Job Discussion Forums

[gtidey]

I'm just asking because I heard International House language centers around the world only accept people with a CELTA from them. This suprised me a little because from what I hear there are lots of International House language centers around the world and the chances are you'll apply to one.

Any thoughts? Because it's about a third more expensive than elsewhere.

Ta

[Guy Courchesne]

For every International House language center, there are AT LEAST 100 other places to work. I suspect that they only accept CELTA applicants as a way to sell more of their own CELTA courses.

If you are looking at Latin America, you'll find even fewer IHs around.

[Ben Round de Bloc]

[moonraven]

You need to be aware that places that give CELTA courses are just businesses. They will try to get as much as they can for the course. You can decide if you want to pay more--or less.

[Buraimi]

I was curious about your question, so just checked the IH recruitment website. They don't ask for an IH CELTA; they ask for an RSA (Royal Society of Arts) CELTA, a Trinity TESOL, or IHC equivalent. My CELTA (more than a few years old now) doesn't say where I earned it. I did happen to do my CELTA at an IH centre, but you wouldn't know that from looking at my CELTA.

[Chris_Crossley]

[Buraimi]

Hi Chris,

In response to your surprise that my CELTA doesn't say where I earned it, I think the point is that it shouldn't matter where you do a CELTA. I don't see it as odd at all.

I assume that the Trinity people bring in external course examiners the way the RSA/Cambridge people do. In my mind, the training provider is irrelevant because the program should be the same whether you do it in Hastings, Halifax, or Barcelona.

As you have noted, a degree is quite different, given the almost infinite number of degree programs and post-secondary institutions, not to mention institutional quality. I agree and wouldn't be at all happy with a degree that didn't say where I had earned it. A CELTA, though, is quite different. Nothing about that program should vary enough from place to place that anyone would care where it was earned.

It's quite possible that more recent certificates do provide information regarding the training institution, but it's still irrelevant, in my mind.

[Guy Courchesne]

Speaking as someone who does a lot of teacher vetting for Latin America language centers, I have to say that it is important to know about where someone has done their training. I see around 6-10 new applications per day, and seeing that many, I have a good feel for various courses (CELTA, TEFL, TESOL, etc), their providers, and even individual trainers and particular graduating classes.

I can never take for granted that someone who has a CELTA is automatically to be hired. I can't do that for any other course provider either, including our own. Teaching is not so much about the course you take and so much more about the individual taking it. I've seen far too much on various forums like these about a course's uniformity and can only shake my head wondering if such courses also believe that a teacher abroad should be teaching in similar uniform codes. Language centers (employers) are calling for teachers with exactly the opposite qualities.

Although, I do only work in the Latin American region. Maybe it's only here where a teacher is asked to be a teacher (leader, organizer, friend, hero, patient tutor - many ways to look at it) and not an atomoton.

[Cardinal Synn]

Yeah,
IH offered me work and I have a TESOL. Any decent school will know that a CELTA is a CELTA and that TESOL is a good qualification too. If they don't accept both, or the one you have/ will get, don't accept them.