Job Discussion Forums

wayne1523 · Joined: 02 Apr 2010 Posts: 100 Location: Toronto, Canada

Can anybody here who has gone through the CELTA admission process give me some advice/tips on what the interview would be like? Apparently, from what one of the staff members told me on the phone, it's going to last an hour and a half to two hours (my goodness, that might be the longest interview I'll ever have) and he also told me that I'm going to have to go over some grammatical theory/knowledge to prepare myself for the interview as they don't want to accept people that are too "freshly new" to the material during the CELTA course. Any pointers/interview question examples, people? To what extent do I need to be "ready" in terms of cramming for English grammar and theory for this interview? Also, they want me to do a 5-minute demonstration of something non-English related and teach it to the interviewer and the group. So like, "juggling, or card tricks", as the guy said. Haha...o...kay? I can think of something, I guess...

80daze · Joined: 15 Oct 2008 Posts: 118 Location: China

I did my CELTA in 2008 in London - the interview I had lasted for an hour and a half but there were 4 of us being interviewed at the same time.

The questions ranged from teaching everyone in the room to do something e.g how to cook a meal, how to juggle, how to swim etc...- you had to go through all the steps from preparation to finishing + recap. (use the board)

Then he pulled out a bag containing folded paper - you to put your hand in and take one piece -open it up and read the word on it and then you would have to teach the others the word through mime and gesture. This went on for about 20 mins.

Then there was the grammar questions - make sure you know your tenses, he would say a sentence and ask you to say what the tense was.

Then he asked us to say some adjectives, nouns, verbs etc...

It all went pretty quickly, I don't know if everyone has the same interview or not, this is just my experience.

Good luck!

nickpellatt · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 1522

I had an interview for my trinity course. Not quite the same as above.

From memory I do remember having some language awareness questions. What is the difference between 'to listen' and 'to hear'. A few questions like that, as well as something relating to tenses...It was more like asking how to explain the difference between two similar statements.

'I have been smoking for years'

'I smoke'

Nothing really difficult or tricky.

I also had to write 200 words or so on one of 4 topics. Cant remember quite what they were...and a lot of talking about what I think the course will offer, and my expectations. It isnt much to worry about really.

Kiels · Joined: 12 Feb 2010 Posts: 59 Location: UK

Hey - saw your post and remembered seeing this on another topic. Check it out, some useful information

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=78530

Good luck with your interview. x

Mrguay84 · Joined: 03 Dec 2009 Posts: 125

I had an interview this year (in the UK).
It lasted for 45 minutes (15 minutes was an 'exam condition type' grammar test and writing a paragraph or 2 on why you want to do a CELTA. Then the interviewer went through it and asked me questions.

One thing for sure is that you should know the names of (and when/how to use) the various tenses.

Remember, generally speaking you are paying a lot of money for the course and there are literally loads of places you can do them.
I think the main thing they are looking for is some idea that you're not completely incompetent at your own language, have some interest in teaching and that you know the course is very full-on (the one month intensive at least).
I passed my interview and my grammatical knowledge (at least consciously) is FAR from perfect.

Good luck.

BrentBlack · Joined: 11 Apr 2010 Posts: 96 Location: Quan 3, Saigon

What about phone interviews? Are they typically the same format? And are they shorter or are the longer?

I am applying to take the CELTA in Vietnam in October, so any help would be useful.

Thanks

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 10:31 pm Post subject:

Avoid sweeping dogmatic statements of any kind, particularly with regard to teaching English, which make you look uncooperative and unteachable, and at least you won't have selected yourself out from the start.

wayne1523 · Joined: 02 Apr 2010 Posts: 100 Location: Toronto, Canada

Laughs. Nobody replied to this thread until the day I got interviewed. It's okay though. Thanks everyone. I did just fine on the interview and have been accepted. I performed the magic trick of ripping a piece of paper towel apart, then clenching it in one hand firmly, and revealing it slowly as if it were still intact. It impressed my interviewer though I had no practice and looked it up on Youtube the night before. As for the English grammar/theory material I was examined on, I was pretty weak and he stated that if he were to accept me, I would have to go home and go over concepts myself in preparing for the actual course. This is because they only teach you on how to teach English, not English itself. So I got some work to do before my course starts May 31st. Now I need to prepare for my next interview on Thursday: the job for going to Korea, which I will be posting about in the Korean forum and ask for advice as well.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 7:09 am Post subject:

Congrats and good luck!