Job Discussion Forums

Hogbear · Joined: 12 Oct 2003 Posts: 42 Location: New York City

Is there any way to take a CELTA course part time? I can't just up and quit my current job to take an intensive teaching course, but I want to take the course before I go overseas so I can see whether or not I enjoy teaching.

leeroy · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 777 Location: London UK

(Can I kick it?)

Yes, you can!

Most of the (poor, unfortunate) CELTA trainees that come and observe my classes are part-time - 12 weeks, I think it is.

Leeroy

FGT · Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 762 Location: Turkey

If you're in the UK there are some places you can do CELTA part-time and it's cheap. Contact your local further education college etc. Outside UK - don't know, sorry!

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

I did the CELTA part time, in Brisbane, Australia. Its also offered in Sydney. It cost me the same amount as the full-time course would have, only I was able to work during the day to support myself. However, working full time at a pretty busy, fast paced (dare I say 'high powered'??? Wink

) job and studying and teaching 3 nights a week and then doing homework on the weekend for 12 weeks, was kind of difficult.

I would suggest that you still need the same amount of support as you need for the intensive course - someone to help get food in, do chores, organise the other parts of your life. I did it by myself, with emotional support from friends, but staggering through life for all that time became a little trying. I also felt that at times I wasn't giving the material my full attention, and wished I had more hours in the day to study.

That said, I wouldn't have missed it for anything, and the achievement I feel now at getting through 12 crazy weeks, and now working at my first English teaching gig makes it all completely worthwhile.

Good luck! Very Happy

Lozwich.

Hogbear · Joined: 12 Oct 2003 Posts: 42 Location: New York City

Thanks a lot for the replies, everyone. I should've added that I live in New York City.

That sounds harrowing, Loz. I've only found one place here in NYC that offers the CELTA, and it only offers the four-week intensive course. The most rational route seems to be the part-time route, but I'm not sure that'll be feasible.

Leeroy, were you just being silly by calling the CELTA observers poor and unfortunate, or do you not care for the program?

leeroy · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 777 Location: London UK

I was implying they were poor and unfortunate as they had the misfortune to observe my lessons!

Nothing wrong with the CELTA, do it!

Jeff Mohamed · Joined: 18 Oct 2003 Posts: 34 Location: Houston, Texas

Contrary to what a lot of people think, most CELTA courses around the world are run on a part-time intensive basis over several months. Unfortunately, this isn't the case in the USA: All courses available here are intensive ones.

You can find a full list of CELTA courses/centers at the Cambridge website (www.cambridge-efl.org). When you reach the site, click on "For Prospective Teachers" and then on "Centres".

gerard · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 581 Location: Internet Cafe

Do you think a Celta (intensive or not) will help you decide whether or not you like teaching??? It will be a staged situation so it won't be real anyway...If you have come this far---to look into it and join here you want to do it anyway. So why not just look for a job and move on??? I don't think these classes are much help anyway---I di one in Toronto (not a celta but a decent one) and found it was fantasy. A class of immigrants (adult) who really want to learn is a world apart from what you will be doing esp. if you go abroad. Save thew 1500 and use it on a plane ticket...

Jeff Mohamed · Joined: 18 Oct 2003 Posts: 34 Location: Houston, Texas

Hi, Gerard.
Virtually all training contexts are artificial but that doesn't invalidate them. You could apply your argument to driving: Driving lessons and tests are certainly artificial. Would you therefore argue that everyone should just be allowed to jump into a car and start driving when they feel they are ready to do so?

Hogbear · Joined: 12 Oct 2003 Posts: 42 Location: New York City

lucy k · Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 82 Location: istanbul, turkey

I'd just like to say that I did the CELTA course, and I found it very useful. I did my course in San Fransisco with Jeff Mohamed, actually. I wouldn't say that the teaching is a "staged situation" at all. It's a real class that has real issues that you'll have to deal with in the future (e.g. mixed levels, the grammar nuts who ask the hard questions, the students who just can't get it). And the fact that you're teaching it as part of your training means that you get to discover these problems and have guidance on how to deal with them. I found the CELTA course to be the perfect mix of theory and practice. It was four very intense weeks, but I came out feeling ready to teach, and I enjoyed the course. I was lucky, too, as Jeff Mohamed is a great teacher trainer! Gerard, you mentioned that your course was not CELTA, maybe that was the problem.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

There is a million miles between teaching a group of immigrants in London or Toronto and teaching aclass of Chinese university students in Shanghai.

But everyone has to start somewhere. I still think TRINITY is beter than CELTA

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

doreenp · Joined: 13 Oct 2003 Posts: 147

I checked with the local universities in my area and was lucky enough to find one that gives the full 120 hour TEFL course over a period of 4 months, Wednesday evenings and Saturdays. It's perfect for us who can't quit life to get one.

D.

Hogbear · Joined: 12 Oct 2003 Posts: 42 Location: New York City