Job Discussion Forums

[ClareW]

Hi all, first time poster here. I've read a lot of the other posts on the forum and haven't found one that seems to quite fit my situation so would like some advice please. Apologies this is so long...

Background:
- UK citizen, currently living in the USA (for last 3 years), but will be moving back to Europe (not necessarily the UK, could be France or Spain) around the end of 2011.
- BSc in Physics (UK uni), then worked in IT for 5 years
- Re-trained 2006-8 by completing a Diploma in Teaching Maths (Numeracy) in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS maths), and I have my QTLS (Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills). Whilst training part-time I was teaching part-time basic skills maths in the UK (2007-, and have also taught a few other maths related courses during this time (GCSE maths, financial literacy).
- Moved to the USA, started tutoring maths part-time to college students (2.5 years), and since the start of 2011 have also been teaching GED math (like Basic Skills maths) part-time - both of the student populations I have encountered in the US I would say are about 40-50% foreigners, the vast majority of whom are ESL so this really constitutes my very limited exposure to ESL students.
- Have done various bits of literacy volunteering both in the UK and USA, but no actual ESL stuff to date.



While I am qualified to teach maths to adults in the UK, I can't really teach maths in a foreign language, so I would like to get in to ESL teaching as we hope to spend some time in mainland Europe in the coming years. I assume that I will need a qualification that is ESL-specific in order to help me get a job and I would like to do a qualification that is not too expensive (preferably just a few hundred pounds) and can be done intensively, preferably before the end of this year or very early next year.

I am aware that I can take another 'subject specialism' qualification in ESL to add to my existing DTLLS Maths, but this will take a lot of time and is expensive. I have read a little about the CELTA and DELTA, and to me it seems that the CELTA will be re-covering a lot of the general 'how to teach' that I learnt in the DTLLS course before it gets on to the ESL-specific stuff - I really just want the ESL part. So I have looked at the DETLA Module 1 course, and it appears that you can take just this one module (for now; I could take the other two later if I wanted to), it seems to address the 'how to teach ESL' bit that I am missing, and it appears that I can just take the exams if I want to without doing a course (the syllabus and a sample paper are online).

Questions:
1. Is the DETLA Module 1 worthwhile doing - i.e. will it help me get an ESL job in mainland Europe? How well is it recognised?

2. Has anyone done the DELTA Module 1 without having done CELTA? Was this manageable?

3. Has anyone done the DELTA Module 1 exams without attending a course? Was this manageable? How did you go about contacting somewhere to take the exam on its own (everywhere I have looked at so far seems to offer it with a course. I did find a place in New York that offers it, but the exam date is after we will have left here, so ideally I want to take the exam in the UK - am waiting to hear back from a place in the UK r.e. the possibility of this)?

4. Has anyone taken DELTA Module 1 without having already done any ESL teaching (it doesn't say you HAVE to have done ESL teaching, just that it's advised)?

5. Is it better to take the exam in the UK rather than the USA or a country in mainland Europe?

6. Are there other qualifications that would be better suited to my situation?

7. Or do you think there is a better way to approach this than getting a qualification before we move to Europe (e.g. I've seen a company in Spain who doesn't look for any qualifications as they train you to deliver their own method, but then if I want to move around Europe I won't have an internationally recognised qualification which could be a problem....)?

Many thanks for taking the time to read this!

Clare

[spiral78]

Not having done a DELTA, I can't address the full range of your questions.
I have, however, worked in Europe for the past 14+ years, have worked on several entry-level and higher training courses, and have many contacts across the region in the EFL field.

A few bits of possibly helpful info:

The CELTA is very specific to ESL - it is not a general 'how to teach' course. Teaching language, as you've intuited, I think, does not have significant cross-over with teaching core subjects in the students' L1, and the approaches and methods used can be substantially different.

Both CELTA and DELTA are indeed well-recognised in Europe, and I think that one module of the DELTA would probably be seen by most employers as equivalent (but probably not superior to) a CELTA. A whole DELTA is, of course, superior to a CELTA - but one module alone is not probably going to be seen as better.

I think it would be quite difficult to succeed at a DELTA without having some basic EFL training and practice behind you. Perhaps your maths and literacy experience will help, but I think you would be at a disadvantage.

You can take either CELTA or DELTA in whatever location works best for you - the qualifications are standard and will be recognised wherever - they are externally assessed and so should be well within the standard regardless of location.

You are correct about the schools that train one in their own methods - these are not transferable to other schools (they are usually based on very prescriptive - even seriously outdated - methods which are not universally used). Further, experience at such a school does not necessarily enhance one's CV - as the experience isn't usually transferable to other teaching contexts.

I suggest you start with a CELTA, taken wherever works best for you. This should get you off to a solid start in the region.

[naturegirl321]

I haven't taken the DELTA, but I can say that you can take the DELTA without the CELTA if you have a TEFL cert that's equivilant and about two years of teaching experience in EFL.

As for being well recognised, don't worry it is.

I believe that you can take 2 out of 3 of the modules without taking the classes, but you're still going to have to study.

I emailed just about all the ones in Asia on the Camrbidge website and the majority of them offered the EXAM; but not the course. Or like the one in Thailand, they only offered the course to their teachers.

Doesn't matter where you take the exam.

Trinity Dip is equivilant to the DELTA: Though you still need EFL experience to get into the courses. You might just be able to take the DELTA exams without experience, but you will need it to get into a course.

[ClareW]

Thank you both for your comments, very useful.

Clare

[spiral78]