Job Discussion Forums

amity · Joined: 08 Mar 2007 Posts: 72 Location: central Texas

Hello - I am applying for ESL jobs that require no training, confident that someone will hire me in the short or long run. That seems somewhat sad to say, but I am also confident that I can do a good job if I put my shoulder to the wheel NOW! I am scheduled for a CELTA course, seemingly a 60-hour course. What else should I do to prepare for this responsibility?

In particular I would like a good list of five or so indispensable books for ESL teachers, suggesting curricula, activities and games, strategies, etc. for teachers of secondary school level to adult learners, beginner to advanced. If anyone wants to offer good advice on any other subject for a rank beginner, please feel free. But right now I am sitting in front of an Amazon books screen wondering what to buy and what not to waste money on.

Jetgirly · Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 741

Are there sixty-hour CELTA courses?

I love the Discussions: A to Z duo of books. There is an intermediate book and an advanced book, and they are perfect for those annoying students who just want to talk. They're totally photocopiable. You can use them without the audio, but the tapes cost extra. You can buy them on Amazon. These are the only books that I am considering taking with me when I go back overseas. I can get grammar info online and I have a folder full of favorite worksheets and activities that I've pulled from here and there then scanned and stored online.

mlomker · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 378

I really liked Harmer's book: http://www.amazon.com/How-Teach-English/dp/0582297966

It's a general overview and would be a good book to skim through prior to your course.

amity · Joined: 08 Mar 2007 Posts: 72 Location: central Texas

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

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Get away from Amazon. That is an online bookstore. Would you go to a brick and mortar bookstore and hope for them to have what you need?

Go, instead, to the EFL/ESL publisher's homepages.

Cambridge University Press
Oxford University Press
Longman
Thomson
Asahi Press
MacmillanHouse

You can get FREE catalogs and FREE samples on most books.

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

mlomker · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 378

amity · Joined: 08 Mar 2007 Posts: 72 Location: central Texas

I thank you all for alerting me to an important fact ... I had reserved a place in the WRONG COURSE! So now I am hopefully getting that straightened out. I do find .pdf documents to be virtually non-navigable on my computer, so i think I know what happened.

Yes, it is an enormously expensive 120-hour course, not the $895 60-hour course I had thought. Would this be cheaper if I just did it Seoul while I was there?

MELEE · Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:45 pm Post subject:

I usually recommend Micheal Lewis's Classic, The English Verb. It's not a book that will tell you what to do in the classroom. It is a book that will help you understand the way English works, which, in the long run, will trickle down into your teaching.

For more practical reading, I agree, Harmer's book is one of the best.
I'm a big fan of Scott Thornbury myself and he has several good books as well, including a new one (haven't seen it) from CUP called "The CELTA Course".

For something free, I would suggest printing out a copy of the Common European Framework and reading it first with your own language learning in mind, so you can see what it is like. It's become the stardard measure in ELT and you will hear and see teachers, textbooks, and others talking about level A2 or B1 and you will want to know what they are talking about. It is also useful if you end up having to plan a syllabus as you can look at the discripters say of level A1 and plan a semester long beginner's course so that your students will be able to say yes to the can do statements for that level at the end of the course. the CEF is one of the most useful things for English teachers since the dawn of the internet. IMHO, of course.

ColdRodear · Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Posts: 36 Location: St Petersburg

I don't know but am I the only one that thinks that, that CEF is a buch of psychobabble? I almost lost the will to live after reading the first 20 pages.

MELEE · Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:38 pm Post subject:

Skip the first part if you're not into that kind of stuff and go straight to the discriptors. You should be familiar with what a B1 student can do, because everyone is tossing around those levels these days, A2, B1, etc.
But don't make the mistake that many who skip the first part make to think that a student must be at the same level in all areas. It's very common to find language learners who are C1 readers and possibly listeners, B2 speakers, but only B1 writers.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Jetgirly · Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 741

Do you think that might be because it's the Common European Framework?

Here in Canada we have the Canadian Language Benchmarks... again, I'd be surprised to hear that they were used in Japan.