Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Taiwantroll]

I am interested in taking the CELTA course in the summer. I require it to get licensed to teach adults in Canada. I already possess a Bachelor of Education and a license to teach children in Canada and I have taught English now for eight years.

I hear a lot of people talk about how difficult the CELTA course is and I am rather confused. I was on the Dean's list at my teacher's college, so I am rather intelligent however I am incredibly lazy. I can't take a lot of work. I tire rather easily and I need a good eight hours sleep a night, usually with a nap after lunch.

What is involved specifically in taking a CELTA course? Daily class hours? Reading? Homework?

Is it standardized? In which case, could I just get a head start and do the work now?

Thanks,

[jinteh]

On the CELTA site there's a pdf at the end of the page that covers the entire syllabus. BridgeTEFL has a sample class schedule.

www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/teaching-awards/celta.html

www.bridgetefl.com/celta-schedule.php

[Setaro]

It involves being forced to ignore everything you've learned and experienced as a teacher already and treat the instructors' words as the truth from God.

Just jump through the hoops and it's really not that difficult. But be prepared to have your opinions on teaching and methodology crushed, unless they happen to coincide with CELTA methods. The whole course is incredibly dogmatic.

And sadly a necessary qualification for many positions.

Anyway it's 4 or 5 incredibly easy 1500 word essays that you can take twice if you fail the first time, along with 6 hours of assessed teaching practice.

[edwardcatflap]

[Drew345]

You are going to be doing student teaching daily and getting feedback from it from the instructor and your fellow course attendees. Yes, there is some classroom instruction and a couple of essays, but the daily observed teaching (you teaching and being observed) is what really takes the time. As soon as you finish a class, you start your lesson plan for the next day.

I found the methods presented to be incredibly useful. Basically (from what I got from it), time spent with the students sitting quietly taking notes while the teacher is at the board talking is a no-no; try to minimize time spent doing that. Time spent with the students mouths open and sounds coming out of it is good; try to maximize that time. So how can a teacher who talks less teach more; that's what the practice teaching is all about.

Still, even though I agree with the CELTA methods 100%, I also agree that you need to just do what the instructor tells you to do. It's a tough course so don't fight it, go in listen, learn, and put it into action just like you were told. One time the book we were using went though a lesson in the order ABCD. The instructor told me it made more sense to her to go ACBD, maybe I should do it that way. I figured it really made no sense to go ACBD, and time was short and didn't want to confuse the students by changing the order of the lesson in the book, so I just went ABCD. Next day, in feedback, I got dinged and instructor said I should have gone ACBD. OK, I got it, do what they say.

Really, I did learn a lot.

[Swampfox10mm]

The Celta is a not a bad idea if you can afford it, and you're planning to teach adults (and have little or no experience teaching). Maybe edward can clue people in on the other offerings for kids. I know there was something else out there from Cambridge.

For the Korean market, if you plan to teach at a university, an MA in something like Linguistics, Education, English, etc., would help you a lot more. But please don't get an MA. I don't need any more competition for my job.

More education never hurts, though. If you want to teach in other countries, a Celta might help you more. Not sure what it does for teachers in Canada?

[Taiwantroll]

[Swampfox10mm]

Thought a Delta was needed in Canada. Are you talking about public school jobs?

[Taiwantroll]

Any jobs.