Job Discussion Forums

[jserio]

Hi guys. I spent the last 4 years teaching English in Georgia (former Soviet republic). When I started, I had no prior (formal) teaching experience. I do however, have a B.A. and a Masters in Public Administration. Not much to go on.

I'm interested in returning to Georgia or Russia this summer and it seems more and more jobs desire a CELTA so I decided I should go for it. In January I was accepted to the Teaching House course in San Francisco but the thought of a 2-hour commute (each way) and the high cost ($~3k) was a put off. I looked at IH in Tbilisi and the cost is roughly $1200. Adding in a flight and housing and I can complete the course for cheaper there.

So I completed the PIT and interviewed Sunday. I was offered a seat. But one thing that stood out to me was the tutor informed me that most of the students are Georgian teachers. I guess I was naive and assumed most students were native English speakers. She also mentioned that the drop-out rate is about 1 per group of 12 which seems pretty high - almost as if they want someone in each group to fail. I get along well with others but having been the only English teacher in a foreign school I know how lonely it can be when all the other teachers speak in their native tongue. Some teachers at my last school were somewhat hostile to foreign teachers given inequity in pay. Since the success of a CELTA is based partly on how well you get along with your peers and communicate with them, I am worried tat 1.) my classmates will communicate with each other in Georgian and 2.) the tutors (most of whom are also Georgian) will communicate in Georgian leaving me out.

Is this a valid concern or am I overthinking it? I would love to hear about your experience taking the CELTA in a foreign country.

[spiral78]

I do some work in Georgia and have a large number of Georgian students and colleagues. (In fact, I wonder if we may have met).

I'm not surprised to hear that most CELTA candidates in Tbilisi are Georgian - salaries there aren't high enough to attract many expats, and Tbilisi isn't a known 'tourist/must-see' city (though IMO it should be!).

As you probably know, Georgians are generally pretty proficient socially, so I would think that if you express your concerns regarding their speaking Georgian on the course, they'd make a serious effort not to on your behalf. Alternatively, maybe consider doing the CELTA somewhere like Prague, which attracts more expats, and then going to Tbilisi with your new cert.

I wouldn't worry much about the 1-in-12 failing out; that can easily be due to language issues in this case, or to candidates simply discovering that the course is more challenging than they expected.

[bograt]

One person failing the CELTA per course is pretty much the norm. There's always someone who either just doesn't get it or won't play ball. lack of language skills should be spotted before the course starts but if a centre is short of quality candidates and needs the money....

[jserio]

[jserio]

[Tudor]

[spiral78]

[spiral78]

BTW, sure, you can send a pm if you like.

[Kowloon]

I'd be deeply concerned if the tutors were communicating with the trainees in any language other than English for anything related to the course (socialising a different matter).

[bograt]

I'm pretty sure there's a statement somewhere in the CELTA paperwork that states the official language of the course is English and everything has to be carried out in that language by the trainers and trainees. If they start speaking more than the odd isolated word of Georgian you'd be entitled to complain to Cambridge

[In the heat of the moment]

Although Tbilisi is a wonderful place to be, I would be concerned that most of the students are Georgian teachers. You might find you're the first person they ask for teaching information, language and skills advice, nice if you know and can help but potentially embarrassing if not. When I did my CELTA (in Oxford House, Barcelona) all 12 of us were native speakers. One dropped out but only as he'd been accepted on a Law degree. Only one stayed there after completing the course, the rest of us went either back home or to different countries to work.

So the CELTA teachers, students, everything pretty much was English only (although a few were proficient in Catalan and Spanish), we all came from different backgrounds in the UK, US and Canada and had all travelled somewhat. Outside of the classroom we socialised together as none had family locally, although we usually socialised with a beer in one hand and a teaching book in the other (it's a very tough course).

If it was me, I'd want to have the majority of students (and all of the teachers) native speakers of English, the course is that tough you want all your plates spinning freely.

[scot47]

Here we go again with the myth that the native speaker has some magical qualities not shared by foreign folk.

[In the heat of the moment]

Not necessarily, Scot, non-natives often have a better grasp of English grammar than natives, especially natives who are relatively new to the profession and non-natives who aren't - hence the embarrassment when you're asked a question you suspect some of the non-natives already have a correct answer to, and the bonding an all-native group could have.

And, in light of the above, non-natives are barred from teaching in more generous countries even if they are better teachers. The 'job prospects' part of the course wouldn't be much fun if you're the only one with the 'right' passport.

[spiral78]

[In the heat of the moment]