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pancake
Joined: 21 May 2003 Posts: 4
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:14 pm Post subject: Do programs / schools in the US accept CELTA certification? |
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Hello, I have an MA in TESOL and a CELTA certificate, as well as over 20 years experience outside the US, including teaching in government high schools and university preparatory programs.
For financial reasons, I was never able, as a graduate student, to go through the ever-increasing cost of obtaining state certification. This now means that, even with exemplary international experience, I am unable to obtain a teaching position in any US public school system.
When my last job ended seven months ago, and with no employment prospects in sight (I am a very "young" 65) I returned to the US, but need to get back into the classroom to save my sanity. I have discovered that it is impossible to obtain a work visa for overseas teaching at my age.
Are there programs or schools in the US that accept a CELTA qualification?
I have questioned school administrators here in the US, as well as ESL teachers in the system, and am amazed that none of them even know what the CELTA is!!
This situation only adds to my belief that the US is just as insular as it has always been, and that with increasing numbers of immigrants, this country is only paying lip-service to the language needs of the wider community. I feel completely lost in this "new" version of America, and don't know which way to turn.
Can anybody offer some CONSTRUCTIVE input here? Many thanks.
Last edited by pancake on Wed Jan 30, 2013 10:19 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:23 pm Post subject: |
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You have a related MA. Who cares if they accept or understand a CELTA? CELTA is nothing but an entry-level qualification. Your MA certainly trumps it by far. |
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pancake
Joined: 21 May 2003 Posts: 4
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:31 pm Post subject: Do programs / schools in the US accept CELTA certification? |
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Hi spiral 78, yes, this is exactly my point. Without state certification, an MA means absolutely nothing to administrators. I'm caught in a downward bureaucratic spiral and I can't get these people to accept the value of an MA plus tons of international experience, something that most Americans only ever fantasize about and really relate to, if they ever bother to think about it at all. |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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Hmmm. Another reason I'm never going back to the US. |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 13859 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 9:12 pm Post subject: |
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Dear pancake,
They think CELTA is a basketball team and DELTA is an airline
But how about private and charter schools? How about ESL programs in community colleges? In the latter, it would almost certainly be only part-time, but you could likely take home about $1000 a month. Not a king's ransom, but it would probably help.
Regards,
John |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 9:58 pm Post subject: Re: Do programs / schools in the US accept CELTA certificati |
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pancake wrote: |
Without state certification, an MA means absolutely nothing to administrators. I'm caught in a downward bureaucratic spiral and I can't get these people to accept the value of an MA plus tons of international experience, something that most Americans only ever fantasize about and really relate to, if they ever bother to think about it at all. |
Where have you been applying? Public schools? If you're focusing on universities/adult learners, then your MA in TESOL and experience (relevant to the specific teaching situation) are what you should be promoting. In fact, you may need to review how you're marketing yourself; sometimes having a lot of overseas TEFL experience can seem too "exotic" or "odd" to those who have primarily taught ESL. Instead, tailor your skills to the US employer's students---that is, how your skills can benefit their specific learners' language needs. For example, if you have experience teaching in a specific country and the target employer has a sizable number of students from that country, then point out that you possess a thorough understanding of the students' culture as well as L1 transfer issues because of your experience teaching in XYZ country.
Anyway, a few sites to check out: TESOL.org's career center, higheredjobs.com, and chronicle.com. I would have included Georgetown University's ELF program, but your time overseas was too long to qualify you for their projects.
Good luck! |
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timothypfox
Joined: 20 Feb 2008 Posts: 492
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:28 am Post subject: |
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Do a teaching fellows program or teach for america in one of the big cities which will heavily subsidize another MA and certify you. Your tuition payments (which will be minimal) will be taken off your wages as you work full-time. I suggest doing a related teaching area such as bilingual education, special education, or speech therapy - then you would be super-employable and could be certified in more than one teaching area. Try NYC or another big city. |
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Ixchel
Joined: 11 Mar 2003 Posts: 156 Location: The 7th level of hell
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 1:02 am Post subject: Re: Do programs / schools in the US accept CELTA certificati |
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pancake wrote: |
Hi spiral 78, yes, this is exactly my point. Without state certification, an MA means absolutely nothing to administrators. I'm caught in a downward bureaucratic spiral and I can't get these people to accept the value of an MA plus tons of international experience, something that most Americans only ever fantasize about and really relate to, if they ever bother to think about it at all. |
To be fair, that's because almost all American teachers in public school districts (K-12) are required to have Master's and those who aren't required have them anyway because of the forever continuing education units we must have to renew our teaching credentials every 5 years. Instead of wasting your money taking random classes to fulfill the requirement most teachers opt to get their Master's.
I have my B.A. 3 teaching credentials, a Master's and a bunch of other university classes and I am not at the top of the salary schedule as far as units. [Salary schedules are based on years of experience and number of university units]
I have both overseas experience and local experience in my hometown and believe me my overseas experience counts for nothing as far as helping me teach the inner city students I work with. In my city there is rich and there is poor. There are almost no middle class students (according to the Brookings Institute we have the smallest middle class of any large city in the US)
Don't get me wrong, all my teaching experiences have helped me become a better teacher but overseas experience is not better than local and not particularly sought by admin.
What does help quite a bit is if you speak a foreign language fluently-Arabic in MI and NJ, Spanish (all over the country), Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Farsi, Vietnamese, Russian, Armenian depending where you are. It definitely gives you an edge. |
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