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sheikh radlinrol
Joined: 30 Jan 2007
Posts: 1222
Location: Spain
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 Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 1:25 pm Post subject: No CELTA? No experience? No problem! |
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This week many Spanish people will be signing up for English courses at ''academias''. Many others will be sending their kids to the same places.
I wonder what these people would think if they knew that the ''teacher'' had no TEFL training whatsoever and had never taught a class in his/her life! This happens where I am. Personally, I think it's a disgrace. What do the other posters think? |
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SirKirby
Joined: 03 Oct 2007
Posts: 261
Location: Barcelona, Spain
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| Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 6:20 am Post subject: |
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I see what you mean but think you title could be misunderstood.
I agree that for some schools, a job applicant's not having proper, minimal teaching qualifications and training (CELTA or otherwise) will be no bar to them employing him/her.
However, does that really happen in reputable schools (and if it does, surely those schools are no longer reputable...)? Here in Barcelona, I can't imagine any of the larger, more reputable schools employing you without CELTA or Trinity.
The possible misunderstanding is by anyone new to the profession. If you don't have a qualification you will find it a problem to get work -- at least in the "good" schools.
You will find work in the cowboy outfits -- often the smaller schools (though I can think of excellent "smaller" schools too), which are poorer equipped, not paying your social security, not offering you a legal contract, not always paying you at the end of the month...
Would you want to work for them...?
Get yourself a minimal qualification if you are intending starting out in English language teaching... |
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sheikh radlinrol
Joined: 30 Jan 2007
Posts: 1222
Location: Spain
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| Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 2:07 pm Post subject: |
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| SirKirby wrote: |
I see what you mean but think you title could be misunderstood.
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Point taken SirKirby. The title of my post could have been misundertood by a new teacher. He or she may have got the idea that they can just walk into Spain and start teaching/earning.
But getting back to the point. There must be thousands of cases like the one I mentioned. In my case I know the teacher involved and get on well with him/her. I've never met the employer (English, BTW). It really ''gets my goat'' (old fashioned way of saying ''it pisses me off'') that these unscrupulous employers are raking it in at the expense of innocent ''teachers'' and naive clients. |
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Kootvela
Joined: 22 Oct 2007
Posts: 513
Location: Lithuania
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| Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 5:03 pm Post subject: |
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That's a common situation in Lithuania esp. in autumn when the demand exceeds the supply and schools hire anybody i order not to loose the clients or contracts. The quality is another issue. But such accidental teachers usually quit in 3 months or so (that's one term roughly). However, even qualified teachers quit often. It's the job for the thick-skinned, I'm afraid.
And I've just increased my private teaching rates.  |
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jonniboy
Joined: 18 Jun 2006
Posts: 751
Location: Panama City, Panama
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| Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 6:54 pm Post subject: Re: No CELTA? No experience? No problem! |
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| sheikh radlinrol wrote: |
This week many Spanish people will be signing up for English courses at ''academias''. Many others will be sending their kids to the same places.
I wonder what these people would think if they knew that the ''teacher'' had no TEFL training whatsoever and had never taught a class in his/her life! This happens where I am. Personally, I think it's a disgrace. What do the other posters think? |
Many of them actually wouldn't care since many parents seem to use academias as a form of baby sitting - if the kiddoes learn English when they're there great but if not, well at least they've saved 90 minutes on the babysitter.
When I got my first job in Spain, I'd no cert, no experience... nada. Was it a disgrace? Absolutely. But in a free market situation people get exactly what they pay for. People are perfectly free to demand copies of certs from language centres before signing up and if they don't they've only themselves to blame.
In Latvia, as in Spain, if English is your native language and you have a pulse you'll get a job no problem.
| Kootvela wrote: |
| That's a common situation in Lithuania esp. in autumn when the demand exceeds the supply and schools hire anybody i order not to loose the clients or contracts. The quality is another issue. However, even qualified teachers quit often. It's the job for the thick-skinned, I'm afraid. |
Indeed, however unfortunately your post shows why they do prefer to employ natives as non native speakers often make mistakes with things like articles. A native speaker would say "it's *a* job for the thick skinned." |
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Kootvela
Joined: 22 Oct 2007
Posts: 513
Location: Lithuania
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| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 7:25 am Post subject: |
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jonniboy
I'm afraid they hire native speakers not because they also sometimes use artcles correctly but because that looks good on their website photo section.
