The CELTA is recognized and respected world-wide, designed by Cambridge Univ which is a leader in ESL and produces excellent teaching materials.
You can do CELTA in BKK where it is cheaper than in the west. It takes a month of hard slogging but at the end of it you will be equipped to get you through a demo lesson and face a classroom of students with some confidence. The rest is up to you in terms of personality along with the accumulation of experience and a bag of tricks to get you through sticky spots. You also have a better chance at the good jobs which demand more than being vertical.
BTW people actually fail the CELTA, perhaps another reason it is well-regarded.
There are many TEFL/TESOL certs out there but the hirer may not know which are good and which aren't and often can't compare one with another. There are a lot of bogus ones, basically a fancy bit of paper. Your cert may be a good one then you discover they have hired a faker at the same wage! The unpleasant proof for many of the fakers comes when asked to do a demo or confronting students on the first day and discovering something icky in your pants.
johnnyk wrote:The CELTA is recognized and respected world-wide, designed by Cambridge Univ which is a leader in ESL and produces excellent teaching materials.
I concur; in terms of a recognized qualification there is no comparison.
johnnyk wrote:BTW people actually fail the CELTA, perhaps another reason it is well-regarded.
People CAN fail the CELTA. I know I'm being pedantic - again .
Yeah, agree, do a CELTA. I think in Bangkok the course costs are about $1500 for the four week course, not including living costs.
A lot of schools here in LOS don't know what one is or what the difference is between a CELTA and a TEFL but the better ones do.
So long as you get your act together on the course and focus for a month then you'll be fine. The course is basically a condensed version of a book called "The Practice of English Language Teaching" by Jeremy Harmer, a load of methodology input sessions, some assignments and some practice observed teaching with real students that volunteer to attend the courses to be taught by the trainee teachers which is one of the things you are judged/graded on. If you can multi-task then it will help a lot on the course too.
You have to write lesson plans, follow them, and follow the methodology sequence of the type of lesson you are giving.
Anyone who is going to go on a CELTA course would be wise to buy the aforementioned book and have a good read of it before starting the course, then it will give you a head start and you'll be one step ahead of everyone else on the course.
Definitely have a look at the sections on eliciting and concept checking, both very important on the course. If you can do these properly then you are almost halfway there.
Following on from spitfire,
I'd say if the school doesn't know the diff between a CELTA and any old TEFL/TESOL then they aren't much of a school, more likely a business pretending to be a school.
Intellectual snobbery perhaps! So which of these "prestigious providers" in Bangkok would be the preferred one? This would add another dimension to the equation ha, ha.
And fellows - a certification umhhh.
Yes, forgot to mention that it is generally agreed that ECC do the best CELTA courses and their center in Bangkok is on the 5th floor of the Big C building that is close to Siam Square.
It seems English teaching is, by far, the most popular for us Falang. What about business? Would my business background as a CPA (Chartered Accountant) be useful?
I know I asked about CELTA TEFL, but would they help if I chose to concentrate on business?
It sounds like they are tailored for English teaching, but the idea of class preparation, etc, can be useful for any teaching.
Thanks again all!
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.
charlesh wrote:Intellectual snobbery perhaps! So which of these "prestigious providers" in Bangkok would be the preferred one? This would add another dimension to the equation ha, ha.
And fellows - a certification umhhh.
No "snobbery" at all. Those of us who have taught ESL know about these things. Properly trained people in any field are usually better at it than amateurs or casuals.
Before you tar certification with a broad brush you ought to be thankful that the person who works on your teeth or opens up your body or fixes your electricity has been trained properly.
To be considered for the position of an IELTS examiner you need a CELTA qualification. A TEFL certificate is not a recognised qualification - not intellectual snobbery just a fact.
Charlesh: Even if you're only teaching conversational English, to be an effective teacher you need to have some knowledge of methodology.
I would also recommend the CELTA course. I took it in Bangkok at the ECC in 1998. It was a month of pure hell and hard work, but worth it.
Nanyang: I hear what you say, but being an IELTS examiner is a world apart from teaching a class of students.
Migrant: I would suggest that you enrol on either the Cambridge CELTA course or the TEFL course run by International House. They really are the only two options that are worth the money, and are recognised worldwide.
VS
P.S. Nanyang: Are you a teacher here? Yes, you are a pedant, and it's mildly annoying. Do you use the same tactics/methods when you teach?
"Properly trained, man can be a dog's best friend"
Nanyang: I hear what you say, but being an IELTS examiner is a world apart from teaching a class of students.
quote]
The OP alluded to part-time employment and I was merely suggesting a more lucrative form of part-time employment within the 'profession'.
Vital Spark wrote:
P.S. Nanyang: Are you a teacher here? Yes, you are a pedant, and it's mildly annoying. Do you use the same tactics/methods when you teach?
Answering your first question - No.
Moving on to your second question my response is that I do not teach pedantically - assuming that was your question.
However, enough of me tell us a little about yourself ......I'm sure it'll be interesting.
Before you tar certification with a broad brush you ought to be thankful that the person who works on your teeth or opens up your body or fixes your electricity has been trained properly.
That would apply to about 10% of so called Thai professionals then.
I've lost my mind and I am making no effort to find it.
charlesh wrote:Teaching conversational English compared to dentistry, medicine and electrical engineering - now come on JK.
After a pay rise then ha, ha?
You're being wilfully ignorant. There is much more than conversation and you should know that. I think you're just being a silly troll.
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