Job Discussion Forums

mkm28 · Joined: 18 Sep 2010 Posts: 3 Location: Texas

I was in Istanbul over the Christmas holidays and I met with the headmaster of a well-known private high school who told me NOT to get a CELTA. He said that since the "a" stands for adult, I would not be qualified to get a work visa per the Turkish Ministry of Education.

Then I have a friend of a friend who just finished her CELTA at British Side and apparently has a job offer at a high school or middle school (not sure which). And obviously CELTA is a well-recognized degree.

So I'm feeling a little confused. I don't want to spend the time or the money to get a degree that will useless, and at this point, I don't even know what to get to even hope to get a work visa. Please help! Any and all information appreciated!

TeresaLopez · Joined: 18 Apr 2010 Posts: 601 Location: Mexico City

A CELTA is not a degree, it is a one month certificate program.

mkm28 · Joined: 18 Sep 2010 Posts: 3 Location: Texas

I do know that; it was a misuse of words on my part. Any thoughts on what is the best *certificate* to get as an addition to my English university degree?

bulgogiboy · Joined: 23 Feb 2005 Posts: 803

The good headmaster you met was wrong in my opinion; the CELTA is the best TESOL certificate you can get, regardless of who you're teaching. It's always useful, and valued by a wide range of employers. If you browse job ads on ESL websites you'll see it's requested time and time again for jobs requiring adult and/or kids teaching. Even if you wanted to do the CELTYL (teaching to young learners), it's not a stand-alone course, it's a two-week extension of the CELTA, so you would still have to do the CELTA anyway.

As the previous poster pointed out, it's not a degree. If you want a degree in TESOL you'd better start saving for your master's. Smile

If you want to exclusively teach children in private/international schools then you should think about doing a professional grad certificate/diploma which qualifies you as a kids' teacher in your home country (e.g. in the UK that would be a PGCE/PGDE). This will take 9 mths-1 yr or so.

jamessmart50 · Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 91 Location: Istanbul, Turkey

"He said that since the "a" stands for adult, I would not be qualified to get a work visa per the Turkish Ministry of Education"

That's just not true, and why would it be?

Sanjay · Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 12

I worked for two of the top schools in istanbul and neither required a CELTA

PC Parrot · Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 6:16 am Post subject:

Those giddy heights of language school TEFLing in Istanbul ...

writerteacher · Joined: 15 Jan 2011 Posts: 4

To work legally in a high school as an English teacher you need either a (university) degree in English or Education. A BA in any subject plus a CELTA is not enough to work legally in a high school. You may well have heard of people working in high schools without the necessary quals because schools get round it by employing you as a language assistant rather than an English teacher. It doesn't make any difference to you in terms of work and pay etc. So what you were told was technically true. You can get a work permit to work in a primary school (ages 6-14) or a language school with a degree and a CELTA. Either way I'd recommend doing the CELTA if you are thinking of coming to work in Turkey. It will give you the basics of language teaching and you'll start your first job with some knowledge and tools which will help to make you feel more confident in the classroom. It is also widely known and respected.

starkweather · Joined: 30 Mar 2010 Posts: 15

A CELTA isn't required but it would be useful. Then again, the 1000+ price tag you have to part with in exchange might be MORE useful in your pocket.