27 Aug 2006 Posts: 16
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 5:18 am Post subject: Does CELTA get 'stale' for newbie who waits too long |
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Hello, this is my first post
I am 41 years old and semi-retiring shortly from a successful engineering career in the Silicon Valley area of California, USA. I have a lot of public speaking experience but no real teaching experience. I have undergraduate and graduate degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering, respectively.
During the next year, my plan is to temporarily move near family and spend a lot of time with them as well as visit old friends around the US, do a couple of long international trips, and get a CELTA. After that, I hope to get a teaching job abroad. I have not decided where I would like to teach but hope to visit a few potential countries during my travels and I have already learned a lot from these forums.
My question is about the timing of getting a CELTA. I may have time near the beginning of my time off to get a CELTA in San Diego (International House) or San Francisco (St. Giles). But I probably wouldn't start teaching somewhere until almost a year later. Since I have no real experience and would not have applied what I learned within a year, would my certification be considered stale? Or maybe that would set off a red flag with a potential employer.
I am hoping to do some volunteer work in literacy or even ESL (San Diego area) during my time off, although I am not sure about scheduling because of my other activities. I figured that volunteering might help prepare me, as well? It is something that I have always wanted to do.
Another possibility is to get a CELTA during my international travels. OK, I travel real light. I know this sounds dumb, but don't they require a bunch of materials and I would have a bunch of books at that point that I would need to lug around for the rest of my trip?
Thanks for any insights. I have genuinely enjoyed learning from the posters here.
Kramer  |
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Deicide

Joined: 29 Jul 2006 Posts: 1005 Location: Caput Imperii Americani
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:32 am Post subject: Re: Does CELTA get 'stale' for newbie who waits too long |
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Kramer wrote: |
Hello, this is my first post
I am 41 years old and semi-retiring shortly from a successful engineering career in the Silicon Valley area of California, USA. I have a lot of public speaking experience but no real teaching experience. I have undergraduate and graduate degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering, respectively.
During the next year, my plan is to temporarily move near family and spend a lot of time with them as well as visit old friends around the US, do a couple of long international trips, and get a CELTA. After that, I hope to get a teaching job abroad. I have not decided where I would like to teach but hope to visit a few potential countries during my travels and I have already learned a lot from these forums.
My question is about the timing of getting a CELTA. I may have time near the beginning of my time off to get a CELTA in San Diego (International House) or San Francisco (St. Giles). But I probably wouldn't start teaching somewhere until almost a year later. Since I have no real experience and would not have applied what I learned within a year, would my certification be considered stale? Or maybe that would set off a red flag with a potential employer.
I am hoping to do some volunteer work in literacy or even ESL (San Diego area) during my time off, although I am not sure about scheduling because of my other activities. I figured that volunteering might help prepare me, as well? It is something that I have always wanted to do.
Another possibility is to get a CELTA during my international travels. OK, I travel real light. I know this sounds dumb, but don't they require a bunch of materials and I would have a bunch of books at that point that I would need to lug around for the rest of my trip?
Thanks for any insights. I have genuinely enjoyed learning from the posters here.
Kramer  |
First I think the options and plans you have mentioned seem quie viable and feasible and that's that...now on to other things...
Mate, are you barmy? You have a B.S. in Physics and an M.Sc. in Electrical engineering with years of experience and you want to become a poverty stricken EFL teacher? What in the name of Zeus has come over you? You know if I had had the mathematical talent and inclination I would have pursued your course not have become some ghetto-*beep* EFL teacher. If your goal is to go international I bet with your qualifications you could get a job in nearly any country you wanted. Don't you know? Engineers are to the world what crack is to crack addicts; you guys are needed. I would bet money that you could browse the web, find a job as an engineer in Norway or France or Germany or Asia or practically anywhere, apply and get it with tons of cash and tons of benefits. Please do that before becoming some lame EFL teacher. If you have read these boards carefully you may have noticed that very few of us truly 'love' EFL. Stay an engineer; it's useful, profitable and a thousand times more marketable. For the love of Zeus, don't throw away your life to become an EFL teacher when you are the engineering man. May Zeus guide you on your path.... |
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shuize
Joined: 04 Sep 2004 Posts: 1270
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:45 pm Post subject: |
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By all means, do what makes you happy. But I have to say I agree with the post above. I think you're selling yourself short. |
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Gordon

Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:05 pm Post subject: |
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If you were to do a CELTA, do it just before you want to start teaching. Not that the cert is stale, but you would forget much of it in that year long sabbatical. |
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sheeba
Joined: 17 Jun 2004 Posts: 1123
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:05 pm Post subject: |
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Come on guys . I don't think the OP is thinking of cash here !! I met some guys on my CELTA with options far better than TEFL but we're not all in it for cash .
As for your course. I don't think that it presents much of a problem if you have no experience for a while after the course but I would try and do the course nearer to the time that I expect to work (if possible). Just makes sense really in that you can use what you learn fresh from the course . I have to say though that I was limited after the CELTA to the methods I was taught and soon realised that you have to do your own reading to meet your theoretical needs as a teacher. So if you just want the course to get work or progress in the field, that's cool ,but I think for practical use the CELTA is overrated and unless I was serious about TEFL wouldn't bother doing it.That's me - I'm sure others may disagree.
Books for the CELTA - I used two and referred to the internet for some stuff. I don't think you need so much info on theory . There's more thinking about how you would present something to a class and lesson planning.
Books -I used Peter Roach's English Phonetics and Phonology and David Riddel's -Teach yourself to teach English as a Foreign language.
Mind you I didn't get an A . I did the minimum to get through . I still can't see that those that got even an A would use too many books . |
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Deicide

Joined: 29 Jul 2006 Posts: 1005 Location: Caput Imperii Americani
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:14 pm Post subject: |
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sheeba wrote: |
Come on guys . I don't think the OP is thinking of cash here !! I met some guys on my CELTA with options far better than TEFL but we're not all in it for cash .
As for your course. I don't think that it presents much of a problem if you have no experience for a while after the course but I would try and do the course nearer to the time that I expect to work (if possible). Just makes sense really in that you can use what you learn fresh from the course . I have to say though that I was limited after the CELTA to the methods I was taught and soon realised that you have to do your own reading to meet your theoretical needs as a teacher. So if you just want the course to get work or progress in the field, that's cool ,but I think for practical use the CELTA is overrated and unless I was serious about TEFL wouldn't bother doing it.That's me - I'm sure others may disagree.
Books for the CELTA - I used two and referred to the internet for some stuff. I don't think you need so much info on theory . There's more thinking about how you would present something to a class and lesson planning.
Books -I used Peter Roach's English Phonetics and Phonology and David Riddel's -Teach yourself to teach English as a Foreign language.
Mind you I didn't get an A . I did the minimum to get through . I still can't see that those that got even an A would use too many books . |
...and for every one of those OPs there are dozens who would kill for his kind of money and status, which is why we don't get it.... |
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dmb

Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:16 pm Post subject: |
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Like most things there is no black and white. I have worked/recruited for companies that weren't too bothered about the legalities of things, so everyone was ok. I have worked at companies where the necessary paperwork was important. Then we might have considered when the CELTA was done and someone might not be considered because they were stale.... but if it was a busy time of year and we wanted a teacher with the right bits of paper it wouldn't matter when the CELTA was completed.
Everywhere is different. |
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Kramer

Joined: 27 Aug 2006 Posts: 16
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:02 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for all of the advice.
Well, it sounds like I should focus on taking the CELTA closer to the time I will be teaching. I might try to bone up a little with a couple of books before I start the course.
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Mate, are you barmy? You have a B.S. in Physics and an M.Sc. in Electrical engineering with years of experience and you want to become a poverty stricken EFL teacher? |
I am burned out on my profession. So no matter what path I take, I need some time off. I have saved for many years and invested wisely, and never spent much more than when I was first starting out. So my old age is already taken care of. After my dad died this past year, I decided it was time to try something new. Also, to get a job as an engineer in another country, you generally need to speak the native language, in addition to circumventing enormous visa restrictions. Each of the past two summers I spent a couple of weeks in Spanish language school (Quito, Ecuador than Morelia, Mexico) and I really enjoyed the language school atmosphere. I do not actually need the money from teaching (although more money never hurts), but it is a way for me to not draw on savings for a few years while living abroad.
Actually, I was hoping that there was a way I could draw on my talents from my professional career to supplement my teaching capabilities. But I am only counting on teaching English.
Kramer |
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Deicide