Thanks for the tip about articles. But don't sned me the bill for correcting my posts- I'm planning to move to another teacher discussion forum anyway, you being one of the reasons. |
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barmadu
Joined: 03 Feb 2003
Posts: 43
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| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 9:45 am Post subject: |
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Speak the Speak, look the look and you're hired!
Sadly this is the truth in Spain and the qualified among us trying to make a decent living suffer. It would be nice to actually believe that it was a question of educating the public. But year after year I see parents drop ever younger students off in ill-equipped classrooms to suffer teachers with no qualifications, no questions asked. My faith is fading fast. Bozo the English Teaching Clown rides again!
http://troyshouse.blogspot.com |
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jonniboy
Joined: 18 Jun 2006
Posts: 751
Location: Panama City, Panama
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| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 12:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Kootvela wrote: |
| Thanks for the tip about articles. But don't sned me the bill for correcting my posts- I'm planning to move to another teacher discussion forum anyway, you being one of the reasons. |
Last edited by jonniboy on Sat Oct 04, 2008 7:48 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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sheikh radlinrol
Joined: 30 Jan 2007
Posts: 1222
Location: Spain
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| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 1:05 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="Kootvela"] It's the job for the thick-skinned[/qu
Last edited by sheikh radlinrol on Sat Oct 04, 2008 3:26 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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sheikh radlinrol
Joined: 30 Jan 2007
Posts: 1222
Location: Spain
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| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 1:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Kootvela wrote: |
| It's the job for the thick-skinned |
Last edited by sheikh radlinrol on Sat Oct 04, 2008 3:26 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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sheikh radlinrol
Joined: 30 Jan 2007
Posts: 1222
Location: Spain
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| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Kootvela wrote: |
| It's the job for the thick-skinned |
Last edited by sheikh radlinrol on Sat Oct 04, 2008 3:27 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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sheikh radlinrol
Joined: 30 Jan 2007
Posts: 1222
Location: Spain
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| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Kootvela wrote: |
| It's the job for the thick-skinned |
This could be correct. If Kootvela was suggesting that TEFL was the IDEAL job for the thick-skinned, then the definite article is correct in this case. Or not?  |
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jonniboy
Joined: 18 Jun 2006
Posts: 751
Location: Panama City, Panama
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| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 1:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Kootvela wrote: |
| Thanks for the tip about articles. But don't sned me the bill for correcting my posts- I'm planning to move to another teacher discussion forum anyway, you being one of the reasons.... |
...and your inability to accept that your English isn't as good as a native speaker being one of the others. Good luck, but I fear that with your incredibly sensitive nature you won't last too long there either. I only hope for the sake of your students, if nothing else, that you use part of your increased rates to buy a good grammar book. |
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Kootvela
Joined: 22 Oct 2007
Posts: 513
Location: Lithuania
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| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 3:09 pm Post subject: |
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| jonniboy wrote: |
| Kootvela wrote: |
| Thanks for the tip about articles. But don't sned me the bill for correcting my posts- I'm planning to move to another teacher discussion forum anyway, you being one of the reasons.... |
...and your inability to accept that your English isn't as good as a native speaker being one of the others. Good luck, but I fear that with your incredibly sensitive nature you won't last too long there either. I only hope for the sake of your students, if nothing else, that you use part of your increased rates to buy a good grammar book. |
That's already stalking. One article missed doesn't make me a bad teacher but one post you made makes you a bad person.
Just go and get a life or something. |
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jonniboy
Joined: 18 Jun 2006
Posts: 751
Location: Panama City, Panama
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| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 7:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Kootvela wrote: |
| jonniboy wrote: |
| Kootvela wrote: |
| Thanks for the tip about articles. But don't sned me the bill for correcting my posts- I'm planning to move to another teacher discussion forum anyway, you being one of the reasons.... |
...and your inability to accept that your English isn't as good as a native speaker being one of the others. Good luck, but I fear that with your incredibly sensitive nature you won't last too long there either. I only hope for the sake of your students, if nothing else, that you use part of your increased rates to buy a good grammar book. |
That's already stalking. One article missed doesn't make me a bad teacher but one post you made makes you a bad person.
Just go and get a life or something. |
Er no it's called right of reply. The double post means the connection timed out - I suspect it was a common problem since other posters appear to have experienced it. Making mistakes with articles may not make you a bad teacher but throwing a temper tantrum when someone tries to point out your mistakes does. But as you're such a sensitive sort, I'll make this my last word. |
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