Job Discussion Forums

[kimha]

Hi All,

I'm planning to move to HCMC with my family at the end of the year. After settling down with my family in HCMC, i'm going to get my certification in teaching english. I heard CELTA certification is a must and can help me get a job in teaching. i've also heard CELTA is very challenging. In what terms is it challenging? teachers are hard? a lot of writing? etc..

[skarper]

The CELTA is a lot of work.
Nothing in it is very difficult conceptually.

It can be hard to jump through the teaching practice hoops. They need to see you demonstrating a lot of basic techniques and you don't have long to assimilate them and demonstrate that you can do it in class.

Then - just when you get one aspect sorted, they are on your back about something else you're doing wrong! Some people get a bit combative and even paranoid.

But if you can just knuckle down, do 8 weeks work in 4 and not make any trouble with the trainers then you should do OK.

You need a good level of English, including knowing what a verb, noun, propostion, modal etc is or it will be a lot harder than it needs to be.

Getting hold of as many of the set books as possible before hand and reading them is a sound idea.

There is a lot more I could say...but basically don't underestimate the workload and number of different plates you need to keep spinning at the same time. Few people fail a CELTA but large numbers drop out before the end because they realise they just can't complete the work and are having a melt-down.

[1st Sgt Welsh]

Hi Kimha,

If you want a second opinion the above post by skarper hits the nail on the head as far as I'm concerned. There isn't a lot of essay writing to do (if memory serves you have two assignments but they aren't too difficult and you get a second chance to correct any mistakes). One of the main things which took up time was the way they wanted you to draft a lesson plan and the amount of detail required, IMHO, was [and I'm sure still is] ludicrous .

Anyway if you put your head down and stick with it there's no reason why most people can't get through a CELTA. However, unless you are an organizational genius, please don't underestimate how much work is required. Personally I didn't enjoy it [although some of my classmates did] but, on the whole, I think the course is definitely worthwhile and you'll learn a lot. Good luck and welcome to Dave's!

[teacherkev]

Hi Kimha,
I have recently arrived in Vietnam and will start the CELTA course this month. I do plan on posting an objective overview post CELTA. Though perhaps the post is better suited to the newbie forum. I appreciate I am unable to offer any immediate insight. However, you'll only have to wait a few weeks, that should fit with your time line.
Best.

[kurtz]

The best way to pass CELTA is to try and throw away your own style of teaching and do it the CELTA way. The trainers will give you feedback, listen to what they have to say. If you keep making the same mistakes like talking into the whiteboard, sitting in the U shaped seating arrangement, you won't do so well.

You'd have to be a halfwit to fail. My group had some appalling wannabe teachers that somehow passed, thus cheapening the certificate.

Grab a copy of Harmer's "How to teach English" and start learning the jargon. Brush up on your tenses too, but you'll only teach one or two presenting language classes so there's no point endlessly studying grammar books; you'll be doing it the night before.

The teaching plans are a pain in the butt however, it's all part of the fun. I'm no superteacher, but I didn't work later preparing stuff than 9pm. This went against all of what I was told from friends who said it was the worst experience of their lives and they were up to 2am the night before preparing and that a few women broke down crying from the stress.

It's a 4 week, Micky Mouse English course.

You will be busy though, the 3rd week is the worst when all the assignments build up, just hope you don't have to re-submit any as that adds to the headache.

[Mushroom Druid]

[skarper]

Just don't know where to start on that one!

[kurtz]

[kimha]

I greatly appreciate everyones suggestions to my concerns of CELTA. It was very helpful and has eased my brains a little. Though, I have another concern about the path i'm going to pursue for the CELTA certification.

I'm a full Viet/American born, I have a BS degree and does not have any teaching experiences. Is it hard to find a job after receiving the CELTA cert.? Does anyone know if the schools are bias about being asian/American born when time comes for the job interviews after i take the CELTA course?

As far as choosing schools to take the CELTA, are there certain schools i should choose over another? Some of the schools I saw on line are, Apollo, ILA, etc... Are there other schools I should look into? Once I move to HCMC in a couple months, i'll try to visit some of the schools before signing up for the CELTA course. But having suggestions from the vets would be very very appreciated.

[skarper]

It is harder for Asians to find jobs here but not impossible. You should expect to work for less etc, especially at first. Don't take it to heart - students expect to see a white teacher and it's a business above all.

If you are sincere and professional in your approach I think you can find a niche here.

How is your English? I noticed several errors in your typing that would be typical of an advanced learners work. Maybe you are typing fast and so it's slips rather than a real problem. If you were marking an IELTS essay would you feel confident that you'd caught all the mistakes of grammar, spelling, register etc.?

This link is for a western style medical practice in Vietnam.

http://www.vietnammedicalpractice.com/en/Our-Doctors/hcm.html

[Dekadan]

The CELTA is a fair amount of work, but not the most I've done in my life. Don't underestimate it. You never know how quickly your head will wrap around the material.

I'm not a fan of the style: they throw you into the deep end pretty quickly (I believe that some are teaching the second day of the course) and then tell you how you're screwing it up. It can be a little hard on the ego. Speaking of which: put it aside, listen to the instructors and incorporate their feedback in your next lesson. Try to pay attention to the feedback given to the other learners too. Also, if you have good instructors, they'll be modelling to you what they expect you to do while teaching.

Good luck with the CELTA. It's doable!

[kimha]

[1st Sgt Welsh]

[kimha]

@ 1st Sgt Welsh - I've notice you've been living and working in HCMC for some time, do you have any recommendation as to which school I should look into taking my CELTA?

[1st Sgt Welsh]

I did my CELTA in Hanoi so I really don't know much about the courses here. I have heard some good things about ILA but other posters here would be much more knowledgeable.