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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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 Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 7:23 pm Post subject: |
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Again, I'll respectfully disagree.
I have worked with a few teachers whose MAs were earned 20+ years in the past and who have not kept up with what's going on in the field. I most definitely know quite a few newbies with CELTA or equivalent quals who are far superior in classrooms of today.
No kidding. |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 7:26 pm Post subject: |
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Part II: one of the teachers I'm referring to have been working in the field all along - but had not bothered to update her fossilized concepts of how language learning takes place. She is a huge fan of audio-lingualism 
It was in vogue 20 years ago in many places (still is in very few).
She likes it.
She's Not Alone  In my personal experience, this is a relatively common trend.
Hopefully not you and I 20 years from now.
That's an extreme example, but, no joke, there are many others...
Quite honestly, anyone who's wedded to any specific approach/method is a bit outdates - just as hairstyles and hemlines are expected to vary these days....but really - not everyone's caught on.
Truth. |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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again, sorry - am tired. outdated.
Chancellor - how many teachers have you worked with to date? In my career, nearing 14 years now, counting trainees, really probably close to 200.....
I'm curious what other career teachers will contribe to/think of this line of thought. |
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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: Tue May 26, 2009 8:26 pm Post subject: |
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| spiral78 wrote: |
Again, I'll respectfully disagree.
I have worked with a few teachers whose MAs were earned 20+ years in the past and who have not kept up with what's going on in the field. I most definitely know quite a few newbies with CELTA or equivalent quals who are far superior in classrooms of today.
No kidding. |
But in the original post we're not talking about someone with a 20+ year-old degree and not keeping up with changes in the field. The original poster's aunt has been working in the field for more than 10 years.
Degrees (like the MA we're talking about) and certificates (like CELTA) are to be viewed as just a starting point. One is expected to build on them through experience and continuing education.
As for your comment, "Quite honestly, anyone who's wedded to any specific approach/method is a bit outdated," despite having been taught the communicative approach I'm inclined to think that the instruction should be tailored to the students (what in the world of special education these days is called differentiated instruction) and that what works for one set of students might not work for another. |
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echidna_of_doom
Joined: 08 Jan 2009
Posts: 12
Location: Florida - the mystical land of swamp and concrete.
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| Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Chancellor wrote: |
| echidna_of_doom wrote: |
| My aunt has a masters in lingustics and over a decade in experience - when she applied for a TESL job in Ireland, they told her explicitly that if she did not have her CELTA, they could only pay her 30 Euro an hour. |
Which is insane! I'd put a masters in linguistics up against a mere CELTA any day! CELTA is not a college degree and it is ridiculous to try to compare it to one much less to set it above a graduate degree in a relevant field. |
I agree - in fact my aunt is passionate about teaching languages (primarilly Irish Gaelic) and definitely up to date on teaching methods. To make a long story short, I suspect the CELTA issue has something to do with the slippery nature of neocolonailsm in Ireland. But I'm getting my CELTA and a masters just to cover my bases. |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 4:55 am Post subject: |
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I think I said I wasn't implying that the person in question hadn't kept up his/her quals...just that in general, there ARE some circumstances where a CELTA or equivalent might with justification be required for someone with an MA in the field.
Yes, I agree that teaching approaches and methods do need to be tailored to fit students, the setting of the specific class, and the aims and goals of the situation. |
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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 May 27, 2009 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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| spiral78 wrote: |
| I think I said I wasn't implying that the person in question hadn't kept up his/her quals...just that in general, there ARE some circumstances where a CELTA or equivalent might with justification be required for someone with an MA in the field. |
But it's whether the justification is valid that is being disputed here.
| Quote: |
| Yes, I agree that teaching approaches and methods do need to be tailored to fit students, the setting of the specific class, and the aims and goals of the situation. |
See, we're not so far apart on things as you think.  |
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Northern Sol
Joined: 16 May 2009
Posts: 24
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 9:19 am Post subject: |
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| echidna_of_doom wrote: |
| Chancellor wrote: |
| echidna_of_doom wrote: |
| My aunt has a masters in lingustics and over a decade in experience - when she applied for a TESL job in Ireland, they told her explicitly that if she did not have her CELTA, they could only pay her 30 Euro an hour. |
Which is insane! I'd put a masters in linguistics up against a mere CELTA any day! CELTA is not a college degree and it is ridiculous to try to compare it to one much less to set it above a graduate degree in a relevant field. |
I agree - in fact my aunt is passionate about teaching languages (primarilly Irish Gaelic) and definitely up to date on teaching methods. To make a long story short, I suspect the CELTA issue has something to do with the slippery nature of neocolonailsm in Ireland. But I'm getting my CELTA and a masters just to cover my bases. |
I don't see what history has to do with it.
You might well get this kind of problem anywhere. |
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