Job Discussion Forums

[fluffyhamster]

There are countless newbie questions along the lines of "Do I need a CELTA or equivalent?". I just thought it would be interesting to ask those who stumped up the necessary dough and did one whether they actually WANTED to do and/or complete the course; me, long before the course was over I was beginning to think what a waste of money it was, and how I'd've preferred to be home reading a book and thinking things through in more depth than the trainers seemed to want to ever allow. Sure, it can be useful to observe a class or two and get an idea of what teaching can be like, but most people develop their own interests and styles soon enough , or have to teach according to a strictly defined method etc, and there is a lot needed beyond the rather small bag of tricks on offer in most initial courses (which can, as I say, be picked up from a book or two anyhow). If you disagree, perhaps you'd like to say just what it was that you picked up from your trainers that was so valuable and simply not available anywhere else.

[spiral78]

The paper credentials.

I couldn't quite imagine standing before a potential employer and trying to explain that, because I'd read (whatever) I would be a good candidate for his/her open position teaching his/her valuable client(s).

[fluffyhamster]

Yes, but how many employers actually know a thing or two about teaching? Probably the reason they might look favorably on an initial qualification is that it means they won't have to expose their own ignorance too often and/or offer training of their own, and can therefore just sit back undisturbed to count the money rolling in. And I say 'might look favorably' because for quite a few jobs, all that is in fact needed is a pulse (and looking at some of your colleagues you sometimes have to wonder if they have even that, even when they have a CELTA!).

[spiral78]

Depends on where you're teaching, I suppose.

My personal experience in both Europe and North America indicates that employers want to be sure that YOU know 'a thing or two' about teaching/learning a foreign language before they risk their clients on you.

[fluffyhamster]

The standards required at entry level in the west are certainly more demanding than those in e.g. Japan.

I myself must admit that I did the CTEFLA (former name for CELTA) to appear qualified, but like I say, I started feeling it was a bit of a rip-off, a con, even before the course was over. I'm not saying that teaching English is easy, just that you don't learn even the half of it on these courses.

[spiral78]

I entirely agree that a 30-day course can't tell anyone much about how languages are learned/taught.

But it's a starting point, and, in my personal experience, it does at least demonstrate to your prospective employer that you care enough about what you're doing to try to learn something about it.

Sure, it's mostly window-dressing, but I personally feel that it indicates a level of commitment to professionalism that's very valuable to both potential employers and future students.

[MELEE]

[Jetgirly]

I wanted to meet people in the country where I was going to teach. I wanted a certificate to show to potential employers. I wanted practice standing in front of a class before my first day on the job. I got all of those things for $2000 (CAD, when the dollar was low). I learned some stuff, lots of things about the program bugged me, and I had an AWESOME time in Barcelona for the duration of the course.

[Glenski]

Yes, I wanted to complete a TEFL/TESL course.

1) My academic background is not related to teaching.

2) As much as I felt my English skills were pretty good, I thought maybe the course would offer a refresher (it didn't), or at least expose me to what sorts of things I'd have to be able to teach (it did).

3) Learning something of the theories of various teaching techniques just sounded reasonable for taking the plunge from a different career. Get a more solid foundation is what I was thinking.

4) I thought it would make my resume look more attractive. (Maybe it did, maybe not. Hard to say. Back then, the ESL Cafe had a totally different format, as did a couple of other sites, and they were about all there were to provide practical information at the time.)

P.S. I got a job offer before I finished the certification, but I completed it anyway.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

My training is called a TESL certificate but it was a year full time on campus at a university.

I definately, definately wanted to do my training. I come from an area where most people with arts degrees graduate and then go to a provincially funded college to do one of many year-long 'post-graduate certificates' (you can do them in TESL, marketing, Corporate Communications, Advertising, Computer Design, Library Technicianship, etc). They require a degree or sometimes a degree or a college diploma. It means that people there are sort of credential crazy. I'd already done a college level certificate and didn't find that I really learned all that much from it, so I decided I definately wanted to go the university route, if I could get in. Also, the universities themselves were telling applicants that you cannot do the MA level without a university certificate in TESL, the colleges were saying you CAN do the university MA rpgrammes after the college certificate (which is significantly cheaper). I figured, yeah, but it's the universities that have the MAs, the colleges don't and colleges really don't want to have anything to do with you once you're done there, other than financial donations, so it costs them nothing to say that. But I applied to colleges as well, in case I got denied. My degree wasn't related to linguistics, but the university programs are housed in the linguistics departments of universities so I was a little woried.

I was and still am very interested in applied linguistics in the language teaching area. I think there were definate holes in some areas of my training- like I found out the following summer that people in the college level certificate had practicum periods in which people would pick up a ball and say "Ok, let's brain storm fifty different ways to use this ball in class". My practicum periods were more like "let's isolate a critical incident, when a single student had a temper tantrum and see how the teacher handled it". Both are useful, but one is more useful on a day to day basis.

So basically, I approach this as a career, so for me it was a great thing- although it looks like it'll amount to not a whole lot because I'll end up doing a distance MA which is actually initial training plus theory together, [i.e. the MAs are virtually the same as a big chunk of what I've already done] but you need the letters on your resume so you can be movin' on up!

[denise]

Yes, I wanted to, for many of the reasons Glenski mentioned. Not once did I think it was a rip-off, although I did realize that it was only a beginning. Anyone expecting to learn everything there is to know about a subject in four weeks is, well, not very realistic, I'd say. I accepted at the end of the course that I was minimally qualified for certain types of jobs. I moved on after a couple of years, but I definitely do not regret taking that first necessary step.

And I do not believe at all that simply reading a few books on the subject can compare to sitting in a classroom with instructors, other trainees, English learners, practice teaching sessions, etc., even if for only four short weeks. I read a couple of books before I my TEFL course, but they were really just to whet my appetite for the course itself.

d

[Luke in Vermont]

Being a noobie, this post is very interesting to me.

I am currently a teacher, and have been a foreign language teacher (German), thus I have had classroom experience, conflict experience, and most importantly foreign language experience. With that in mind, would it be wise for me to try to get a TEFL or the like, or can my Master's and my experience get me a reasonable job in China/Thailand?

Im wondering if it will be worth the money to have the certificate, if I will learn anything new, and if I will regret spending it after Im done.


Thanks for the advice,
Luke

[lisa1968]

I tried teaching without a certificate and was horrible, and then I got certified and I actually turned out to be pretty good and even had a little fun with it some days. What did I learn? How to plan a lesson, why it is important to plan lessons, what target language means, why it is not good to have too much TTT, how to motivate students, what zero, first, second, and third conditonal means, etc. It was worth it and I never thought it was a waste of time. I had no inherent teaching skills whatsoever, and was grateful for my patient teacher trainers.

[Sonnet]

[Waverly]

I am a California Credentialed teacher and do not understand what Teofl, TESL and CELTA tests are. I took all those linguistic and teaching methods classes in college. Could I still get a job overseas without more course work? Everything I have read on above tests, I already took in college. In addition, I have 5 years experience teaching ESL students.