Previous educational requirements to do a CELTA???

[GingerNuts]

Hi there, ive been doing so much research on TEFL/CELTA courses that my head feels like its going to explode!
Right, ill try and keep this short. Basically I was looking at doing an online TEFL course but the more I look into it the more I want to do the CELTA course as I would like to be able to teach english in english speaking countries in the future. This is going to be a career change for me, not just for a year or two. The only problem I have is that I dont have a great educational background but I do have a good employment background and have great life experience (travel etc). I'm also very good in all aspects of the english language. So, here are my questions...

1: Am I able to do the CELTA with a 'not so great' educational background? If so, any suggestions on courses etc?
2: If not, if I did a TEFL course to begin with and gained lots of teaching experience abroad (getting references etc along the way) would I be able to work up to doing the CELTA??

This is something I really want to do and I'm kicking myself now for not getting better qualifications in my younger years!! Im 34 years old. Please shed some light on this subject!

Many thanks,

Guy :)

[Briona]

Hi Guy,

Unless you are a non-native speaker, there are no special requirements for taking the CELTA (other than being over the age of 18). If your chosen centre doesn't think you are capable of passing the course, you'll be weeded out at the pre-interview task stage and your application won't be taken further.

Use the following link to find a provider: http://cambridgeesol-centres.org/centre ... g/index.do

Hope that helps.

Briona

[GingerNuts]

Hi Briona, thanks for the reply :) I've been on the Cambridge website before and the thing is, every company that I've looked at that do the CELTA all state that you need to have an education level of being accepted to do a degree?
Theres always so many different sides to the story regarding TEFLing!!!
Im not sure about doing the CELTA straight off, as I'm new to all this im thinking maybe an online TEFL course 1st, I've just been looking at the ITA 170 hour course. Would you reccommend any companies? The only other one I've researched a lot is the i-to-i one.

Thanks for your help Briona!! :)

[Briona]

Hi again,

You definitely don't need a degree to do a CELTA. In fact, I'm pretty sure that a couple of the candidates on my course didn't have one. Providers tend to say something along the lines of "you need to have a standard of education equivalent to that required for entry into higher education" (I lifted this from my CELTA provider's website), which means that you don't actually need a degree, you just need to be smart enough to get one should you so try. You can always phone/email your chosen centre to clarify this.

I did an online TEFL course as a 'taster' before doing the CELTA. It actually worked in my favour when it came to doing the CELTA as I was already familiar with all the jargon and I'd tried my hand at lesson planning. FWIW I did my course with i-to-i, but online TEFL courses are much of a muchness in that they all cover pretty much the same stuff.

If you have any other questions, just ask.

Briona

[GingerNuts]

Hi Briona :) Yeah thats why I was thinking of doing an online TEFL course 1st because I'm totally new to this teaching lark! I'ts just the money though, I'm going to struggle to do one of the courses on their own, nevermind both :/

And as for the "you need to have a standard of education equivalent to that required for entry into higher education"quote, thats exactly what I've seen. But do they need proof of previous school qualifications? This is something I dont have due to moving house about a billion times!

Thanks Briona, your being a great help :)

[Briona]

Hi,

You don't need to provide proof of any exams/qualifications. Instead, your chosen centre will assess your suitability for the course through a pre-interview task. Typically this task will test your grammar and ability to analyse language. It may also test your writing skills. How well you do will determine whether you are rejected outright or are offered an interview for the course.

I'm more than happy to help, so if you have any further questions, please ask. :)

Briona

[Azariah]

Hi Guy,

What they mean by "you need to have a standard of education equivalent to that required for higher education" is A-Levels, those extra two years of education which prepare you for university. A degree is not necessary at all. Basically, CELTA course centres prefer that candidates have this level of education, however, like Briona said, they'll give you a little English test and a maths test (which is easy), so don't worry.

If I were you, I'd go and have an interview, talk to them and you'll see that it's probably nothing to worry about. I did the CELTA straight off! :)

Good luck :)

Azariah