Job Discussion Forums

[Traveller84]

Hi guys,

Don't think this has been posted before (couldn't find it anyway).

Has anyone done or heard of International House's Business English course in Barcelona? Any opinions/thoughts?

Do you think it would hold much weight in teaching Business English around Spain? I've got a BA in International Business, CELTA and 1 year experience teaching in Korea. Thinking I might do the course but not sure if it'll be a waste of time or not...Ditto for the Spanish - English translation course they offer if I wanted to pick up some translation work as well.

Business English - http://www.ihes.com/bcn/tt/esp.html

Translation - http://www.ihes.com/bcn/translation/introdistance.html

[SirKirby]

I'm familiar with IH Barcelona but not with those two courses in particular.

From what people tell me, their courses are usually good, with excellent tutors...

Not sure that the courses would translate directly into more work, though it would be useful to have one or the other on your CV.

Neither appear to lead to an official "qualification" but, as much as anything, if you have no experience of teaching business English or of translation, a basic grounding in what you're supposed to be doing can never come amiss. In that sense, I'd be very surprised if you found either a waste of time.

Lots of schools are in fact looking for people not just to teach General English, but with experience and qualifications and/or the training to teacher Young Learners and/or Business English...

Basically, I'd say though it's pretty much entry grade, CELTA is not really enough to qualify you fully to teach English... You need some kind of ongoing professional development, and the business course would be one I'd consider myself in your circumstances. To go with your BA, it would be good...

Translation is tough -- the work is often boring, working to tight deadlines, and it's hard to get work in Spain unless you are freelance (autonomo), and can (legally) bill accordingly, which costs...

[Malou]

...

[ESL-head]

Seriously,I can understand why you might think this is a good idea ... and if you have time and money to waste then do it... but if either of those two are in slim supply then do not do this course.

You've got a Business degree for God's sake...you'll be far better qualified than the TEFL nerd's who end up teaching you. Business english is just common sense...

please don't waste your money ... give it to charity ... or to me...

Hope this is good advice.

[SirKirby]

The original poster is asking about two different courses -- translation and teaching business English.

In the case of translation, for which -- as far as we know -- the OP has no experience or training -- to recommend him/her NOT to get some form of training sounds like very poor advice to me.

In the case of BE, although an academic background in business will be useful, it still doesn't mean that you can actually teach BE, or are aware of the problems, resource available, subjects of needs analysis, etc., etc.

The OP is talking about taking a 5-day course. Assuming the tutoring is good, I'd say it would still be well worthwhile to at least pick up pointers on the subjects the course content appears to cover (see link provided by the OP).

CELTA plus a year's experience really doesn't prepare you properly to jump in and start teaching BE, believe me.

[ESL-head]

I know what you mean... but I'm generally a great believer in self-teaching. I refuse to believe that some tutors in IH will tell him anything more useful than could be read in a good book on the topic. Today's culture is aswash with the idea that anything you want to learn you must do a course. And pay a couple of grand!!!!!!!!

Business English... what's the difference with general english? It's the same thinge but you just use business materials. Buy a good selction of business text-books, bring in the business news, look for resources relevant to their specific industry and ya esta...

Translation... you either know the language or not. If you don't have the common sense to translate well (if you know both languages) <nd have to do a course ... then don't be a translator.

I respect the guy's profesionalism in wanting to secure qualifications... but they won't make any difference and he could invest in much more useful skills and courses.

Happy sunday

[SirKirby]

Having worked as a translator, and spent two years running a translation agency, I'd have to disagree with you, at least as far as translation is concerned.

I would NOT employ ANYONE untrained and unqualified in any way whatsoever to do translation work. I've had to deal with the shocking results of translation work done by people who "know" both languages and have applied "common sense". "Deal with" meaning get someone else to redo the job from scratch.

Would you go to a similarly unqualified doctor...? Health, after all, is largely a question of common sense, isn't it?

Even if the OP learnt NOTHING from qualified tutors, the head of a translation agency / DoS in a language school is likely to value some form of appropriate, specific training.

It's like training in teaching young learners... Most people get "qualified" by taking CELTA or Trinity -- which trains them to teach adults. As the DoS of a language school which (at least) in Spain probably teaches lots of kids, anyone with training to teach young learners would be the first person I'd interview from a pile of CVs -- and that's one of the major differences taking a course can make.

[ESL-head]

Fair-play...

perhaps you've got a point....



E

[Phil_b]

For info on translation, it's worth checking out the forums at www.proz.com It's the Dave's of the translation world, I guess...