Job Discussion Forums

[scattydove]

Hi all

I'm beginning to complete the application form to get onto a CELTA course starting in August 2010. Obviously i'm not having any problems with all the standard questions you find on all forms (employment history, education etc etc). However there is the pre-interview test which i've come to a bit of a standstill with.

I'm confident that I know all the answers to the questions and can make the appropriate grammatical corrections it asks me to make. However it also asks me to write down how I would explain these changes to an EFL student, and explain why the incorrect one is incorrect. This is where i'm stumbling a bit. I do have teaching experience, but not in TEFL and the experience I do have has been working with people who's first language is English...so i'm not convinced that will help me much with this first hurdle.

Therefore i'm on the hunt for a book or other resources that will give me a bit of a basic kick start in the world of TEFL. I feel like if I can grasp some of the basic fundamentals then it might help me put together some semi-decent answers for the pre-interview test. Obviously i'm still going to need to brush up a lot on my grammar too, so advice on books which help with that wouldn't go amiss.

Thanks for any/all help given

[Sashadroogie]

You don't need to go diving into the text books just yet. So long as you don't confuse grammar 'lecturing' with trying to help non-natives deal with the target language structure, you'll be OK. Sadly, that is where previous non-EFL teaching experience may actually come against you, but it sounds like you are aware of this already.

Anyway, for example, if asked to explain the difference between "I'd like..." and "I like..." to low-level learners, then steer well clear of dense terminology, and outline how you would set up a scenario in a restaurant where the diner chooses from a menu (I'd like....) and contrast this with a happy smiley-faced teacher pointing to coffee and rubbing tummy saying "I like coffee", or a grimacing teacher ( I don't like tea).

Show, don't tell. That's all you need to do for the CELTA application. You'll learn the rest on the course. Direct lifts from linguistics books are not a good idea for the application.

This book by Scott Thornbury is an excellent start, though: http://www.amazon.co.uk/CELTA-Course-Trainee-Book/dp/0521692067

Good luck.

S

[scattydove]

[Sashadroogie]

OK, I'd whiteboard these phrases


"I'd like a coffee" = I want one coffee, now

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I like coffee" = coffee generally, always

"I don't like tea" = never drink tea, at no time


Something like that is all you need do. Avoid long explanations, as this will only be TTT. Down with the lingo yet? That's Teacher-Talking-Time and it's the cardinal sin of all CELTA trainees. STT is where it is all happening, and I'll let you deduce what S stands for, heh heh!

Sounds like you are asking yourself some of the right questions already. This is good, as you'll be expected to 'reflect' on what you are learning on the course etc. and show that you are open to the input sessions and the trainers' guidance.

Best of luck on the course and Merry Christmas!

S

[scattydove]

Haha, I'm open to ALL guidance. Lord knows I'll most likely need it. Bit that's what the trainers are there for right?!

Thanks for the advice anyway. I was pretty sure it was looking for something like that but (with anything) it can be difficult sometimes to know what they want on a form. Especially when you have no prior knowledge of the thing you're applying for.

I ordered the Scott Thornbury book you suggested and it looks really useful, so should get some tips from there

Thanks again, and merry christmas to you too.

[Aristede]

[norwalkesl]

The interview questions are more to determine if you are flexible in your problem solving ability and will be a good fit. The CELTA is graded distinction/merit/pass/fail. Whilst it is rare (4% or fewer) some course attendees do fail the course.

This gives the cert some teeth and veracity.