Korean Job Discussion Forums

sergiowoo · Joined: 11 Sep 2007 Location: Los Angeles

I'm a newbie. I'm assuming this certificate is very valuable. How valuable? The average English instructor makes 2mil-3mil a month. How much do you make with the certificate? Also, the certificate seems very easy to obtain. Why don't all instructors obtain it if it's so valuable? What's the reason?

aarontendo · Joined: 08 Feb 2006 Location: Daegu-ish

The CELTA isn't all that easy to finish. It's a month long intensive and you do quite a bit of work in it. I think a lot of it is scheduling conflicts too. It's hard to squeeze that month of time in between contracts for some. Plus, hard to justify taking that month off to do it. (Opportunity costs and such).

And a lot of jobs really don't care that much here to be honest. Public schools make no distinction between all the various tefl certificates, though some are better than others.

Bibbitybop · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul

Yup. In Korea, having any TEFL cert. over 100 hours will likely give you negotiating room. In Seoul public schools, it will give you an extra 100,000 a month if it moves you into a higher pay bracket (but some people won't get extra depending upon prior qualifications).

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

I know people working for universities who have no CELTA, or TEFL certification of any kind. Not even an MA.

It's your money, but it's not needed.

If you plan on teaching adults, then maybe you will like the CELTA. Are you going to come here and teach adults out of the gate?

sergiowoo · Joined: 11 Sep 2007 Location: Los Angeles

ontheway · Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:57 am Post subject:

"out of the gate" - from the get go - from the outset - from the beginning

re: your question?

What are your long term career plans?
What was your major?

How does a CELTA fit with those?

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

For someone who already works for a university and doesn't have a CELTA, and wants to advance their career, then I'd think they would consider a proper MA program in TESOL, for example.

This is taken from a CELTA site:

http://www.cambridgeesol.org/teaching/celta.htm

What does CELTA involve?

You can take CELTA full time (typically four to five weeks), or part time (from a few months to over a year). Your chosen course:

* teaches you the principles of effective teaching
* provides a range of practical skills for teaching English to adult learners
* gives you hands-on teaching practice
* builds your confidence.

If you are teaching at the university level, I would hope that you already know how to do the above. So the $2000 and 5 weeks you spend on the CELTA probably won't be worth much to you as a way to further advance your career.

Now, the next argument is that the CELTA will help you make another 100,000 per month at a public school. True, but it's only worthwhile to you if you:

1. Plan to continue teaching at the public school level for at least 2 years (time to get the money back)
2. Plan to continue teaching elsewhere around the world where a Celta helps.

Again, my friend got a uni job in Korea without a CELTA. With as many people as there are out there applying for a uni job, it's a good bet that he beat-out some CELTA applicants.

I'm not saying, "don't bother with the CELTA." I'm stating that it's not required here to work at most any level (yet, and if they ever did, they'd have a huge problem on their hands as their children would be left with very few teachers).

tob55 · Joined: 29 Apr 2007

There are a number of pros and cons for getting or not getting any advanced training with regard to the numerous options, i.e. TESL/TEFL/TESOL/CELTA/DELTA and so on...

Yes, the vast majority of people can and do work without any kind of certificate training, and do quite well...

Yes, the current lack of EFL- ESL instructors in Korea makes it possible for virtually anyone to come here and find work without any kind of training certificate...

Yes, obtaining a training certificate may not impact your salary in a large way or provide you with the greatest advancement options...BUT

1. There are affordable programs that will not cost you an arm and a leg to train.
2. It is somewhat irresponsible to suggest that taking any kind of training to help a person better their self academically and professionally is not worth doing.
3. The ease or difficulty of a program can only be measured by actually taking a course.
4. Deciding that you want to be the best instructor you can be while you are living and working in Korea should make the choice to seek certification a logical option.

NOW,

If you want to come here and party while doing your job and spend your money on fun and entertainment, then TEFL training is not for you.

If you are not interested in actually helping those you work with, but chose Korea because it looked like a good place to hang out for a year doing something that will earn you some extra cash while you travel and see a different part of the world, then TEFL training is not for you...

If your intention is to do just enough to get you by for the duration of your work contract in Korea, then TEFL training is not for you...

If you have no desire to improve your professional and academic skills, then TEFL training is not for you...

I know I am being somewhat critical in this post, but anyone can find a number of excuses to justify their specific reasons for taking or not taking a training course...People can't hurt their self by taking a training program...they just need to make a decision about which program best suits their own particular goals for education...(I am not trying to offend here, but I just wanted to state a few of the facts)

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

The "guilt angle" doesn't work with many of us, tob.

tob55 · Joined: 29 Apr 2007

bassexpander

My point exactly...

The whole industry should stop promoting themselves as teacher training programs...At the very best the only thing short course training does is give people a few tools to do their job plain and simple...You are right, if you want a teaching degree, then go through a teaching program at a university where you have everything you need in place to give you a backgorund in education...

I am not guilting anyone, just stating facts...Telling people that the programs they go through have little if any value is no better than me giving information about what people can expect to gain if they go through a program...If people want to make a bit more money and get a bump in their professional qualifications while working in Korea then they should consider taking a training course of some kind. I am not going to tell people what they should take, but taking the no use in taking anything approach doesn't help anyone either...

I have a teaching background, 24+ years as a licensed educator...I can jump on the soapbox as well, because the whole idea of some programs pretending they are teacher training organizations honestly upsets me...BUT people who have no desire to become career educators can still benefit from taking a short course in TEFL/CELTA or some other aspect of instruction...It is not a waste of money to try and make yourself more knowledgeable of the subject area we work in...

So, please don't assume you know what I am thinking or from which direction I am coming, because I happen to agree with you...The best way to best develop yourself as a professional educator is to take a university teacher training program...You are right, and for that I have to say I agree 1000%