Job Discussion Forums

[DMcK]

The place I did it has put their price up to about 1000 GBP but you can do it at IH in Poland for 780 GBP (which, in todays climate, is the same in �). When you consider accommodation and food will cost about �6.75 for a month, you're pretty much onto a winner.

Go here and search through the different countries for CELTA then you can check their prices. TEFL.com has a reasonably good cost of living guide for everywhere you could want to go.

[Glenlivet]

[DMcK]

Sorry, Mr Serious, for my poor attempt at humour.

[mdp19742004]

Hello...

Has anyone here actually taken the Cambridge course? Any "low down" on their job placement?

Thanks!

[spiral78]

Unless they are offering to 'place' you in their own school, 'job placement' is normally just referrals to schools the training centre knows are relatively reputable.

You'll still have to go for interviews, and quite likely teach demo lessons, to actually get a job.

[Murasaki]

I used to work for them for a year. I also trained in their TEFL course.

Basically, the School is a sweatshop for teachers. They do not care about them nor do they care about the students who take the English courses. Their attitude is that the students are NOT their clients because many of them do not pay for their lessons, their employers do. So therefore, what the student wants (in terms of how they want the class taught, the way in which they learn best, what is boring for them what is not) IS NOT taken into consideration and if a teacher deviates from the prescribed ��Caledonian Way of Teaching��, that teacher is given a negative rating by the School Director and then not have their contracts renewed. Nothing is done to try and help and encourage teachers (contrary to what they write in their website), especially those with no experience at all.

The job guarantee is only if you are given a certain ��Pass�� which is divided into 3 parts. If you get a Pass3, there is no job. Also, it depends on what time of year you take the TEFL course. For example, if you go in August, it is the perfect time because you will be guaranteed some hours for sure in time for the new school term which usually begins in mid-September (so a Pass 3 would NOT get any offer). Ditto for if you go in January as again, this begins the new 2nd term. But, if you go in May as I did, it is the worst time because the year is ending and the summer term is beginning and there are NO new classes to speak of. There would be some only because a teacher has gone for the summer. However, for a Pass 3 trainee, this time of year might be good because there are usually a shortage of teachers so, if the trainers like you......

Visa support: There is a woman who works exclusively on teacher visas. But, be careful! Because now things are quite strict here, even in the Czech Republic. You MUST stay within the 90-day period of applying for your visa, so I would recommend taking enough money to pay for this service (you must pay it - the School does not - it will either take it out of your salary or you can pay them directly). Be sure to take ALL documents with you when you leave your home country (birth certificate, uni diploma). This will help facilitate things faster.

While there are some nice workers still at Caledonian, many of them have gone. Some to the school I now work for, others to other parts of the Europe or Asia or S. America.

If you want to work in this part of Europe, I would recommend trying the Bell School, ALKA Language Specialists, and James Cook Language School, The Language House, to name a few. These schools help with visa support. With the exception of James Cook, these other schools are more teacher-friendly and have the attitude that the students are their clients so therefore, they will do all they can to make them happy. As a result, they are encouraging to teachers and supportive of them. Much moreso than at Caledonian School.

Beware of going to other parts of the more Eastern part of Europe because many countries there do not help with visa support. And whilst they may not be as strict yet, the time is coming in which they will also become moreso. It has happened here in the Czech Republic.

Good luck!!