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jimbob1980
Joined: 13 May 2009 Location: Manchester, UK
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:32 am Post subject: Applying for jobs..before or after CELTA |
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Hello Everyone,
I am planning to do a CELTA in April 2010 and want to come out to Korea ASAP.
What I am wondering is, do you recomend I start applying for jobs just before/during/or after the CELTA?
I obviously want to be paid with the qualification, not just a BA....but how do I explain..."I will have one in 4 weeks, just not now lol"
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andrewchon

Joined: 16 Nov 2008 Location: Back in Oz. Living in ISIS Aust.
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 1:22 pm Post subject: |
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Apply for jobs now. |
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jimbob1980
Joined: 13 May 2009 Location: Manchester, UK
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 2:18 pm Post subject: |
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So should I apply and state that I have the CELTA before I actually have it, or just say I will have it?
Apply now? For next year..? |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 2:52 pm Post subject: |
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Few Korean employers hire earlier than a month out, much less seven months out. Hagwons here don't recognize a CELTA as anything other than your bargain-basement TEFL degree costing 1/10th the price.
Yes, public schools will hire earlier, but if I were hiring and you said, "Oh, I will have a CELTA by next March", they'd laugh at you and hire the guy who already has his ITTT TEFL, KEI-TEFL, I-to-I, or equivalent anyway.
That, or I'd hire the American or Canadian (with no TEFL at all) who was better looking and not feeding me a line of bull about an overpriced TEFL degree that's not required to teach here.
But if you want to drop over 2 million won, plus a month of lost pay while you get your CELTA, then go for it. Keep in mind, however, if you're coming here to teach children in a public school, the CELTA is geared for teaching adults.
Last edited by bassexpander on Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:15 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:13 pm Post subject: |
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the CELTA is geared for teaching adults |
That's right so if you are planning to concentrate mainly on Young learners it might be worth looking at the CELTYL which is geared towards teaching English to kids, cost the same and and takes the same amount of time. |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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jimbob1980
Joined: 13 May 2009 Location: Manchester, UK
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:19 pm Post subject: |
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So you reckon doing an online TEFL is better than doing the CELTA? |
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jimbob1980
Joined: 13 May 2009 Location: Manchester, UK
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:23 pm Post subject: |
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There is just so many different ones...
Some people say online courses are worthless, others say they aren't! |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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jimbob1980 wrote: |
So you reckon doing an online TEFL is better than doing the CELTA? |
That depends on your needs.
I do feel for what you'll do with it in Korea, the CELTA is bloatedly overpriced. You're looking at over 2 million plus a month of lost work time for something that isn't even recognized here as anything over and above any other course costing $200 that say 100 hours on the certificate.
If you're planning to teach elsewhere around the world where the British system is recognized, then it's not a bad thing. It's about useless in the USA, though.
It's your money. Do what you want. |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:34 pm Post subject: |
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If you can afford it do a course that involves a practical component. IMO anyone who walks into a class room to teach withut having some kind of practical qualification behind them is giving the industry a bad name |
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jimbob1980
Joined: 13 May 2009 Location: Manchester, UK
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:34 pm Post subject: |
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Well I was looking at the TEFL England course which is a mix of online and classroom based.
The only thing that concerned me about that is you get a few certificates for each part of the course...
....one for 80 hours, one for 30 hours etc to make up the full 100 hours that are required. Does this matter?
Was aiming at teaching young adults (not public school) to be honest...
......my father is a teacher in Saudi and he has pretty much being telling me if its not CELTA or Trinity its not worth having. |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:50 pm Post subject: |
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my father is a teacher in Saudi and he has pretty much being telling me if its not CELTA or Trinity its not worth having. |
This is true, apart from Korea, China, Japan and any other countries Bassexpander can think of. So if you want to teach adults and keep your options open, The CeLTA/Trinity is the way to go |
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oldfatfarang
Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: On the road to somewhere.
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:50 pm Post subject: |
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jimbob1980 wrote: |
......my father is a teacher in Saudi and he has pretty much being telling me if its not CELTA or Trinity its not worth having. |
Your father is right, if you want to teach in European, Arab countries etc.
However, the Korean TEFL industry isn't sophistocated in any way. As another posted said, you will get paid the same (extra 100,000 won per month) as someone who has a 100 hour on-line certificate (which is considered worthless in many countries).
Koreans are looking for cheap English. They don't pay to attract well qualified teachers, nor do they pay to retain them. Ultimately, this gives Koreans the perfect excuse to justify their lowly ranked English speaking ability: "Why do we get such poor teachers?" "Why doesn't our English improve?" etc."
If you're going to teach in Korea (long-term), I'd take a certificate that's geared towards teaching children. However, if you want to travel (and teach TEFL), then the CELTA is recognised as being the standard TEFL qualification - despite what some posters on here might say. Investing $2-3,000 isn't such a big deal if you're looking for more international employment. Remember, not every country choses their TEFL teachers by their photographs and age (like Korea).
Good luck. |
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jimbob1980
Joined: 13 May 2009 Location: Manchester, UK
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:59 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, well I can do a CELTA in Krakow for �1000 including flights acommodation etc with International House. I reckon, yeah could do an online course and just get a job, but ultimately (whether I go elsewhere after Korea or not) I don't want to come to Korea and stand in front of a class not knowing what the hell I am doing or the first thing about how to teach.
I get the impression a lot of people do that....lol!
My current plan is just to spend 1 year in Korea to fund further travel...then who knows |
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halfmanhalfbiscuit
Joined: 13 Oct 2007 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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I used my Celta in Australia, but, yeah, it's bloatedly overpriced.
Koreans neither know nor care what it is.
eg 1, Corporate interview "Is Cambridge in America?" (2 weeks ago)
eg 2, Gangnam Adult Hagwon "How many hours is this?" (yesterday)
eg 3, Public Middle School 6 months in: "This is not an MA Tesol???"
If you're only going to use it in Korea, I seriously wouldn't bother. Do something on-line (which is to say get something much cheaper) and just read up on your own dime. |
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