Job Discussion Forums

ohahakehte · Joined: 25 Aug 2003 Posts: 128 Location: japan

in the eyes of schools/employers is CELTA-certification still highly-regarded? i sometimes suspect that the teacher pool is flooded with CELTA-certified teachers...whats the real story?

scintillatestar · Joined: 19 Oct 2009 Posts: 74 Location: New York, NY

Is this for North America only? If so, it depends. I am currently teaching in NYC. There are a few schools that do recognize its importance. Any school that teaches the IELTS is a good bet. Many schools require an M.A. in TESOL or Applied Linguistics, though. If you want to teach in a private company, like Berlitz, it should be fine.

If you wish to teach abroad it is not only well-respected, but in many cases a pre-requisite. It should help you get in the door just about anywhere - other than places that generally require an M.A. (the Gulf) or state certification (international schools, certain public schools). Hope this helps!

ohahakehte · Joined: 25 Aug 2003 Posts: 128 Location: japan

scintillatestar thnx for the info! im currently teaching in japan and dont have the CELTA or any certification but am considering getting it in the near future.
seems that here in japan most teachers dont have much certification and oddly enough thats better...i think most companies here outside of the good ones like british council etc are wary of "over-qualified" teachers. anyways im tired of landing teaching jobs with shady schools and i think that a CELTA would show them that im serious

scintillatestar · Joined: 19 Oct 2009 Posts: 74 Location: New York, NY

Hey there,

Yes, definitely. I am not sure where you want to teach next - but I can tell you that the CELTA is great for all of Europe and certain Asian countries like Vietnam and Thailand. The main schools in Vietnam require a CELTA (or similar training course with 100+ hours & teaching practice) and most available teaching jobs are at centers that administer the course. ILA, Apollo, and Language Link all come to mind. I also had no problem getting job offers in China, but there are a lot of jobs there. I'd imagine that it would be an asset in Japan as well. I would just take the CELTA, because it is the widely recognized. Most schools will ask for a "CELTA or equivalent," but some occasionally just ask for the CELTA. Therefore, you might as well just that certificate. Good luck!

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

CELTA is great for all of Europe

A bit of clarification on this statement: a CELTA is considered the standard newbie qualification for Europe, but a CELTA won't get you a work permit for most of the Western European countries, where hiring is effectively limited to teachers with EU member citizenship (UK teachers, basically). Assuming that the posters on this thread are North American citizens (without dual citizenship in an EU member country as well), much of Europe will be off limits regardless of what certification you have.

Central/Eastern Europe is the exception - yes, a CELTA is considered standard there, and you can get legal work permits.

Lucas · Joined: 28 Dec 2009 Posts: 2

CELTA and Trinity are good courses but you don't have to pay over $2,000 for an advanced course and a highly recognized certificate. Many schools require a CELTA, Trinity, or equivalent (TESL Canada, SIT, other). Ontesol's 250-hour online course with practicum is recognized by TESL Canada Professional Standard 2. This program is an extended version of Coventry House International's 5-week Trinity CertTESOL program (TESL Canada Professional Standard 1).
Happy holidays!!
www.ontesol.com

eslteachernyc · Joined: 16 Feb 2010 Posts: 5 Location: NYC

I have an SIT TESOL Cert and have had no trouble getting work in the US, Korea and Brazil (where I am now). I highly recommend it - anything less than a 120-hour Cert these days and you're going to struggle. If you want to work in a college, though, you will generally need an MA TESOL

SolitaryThrush · Joined: 04 Oct 2004 Posts: 32

The CELTA holds no value in places in the US where supply-demand means they can require MAs.

scintillatestar · Joined: 19 Oct 2009 Posts: 74 Location: New York, NY

In NYC, a CELTA/SIT/Trinity can help you get a job at a for-profit ESL school. While generally not required, the connections made from your school can help. For example, at LSI in Manhattan, about 50% of the staff has completed the CELTA at Teaching House. I also had another school, ELS, interview me and offer me substitution work because I had the CELTA. If your school has connections and good reputation, even a solid cert (120 hours + observed teaching) can help.

Having said that, the pay at these places is very low. The not-for-profits (including universities) pay much better. However, they generally require an M.A. So you can find work, but the pay/conditions may not be ideal.+