Joined: 29 Jul 2006 Posts: 1005 Location: Caput Imperii Americani
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:13 pm Post subject: |
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Kramer wrote: |
Thanks for all of the advice.
Well, it sounds like I should focus on taking the CELTA closer to the time I will be teaching. I might try to bone up a little with a couple of books before I start the course.
Quote: |
Mate, are you barmy? You have a B.S. in Physics and an M.Sc. in Electrical engineering with years of experience and you want to become a poverty stricken EFL teacher? |
I am burned out on my profession. So no matter what path I take, I need some time off. I have saved for many years and invested wisely, and never spent much more than when I was first starting out. So my old age is already taken care of. After my dad died this past year, I decided it was time to try something new. Also, to get a job as an engineer in another country, you generally need to speak the native language, in addition to circumventing enormous visa restrictions. Each of the past two summers I spent a couple of weeks in Spanish language school (Quito, Ecuador than Morelia, Mexico) and I really enjoyed the language school atmosphere. I do not actually need the money from teaching (although more money never hurts), but it is a way for me to not draw on savings for a few years while living abroad.
Actually, I was hoping that there was a way I could draw on my talents from my professional career to supplement my teaching capabilities. But I am only counting on teaching English.
Kramer |
My point was that Engineers are so in demand that you could circumnavigate a lot of the problems you foresee. I've seen it happen. I'll never understand people like you. You have a mathematical talent, decide to apply it and then give up on it whilst sods like myself eke out a living teaching ungrateful brats with few other options (certainly no engineering options)...a sad world indeed... |
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Chancellor
Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 1337 Location: Ji'an, China - if you're willing to send me cigars, I accept donations :)
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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Kramer wrote: |
Thanks for all of the advice.
Well, it sounds like I should focus on taking the CELTA closer to the time I will be teaching. I might try to bone up a little with a couple of books before I start the course.
Quote: |
Mate, are you barmy? You have a B.S. in Physics and an M.Sc. in Electrical engineering with years of experience and you want to become a poverty stricken EFL teacher? |
I am burned out on my profession. So no matter what path I take, I need some time off. I have saved for many years and invested wisely, and never spent much more than when I was first starting out. So my old age is already taken care of. After my dad died this past year, I decided it was time to try something new. Also, to get a job as an engineer in another country, you generally need to speak the native language, in addition to circumventing enormous visa restrictions. Each of the past two summers I spent a couple of weeks in Spanish language school (Quito, Ecuador than Morelia, Mexico) and I really enjoyed the language school atmosphere. I do not actually need the money from teaching (although more money never hurts), but it is a way for me to not draw on savings for a few years while living abroad.
Actually, I was hoping that there was a way I could draw on my talents from my professional career to supplement my teaching capabilities. But I am only counting on teaching English.
Kramer |
Perhaps you could get a master's degree in applied linguistics or get teaching certification (for elementary or secondary schools or university) in your native country and then pursue a TEFL career in a foreign university. |
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MamaOaxaca

Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 201 Location: Mixteca, Oaxaca
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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How about teaching English to future Electrical Engineers in a needy part of Mexico? Take the CELTA, and when you are ready to start working give me a call.
www.utm.mx |
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Kramer

Joined: 27 Aug 2006 Posts: 16
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Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:12 am Post subject: |
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Quote: |
Deicide wrote: My point was that Engineers are so in demand that you could circumnavigate a lot of the problems you foresee. I've seen it happen. I'll never understand people like you. You have a mathematical talent, decide to apply it and then give up on it whilst sods like myself eke out a living teaching ungrateful brats with few other options (certainly no engineering options)...a sad world indeed... |
Deicide, you seem to regret having become a teacher. I am sorry about that. I am not throwing away anything. I have had a fulfilling engineering career and have used my talents to help others. Everyone has a point where it is time for a change and, believe me, I am there The last thing I want is to croak in the cube with a big fat QWERTY plastered on my cheek!
Also, I still get to be a techie in so many ways. I am already working with some new technology for my world travels. Some of this may even be relevant to itinerant TEFL'ers, so stay tuned At the very least, I will keep fellow travelers entertained in hostels around the world.
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Chancellor wrote: Perhaps you could get a master's degree in applied linguistics or get teaching certification (for elementary or secondary schools or university) in your native country and then pursue a TEFL career in a foreign university. |
Thanks, Chancellor. Actually, I am not really in the mood to do any more degrees But I think I am close to having all of the qualifications for an 'adult teaching credential' in my home state of California (a credential with a specialization in ESL, Science, and Math) just based on college courses that I took. However, they issue you a temporary (there is another term) credential and then you must teach a series of courses in California over time in order to turn it into a real credential as well as pass an easy test or two. I will research that more thoroughly, however. But I do not think it is something that I could finish before going abroad and you need to be progressing, I think, or it is revoked. Do you think having an adult teaching credential is valuable? I figured it might not be of much value due to my lack of teaching experience.
Quote: |
MamaOaxaca wrote: How about teaching English to future Electrical Engineers in a needy part of Mexico? Take the CELTA, and when you are ready to start working give me a call.
www.utm.mx |
Wow, thanks for the offer Actually, I love Mexico. I had a wonderful time there this summer. I went to Baden-Powell language school in Morelia and after that visited Patzcuaro, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Zacatecas, and Guadalajara. I know that Southern Mexico is much different, and so I would like to visit someday. So I will definitely give this consideration after I get the CELTA. Thanks. One big advantage to Mexico for me (besides the language) is that it is closer to my extended family so it would be more convenient and less expensive for me to visit them.
I have been all over the map on countries that I might like to work in. I suppose most prospective TEFL'ers go through that phase.
Kramer |
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