Job Discussion Forums

Hot2GlobeTrot · Joined: 01 Sep 2009 Posts: 82 Location: Calgary, Canada

I'm looking through Paris CELTA schools to take next year and read that i need to send in the application form, have an interview and be accepted. Presumption being that i must pass the mustard.

Is this a formality or is there a chance they don't accept applicants? What do they look for?

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Actually, there are some standards. It's entirely possible to FAIL a CELTA. Some people really aren't cut out to be language teachers, regardless of how much they pay or how good the course is.

Reputable training centres are certifying their newbies under their brand names, and if any centre sends out job candidates who really are outside the range of 'acceptable,' their reputations suffer.

Though I think the majority do pass, an initial interview can help to cull out candidates who really are unsuitable.

In my limited experience, candidates with accents outside the 'accepted' range (thick New Orleans, for example) may be weeded out. The other kinds of candidates I know of who have not been accepted are those who express the idea that teaching is one big party opportunity, and those who have sometimes very extensive practice teaching in highly teacher-centred learning contexts, and who are likely to be resistant to new ideas regarding how languages specifically are learned/taught. This can differ considerably from the traditional classroom practices many very experienced teachers from other fields are familiar with.

If you're open and willing to work with them, demonstrate your willingness to look at the job in a professional manner, and don't have any really obtrusive accent or off-the-chart physical appearance, you should be OK. Very Happy

Hot2GlobeTrot · Joined: 01 Sep 2009 Posts: 82 Location: Calgary, Canada

off the chart physical appearance? such as...

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Somebody a language school would hesitate to send to business clients....
I wasn't referring to skin color or anything intrinsic, but more to 'professional' appearance and dress

hmmm, what would freak me out as a teacher trainer?

dreads can be OK - they can look quite neat or really dirty (guess which
style passes?)

tatoos, even if they can't be entirely hidden - but not dramatic ones

piercings...well, so long as they don't impede speech, I guess:)
Though I did have to insist that one Australian girl keep her
belly button covered. She insisted on teaching formally-dressed
businesspeople in short tops so that at least six inches of her belly
showed, featuring a belly button ring with bells on it).

relatively decent sense of dress in general indicates a sense of what's
going to be considered appropriate by students. That doesn't
necessarily mean anything very formal, but, for example, turning
up for an interview in a dirty sweatshirt would be a red flag.
Yeah, I've seen it!

Hot2GlobeTrot · Joined: 01 Sep 2009 Posts: 82 Location: Calgary, Canada

i've yet to meet a business man who would be upset if a cute Aussie girl showed up to teach them showing 6 inches of stomach... Wink

It just sounded, the way you worded it, as being based on physical appearance. I'm by no means unnattractive or anything, but had heard that a lot of places, I think i read Italy and maybe France, prefer to have better looking people...

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Italy and France totally require only one thing, in addition to a CELTA

passport from an EU country

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Sorry if I made it sound like physical appearance is important - it's not physical, it's really just looking professional overall.

The Australian girl's idea of appropriate teacher's dress didn't fit with the suited-up crowd she needed to work with. That's the kind of incongruity I meant (she wasn't especially cute either, but that's at a different level of judgement that isn't appropriate for a teacher trainer).

Hot2GlobeTrot · Joined: 01 Sep 2009 Posts: 82 Location: Calgary, Canada

granted, there's nothing worse than a girl without a mirror or an objective opinion about herself...

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:15 pm Post subject:

Dedicated · Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 972 Location: UK

As a CELTA trainer in London, I have to totally agree with Justin. I was curious about the topic of this thread. However, if anybody said they were interested " in the privilege of paying to take CELTA", then their application would probably hit the bin. It shows a very distinctive "attitude".

Hot2GlobeTrot · Joined: 01 Sep 2009 Posts: 82 Location: Calgary, Canada

Hot2GlobeTrot · Joined: 01 Sep 2009 Posts: 82 Location: Calgary, Canada

SydGirl2 · Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 50

From what I have heard about salaries in Europe, you may not be able to afford to travel much. Also do you have an EU passport? If not, then you will probably be limited to working in Eastern Europe.

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

as far as interview skills, say the guy said the meeting babes/ age of conesent thing but was perfectly qualified, even highly qualified, is it fair to fail him? If he does the job, is it your right, legally or ethically vis-a-vis the profession, to judge what he does with his free time?

I would not put a stamp of approval on a guy who has openly expressed interest in young girls to the degree that he feels impelled to ask questions about his chances in an interview for a cert course (over a beer in some informal situation is a different thing)- how could I send such a man out into the world knowing that he would feel free to hit on his students? It would be unethical. I've known a few cases where teachers really got in legal trouble due to inappropriate relationships with students, and this kind of attitude reflects very poorly on a school that hires such a guy.

Yeah, what they do outside of work, when it's an extreme or illegal activity, does affect whether a good cert course is going to put a stamp of approval on someone.

santi84 · Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 1317 Location: under da sea

Actually, in the real world, what an employee/applicant does in their spare time does matter. Perhaps Wal-Mart or even an accounting firm does not care, but professions such as teaching, health, or law enforcement require a different code of conduct outside of the workplace. People may not like that, but it is the reality of the situation and life is certainly not fair. Is it legal? Usually, depending on the location. Ethical? Any parent or person who has had to dea with someone's unethical workplace conduct will say "you bet!".

Besides, anyone who mentions girls/babes/age of consent during an interview is a fool no matter what their qualifications. Education can't make up for a lack of common sense on how to conduct yourself in a professional environment.