Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tfunk]

I 'taught' in Korea for a year and I'd like to continue teaching but I've fallen into some bad teaching habits. I have a TEFL cert and I'd like to receive further training with an aim to teaching children/teens.

CELTA seems aimed at adults but is it useful for teaching other ages?

I took this test and failed miserably (although I thought 2 minutes limit was for the whole test!):

http://www.english-international.com/test.html

I didn't have to teach grammar in Korea but I want to take a more professional approach to teaching. What are my options?

[mumblebee]

Getting more training is a great idea, but don't take that test too seriously. The questions are designed to trip you up and make you feel like a dummy, so you will enroll in one of their courses.

There are a bunch of courses running in Thailand, some for the CELTA, and other certs too. Thailand is one of the cheapest places to do the CELTA.

[some waygug-in]

I was wondering the same thing. Is it worth getting a CELTA for work in Korea? I know CELTA is recognized in most other countries, but Korea seems not to care.........or is that just a mis-perception on my part?

Maybe universities here would be more willing to hire someone with a CELTA than someone without?

Quien Sabe?

[Hotpants]

You don't necessarily need to take extra courses, although they can help.

You said you have only taught for 1 year, so really, you are just at the beginning of the learning curve. I look back at my first year and now realise that I could have done many things better. I still know I have lots more to learn about teaching. I think you just need to be aware of your own techniques and reflect on how you could make small improvements each time you teach the same class again. Also, exposing yourself to a variety of teaching positions helps to broaden your skills, and if you have cooperative coworkers, perhaps ask to sit in their classes and take notes of what they do.

[HydePark]

I agree with Hotpants, that observation and reflection can help you improve as a teacher, and that it's still the early stages of your teaching career. Perhaps a good starting point is that you want to improve, and Hotpants has given advice that I feel is quite sound and a good road for discovery.
Might I suggest seeking a teaching role in high school or middle school, as this type of role can challenge a teacher to create a structured class with lesson plans that build upon each other, etc. in a professional environment...of course, the ideal situation is to find a school that has a high standard, is reputable...not the easiest thing to find, but they're out there!

[Hotpants]

To add one more point, you might want to purchase the following book rather than fork out for another cert course - you already have the TEFL cert!

REFLECTIVE TEACHING IN 2ND LANGUAGE CLASSROOMS
Jack C. Richards/ Charles Lockhart Cambridge Language Education Cambridge University Press 1994 (perhaps since re-printed)

[VanIslander]

[Homer]

[EFLtrainer]