Korean Job Discussion Forums

[fromtheuk]

The CELTA has 3 grades, the lowest being a basic pass grade.

Do any of you know how easy it is to get a basic pass grade on the CELTA course?

I haven't done assignments for a few years, and I don't want to spend a lot of money on the course to end up failing it.

So, how easy is it to get through the course? Thank you anybody.

[bassexpander]

More free CELTA advertising?

Why bother spending 3.5 million (Korea price) plus over 2.5 million for 5 weeks of lost pay to get a CELTA? You can find lots of TEFL certificate courses that'll get you the same pay raise at a local school for under 500,000 won. Just make sure the course is over 100 hours.

If you intend on spending over 6 million won (including the lost work time) on something like a CELTA, then why not go for an MA instead?

[Otherside]

The assignments aren't too challenging.

If memory serves, there are 4 assignments, and you have to pass each one.

For three of the assignments, you submit them before the end of the course, and then have an opportunity to correct them after recieving some feedback from the instructor.

I found one or two of the assignments to be rather pedantic - it was a case of just follow the instructions and you'll be fine, try and get a little creative and they wont be too happy.

The school where I did my CELTA had about a 90% pass rate.

[VanIslander]

Only one guy failed the CELTA when I took it in Auckland (got some edu-tourism of New Zealand ) and he was a high school teacher of 10 years experience!! ... he was just TOO SET IN HIS WAYS and continually failed to apply the CELTA method, it is a method, and as long as you practice the method, try to learn it as a tool for your teaching toolkit, then you will do fine. But free your time, no other things to do but study for four weeks. There's a lot of work and I managed to take one day off a week but no more than that. One guy took every weekend off totally but he struggled and barely passed. Show up, do the work, do the homework and prep work, take a deep breath and don't be a perfectionist, learn from your mistakes, and you'll do just fine. Nobody fails out of the blue. There is constant evaluation by the staff and your peers. That is stressful but useful and amazing, the best part actually.

Good luck whatever.

[Whistleblower]

If you wish to take the CELTA Course, good luck. Some people say no and mention the pay you may lose during the 4 weeks but if I hadn't have taken the CELTA Course I wouldn't have been able to become a BULATS Examiner, I wouldn't have been able to negotiate a better salary, etc, etc. Sure you lose money but the professional development after the CELTA is great and it can open doors. No pain, no gain. If you want to invest some money in your career, I would recommend you do. The rewards are possible if you want to pursue them.

Nonetheless, to pass with a standard pass is simple. Just follow the trainers' advice. Don't deviate from their expectation and don't question them. They have fragile egos. Furthermore, if you want to get a better grade sleep 4~5 hours a day, plan your lessons and spend every minute thinking, eating, dreaming of the CELTA Course. I did this and got a Pass B. Everyone else got a standard pass on my course.

Good luck and I hope you decide on the CELTA. It is worth it if you want to develop your career as a professional teacher/examiner/etc.

[bassexpander]

And it's about as useful as a 6 million won piece of toilet paper if you plan on teaching in the USA.

[Whistleblower]

[bassexpander]

Seriously... just try getting a public school job with a CELTA certification and no other credentials (and I'm not talking as a teachers' aide for 15,000 a year).

There are CELTA courses taught in the USA because the people running the business can make money off of students spending so much to take them.

[fromtheuk]

Thank you everybody.

bassexpander - From memory, the British Council run the CELTA course for 2.3 million won. I am thinking about working with them, and you need a CELTA to do that.

They also have jobs in the middle east which I am interested in. Those countries also require their teachers to be CELTA-qualified.

The British Council told me I'd need a CELTA (and 2 years teaching experience after I do the CELTA course), then I could work with them. However, I was told by the British Council they may be able to compromise the 2 year teaching experience requirement.

I'm currently waiting to get that clarified.

I am glad to hear the comments on this thread, looking at the CELTA from the outside, I thought it was a course basically where you pay your fees, do as you're instructed, and then successfully pass the course.

Now that has kind of been confirmed, I am seriously thinking about doing it, sooner rather than later.

With a CELTA, my pay would rise in Korea, and the experience I gain here, will enable me to land a job in the middle east, which as a Muslim, is my ultimate goal anyway.

For me, to live in a hot climate, with no bars/clubs/alcohol, with a good standard of living, is something I want. And I know from my research the CELTA will help me to reach that goal.

[bassexpander]

This is yet another advertising thread brought to you by ... guess who... the same people that post the same posts every week in hopes of gaining more students.

First of all, your figures are incorrect. You didn't factor the 5 weeks of lost pay while taking the CELTA.

