Hello all
I’m just looking for a little advice for a first-timer who is considering doing a TEFL course.
I have no TEFL or teaching experience, but am seriously considering booking myself on a CELTA course as teaching abroad is something I would love to do.
The main reason I am thinking about doing the CELTA course is that my girlfriend has just completed the CELTA course herself and was very complimentary about it.
I would be doing the course part-time as I work during the week, so it would mean there would be a couple of days a week where I would leave for work about 7.45am and not get back from London from the course until about 11pm. Long days! But I am prepared for that.
For a little background information, I am 33 and haved worked in PR and Marketing for the past ten years. A great deal of my job involves writing so I would hope my grammatical skills, etc aren’t too bad, although I know they can definitely be improved. No doubt there are a lot of rules of basic English that I have forgotten!
I guess my main questions are…
1) Is a CELTA course a good course to do? I am aware there are a number of different TEFL courses, and am getting confused as to which one to go with.
2) Will I be pushing it working full-time and doing the part-time course? I am fully prepared for some hard graft!
Thanks!
Steve
First-timer contemplating doing a CELTA
Moderator: Joe
Re: First-timer contemplating doing a CELTA
Yes, CELTA is a good course to do. Many people consider it to be the best TEFL course at certificate level. It is certainly the one that employers specify most frequently by name as a requirement in job advertisements (eg "CELTA or equivalent required").stevem wrote:1) Is a CELTA course a good course to do? I am aware there are a number of different TEFL courses, and am getting confused as to which one to go with.
See also TEFL Certification Courses FAQ
"We are not wholly bad or good, who live our lives under Milk Wood :? " — Dylan Thomas, Under Milk Wood
eBooks: English Prepositions List | Essential Business Words | Learn English in Seven
eBooks: English Prepositions List | Essential Business Words | Learn English in Seven
Re: First-timer contemplating doing a CELTA
CELTA qualifications are regarded as much more comprehensive than a standard TEFL. You can find plenty of work with a TEFL qualification but you would open much more doors with the CELTA (just be prepared to work much harder for it)
Re: First-timer contemplating doing a CELTA
I did the same thing 2-3 years back. But I lived in London and the centre (SKOLA in soho) wasnt that far from my work place.
I used about 2-3 days annual leave during my studies (over three months) so its definately do-able.
I used about 2-3 days annual leave during my studies (over three months) so its definately do-able.
Former Native English Teacher in Hong Kong for 3 years.
British Born Chinese.
British Born Chinese.
Re: First-timer contemplating doing a CELTA
Thank you everyone for your advice, I’ve just revisited the forum for the first time in a couple of weeks.
Anyway I thought I’d give you a quick update on what I have decided to do. The college in the town I live in offers the CELTA course on a part-time basis - one day a week for 20 weeks - so I have decided that I will do the course there. It means I will have to bite the bullet a bit and tell my work what I want to do and take some leave from work to do it but I think it will be much more manageable. They operate the course twice a year – one starting in February and one in September, so I am going for the September course. It gives me a little more time to save some money and also I will be able to do some preparatory reading etc in the months beforehand. It also gives me a few more months to try and arrange something with my work around getting the time off.
Thanks to everyone who has replied – I am now quite excited about starting the CELTA course and possibly, around this time next year, being qualified and ready to start teaching abroad!
Anyway I thought I’d give you a quick update on what I have decided to do. The college in the town I live in offers the CELTA course on a part-time basis - one day a week for 20 weeks - so I have decided that I will do the course there. It means I will have to bite the bullet a bit and tell my work what I want to do and take some leave from work to do it but I think it will be much more manageable. They operate the course twice a year – one starting in February and one in September, so I am going for the September course. It gives me a little more time to save some money and also I will be able to do some preparatory reading etc in the months beforehand. It also gives me a few more months to try and arrange something with my work around getting the time off.
Thanks to everyone who has replied – I am now quite excited about starting the CELTA course and possibly, around this time next year, being qualified and ready to start teaching abroad!