Job Discussion Forums

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

It's about time they targeted this niche. Looks like the first course will start early this year and more places will be able to teach the course at the end of 2011.
http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/exams-info/faqs/celta-course-online-faq.html

fluffyhamster · Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 1:08 pm Post subject:

Hi NG321. I haven't checked to see if there have been any updates to those FAQs, but here's a bit of previous discussion regardless:
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?p=880559#880559

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

I just registered to be updated via Cambridge ESOL, so hopefully I'll be added to the mailing list. An online CELTA would be great.

desertdust · Joined: 02 Jan 2011 Posts: 57

I heard it is starting early in 2012. However, one will still have to do the practical teaching for 6 hours and the observed teaching for 6 hours.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

That's still pretty good though.

desertdust · Joined: 02 Jan 2011 Posts: 57

I am pretty sure if you get accepted and enrol in the course. It will be only available at certain centres where you will have to do the practical teaching and observation parts on campus. So those who are hoping to do it whilst working in a remote or off the track type of place may be disappointed.

smithrn1983 · Joined: 23 Jul 2010 Posts: 320 Location: Moscow

desertdust · Joined: 02 Jan 2011 Posts: 57

Good point, but remember the time of teaching and observation lessons is at the discretion of the centre concerned. So you think it would be a good idea to get rid of the lessons in 2-3 days. The centre might have a different idea as the scheduling of those classes. Maybe once a week, over six weeks, for instance.

Denizen · Joined: 13 Nov 2009 Posts: 110 Location: Tohoku

From what I've read on their site, it appears the first online CELTA will be from the UK, with other locations adopting the format late this year. It will certainly add convenience, though you'll need to be close to a center to complete the classroom sections.

The fees, I understand will be slightly higher than the $2,495 fee for the regular program. Convenience always comes at a cost.

travelNteach · Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Posts: 222

I dont know if the online course is such a great idea. currently CELTA is the benchmark for ESL qualificatoins, short of a BA or MA. i know a lot of schools that will immediately hire someone with a CELTA. i wonder if the qualty (of the newly qualified) will suffer and the program will become watered down. if they start certifying substandard teachers, eventually their brand name will be lowered to regarded the same as another other cert.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

thewileycoyote · Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 31

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Honestly, I agree that an online CELTA won't be equivalent to an onsite course. As I've pointed out in other threads, it's also about how well a candidate can work in a team, in daily situations, and what kind of affective atmosphere he/she helps to create with other trainees - not just the practice students.

I'd hesitate to hire someone with an online CELTA.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

I wonder though, when the online CELTA starts if a few years later the majority of newbies would have them.

Flicka · Joined: 22 Mar 2010 Posts: 68

Another thing you'd lose out on with online courses: Well, on my course anyway, the tutors would demonstrate various teaching styles/techniques/methodology by teaching us for 15 minutes as though we were ESL students and that would be the lead-in to looking at various related tasks etc. Plus each of the tutors had a distinctive style so even when were "just learning" as ELT trainees, we were exposed to different styles of teaching and it came up in discussion outside of the classroom, it was always interesting to swap opinions on the latest class. There were was also a lot of groupwork and idea-sharing with the other trainees. Oh the other thing in teaching practices was that you would get your TP group's opinions about your teaching and share your own about their teaching, which teaches you to reflect on yours and others' teaching which is a useful skill to develop.

None of that would happen in an online course, would it? I can't say how it would affect the quality of qualified teachers, am just saying what I found to be a very valuable component of the course alongside all the teaching practices and actual theory.