Price for the CELTA in Thailand is substantially less than taking it in Korea, although if you fly to Thailand, you still have to pay for your plane ticket, so it comes out to be about the same (unless this has changed very recently).

If you want to teach in the Middle East, you can do it without a CELTA. It's not the only game in town -- it does happen to be about the most expensive game in town.

As for Korea, once again I will say:

I have a BA.

I didn't need the CELTA for my university job. I didn't need another certificate from a company like American TESOL, TEFL International certificate for my university job, either.

The same goes for my public school job before this. Or my hagwon job before that.

I didn't need ANY certification.

You don't need a CELTA (or a certificate from a company like American TESOL or TEFL International) in Korea -- especially if you are going to teach kids. Can you learn something taking the CELTA? You bet. I knock the CELTA a lot, but I like the British Council's website for Task-Based Learning activities.

The rule of thumb I tell people to follow goes something like this:

If you are....

... in Korea for just a year or two, and have no plans to teach elsewhere after, don't bother with any TEFL certification.

... in Korea for 3 to 4 years, plan to move on and teach in another country, or stay working a public school job, get a low-cost, approved TEFL course (many are below $400, and can be done via distance. Just make sure they are over 100 hours). If you plan to move around the world and teach in countries that respect the British system, then get a CELTA. All of these certifications (including the CELTA) are useless in the USA.

... in Korea for 5 or more years, you should get, or make plans to get, some kind of teaching certification or an MA in Education/TESOL. You could get a CELTA, but if you've been teaching for more than 4 years, I'd say it's a waste of money.

Remember, the CELTA costs about US $1,500 to $2,500, depending on where you take it. The full TEFL International course is going to be similiar in price (it was last I checked). Korea is naturally much more expensive for the CELTA. One could almost say they gouge you here (when they even offer it), but maybe it's the extra cost of buildings or something -- who knows. Don't forget to factor in flight costs, housing costs, and lost work costs for up to 5 weeks. Any flight costs you'd save by taking it in Korea are squashed by the high price of taking it here (unless prices have changed that I'm not aware of).

I added it all up, and found that I'd be out over 4 million won if I took the CELTA, counting lost work time. Even at a 100,000 won per hour raise for having it, that will take you more than a few years to recoup the costs at a public school job (assuming you are at a school that gives you a meager 100,000 to 200,000 won per month raise for having one). In Korea, a low-cost (500,000 won) online course that is greater than 100 hours will get you the same raise as a CELTA.

Not worth it, given my situation. Neither is TEFL International.

By the way, CELTA now has a long-term course that you can do over several months. I'm not up to speed on what that entails, so I can't comment. I'm sure you'll pay just as much for the base costs, as if you did the full 5 week CELTA.

Remember: MANY OF THESE CERTIFICATES ARE ONLY ACCREDITED BY THE COMPANIES/GROUPS THEY ARE OFFERED BY.

Would you seek medical care from a doctor who is only a doctor because he passed his own accreditation to become a doctor, and therefore certified himself? Now how about paying that doctor $1,500 to $2,500 for medical care which you don't need, and missing 5 weeks of paid work in the process?

Save your money for a course from an accredited institution.

Again, I work at a university, and I didn't need a CELTA or a piece of paper from another program like TEFL International to get my job here. You don't need one to work at a hagwon, either.

It's my personal opinion, as someone who has been teaching in Korea for over five years, that you would be better off getting an MA-TESOL from a reputable university after taking time off from school and saving some money for it.

If you plan on teaching in a country that respects the British system of education, then a CELTA may be helpful to you. In Korea, however, it's hardly a "benchmark." Few schools will even recognize what it is, although it's obvious the CELTA-cult attempts to post messages on here to make it more recognizable.

I'm surprised Dave doesn't start charging them. He should.

[agoodmouse]

[bassexpander]

[richardlang]

bass,

Yeah, but those you're talking about are all online certificate courses not giving you any real classroom teaching practice time.

[bassexpander]

That's correct.

But if you want real classroom teaching and time, why not go to Teachers' College? How about getting a BA in English? Or an MA in TESOL at a university on-site?

I've read numerous posts from people who have taken the CELTA, and when you read the honest ones that aren't writing advertisments, they sound like this:

"You work really hard, but I didn't learn much of anything outside of what I already learned teaching on my own. I did pick a few things up. You have to follow the CELTA way of doing things if you plan on passing. Just pretend to agree with whatever they're telling you, for the sake of getting your certificate. Besides, the CELTA was not geared toward kids -- it's for adults."

Seriously... go to a university and put a degree under your belt.

By the way, they're also making money off of your teaching their students while you're paying them to take the course. Sounds like a heck of a deal.... for them.

[agoodmouse]