Job Discussion Forums

[carl_00]

Oh no! Another indecisive fool seeking TEFL guidance...

I spent 2009 in a Korean hagwon, and I'm now thinking that I want to get back out into the big wide world rather than linger around in the U.K. stagnating. I've kind of taken for granted that I would just do the Celta, but after reading a current grammar thread on these boards I'm really not so sure. To put it frankly, my grammar knowledge stinks. But, the course wouldn't be till September - giving me two months to prepare...So, from those who have done it and maybe also consider themselves to have been as equally incompetent at grammar and teaching beforehand, what say you?


Thanks

[fluffyhamster]

You really don't need to be that good at grammar to pass the CELTA (though of course there will be a minimum that you will necessarily have learnt if not been taught by the end of the course); the flip side of the thousand-pound course fee cheque however is that the CELTA won't IMHO actually make (help efficiently make) you that good at grammar (if being much good at it is a genuine long-term ambition). But seeing as we exchanged a few posts a few years ago regarding grammar books, perhaps "doing" (and being more or less told "how to") courtesy of a "practical" comparatively short on-site course such as the CELTA (regardless of any potential limitations it may have in terms of [socio]linguistic sophistication, stimulating long-term ideas etc) will be better for you yourself than (continuing?) "hitting the books alone", Carl?

[Elicit]

I have recently completed the Celta and knew very little grammar until 12 weeks before the course. I was working full-time and studied a recommended grammar book, teaching methodology book and one internet site www.englishclub.com . Am I allowed to specify that?

The course provider should give you a language awareness task and possibly a grammar primer to assist your preparation. Learn as much general knowledge of grammar before the course start date. Word classes and conditionals will be a good start.

Your newly learnt general knowledge of grammar may be useful in input sessions, but for your observed lessons you will normally only be introducing/revising one particular grammar structure. You will learn this whilst researching and completing your lesson plan.

Learning grammar will be, certainly for me, an ongoing process when you begin your first post-Celta teaching position. Research each language/grammar point you are going to teach and your knowledge will improve.

Go for it! Best of luck.

[carl_00]

[carl_00]

[mozzar]

If you're not able to motivate yourself to learn a vital aspect of what will be a future job, then maybe you're not cut out to be a teacher or any other job above stacking a shelf in a supermarket. Either be active and learn the grammar to a sufficient degree and take the CELTA, or stutter and dither and try a different career.

No apologies if this sounds harsh. Compared to any other kind of professional job, a one month course seems pretty easy. Once it's completed you're not obliged to take any extra courses or qualifications.

[carl_00]

Mozzar, I'd rather not dwell on such things as motivation or my possible lack thereof.

[fluffyhamster]

To be honest, even now a lot of grammar doesn't stick with me either, Carl, but that's all the more reason surely to keep going back to check on points or thrash out differences of terminology and/or analysis to one's own satisfaction and preference.

I guess what helped me be perhaps slightly better than you (it would seem, from what you're saying) is that I'd read at least parts of something reasonably formal-parsingy like Leech et al's English Grammar for Today at uni (nowadays you could try Huddleston & Pullum's A Student's Introduction to English Grammar also or instead), and been buying and dipping into a variety of books (though generally lighter and/or more directly ELT-applicable than the Leech et al or the H & P) before doing the CELTA.

Anyway, the stuff you'll be expected to assimilate in order to complete CELTA tasks isn't so much formal-technical, but rather functional, about making meaning, and the semantics and pragmatics of it all, so I don't think you'll have too many problems (unless the area is functionally tricky/"overlapping" with others [e.g. tag questions versus more ordinary sorts] or formally a bit simplified in ELT generally e.g. the old 'There be just four types of conditional, ooh arr', helpful though that simplification may initially if not usually be for students if not teachers).

But like I say, do try to soldier through a formalish book-course or two on grammar beforehand, because prepping for CELTA tasks, whilst obviously motivating in a whip-cracking sort of way, necessarily has to be quite limited, if only due to the time constraints operating.

[Elicit]

[carl_00]

[lmsunshine]

are you prepping for the pre course interview or just to start the course?

[arthad]

[kaw]

You're facing a problem that many in the UK face (can't talk about other nationalities) in that English in the UK education system doesn't focus on the whys and wherefores of grammar. Our parents/grandparents generation have a much larger grammar awareness though my father still can't put his finger on exactly why a sentence in grammatically incorrect or not.
Many years ago when I was fresh off to do my Trinity the only grammar awareness I had was from learning french and German at school - I managed to pass and 10 years (or is it 11) I'm still here.
I found that I picked up a better awareness of grammar though teaching it - I had no idea of passives for example before my first class - and then I reaad through the teacher's book.
When teaching higher levels - even now - I pick up Swan or whatever just to refresh things.

[Elicit]

[nickpellatt]

Ill agree with a few points from the last few points. You dont need to overthink it, and you dont need to study for hours and panic before the course.

As someone has just said...most of your real learning comes on the job...and you really learn things when you teach them.

Also, a course doesnt need to be as hard as people often talk about. I didnt lose any sleep on my course, (which was a Trinity BTW) and passed without any of the stress that is often talked about here. It certainly wasnt the most intense month of my life! But I had prepared in terms of outside commitments, and I never tried to re-invent the wheel. Just do what you have to do, and do it when your asked...and the course is fairly simple IMO.

Pre-course, just being familiar with the tense system and the IPA is enough...that will put you ahead of most trainees I reckon.

When you are given assignments, start cracking on with them. On my course the language awareness assignment was given on the first friday (week 1). Turn down the big night out that all my fellow trainees went on, and spend 2 or 3 hours researching and planning the assignment. Get ahead of the game.

If you have the unknown language module....just concentrate on watching the teacher and his methods...dont spend the evening practising the new language! No one is going to grade you on that!

If you're given free reign to deliver one skills lesson and one grammar lesson..dont spend hours trying to make material and design a new super duper lesson...just take a lesson that is tried and tested from any other resource and add your stamp, your personality to it!

We also had to do a 1-1 and a needs analysis following a recorded interview with our 1-1 student. I did one 30 min interview and did what I could....some of my peers conducted up to 3 interviews over a period of days! As a result they were the ones chasing their tails and staying up to 3am!

Good luck!