Thứ Tư, 29 tháng 11, 2017

CELTA - How can you take this certificate?

What exactly is a CELTA?
CELTA stands for Certificate in English Language Teaching to Speakers of Other Languages and is affiliated with Cambridge English, hence its good reputation and high standards. It’s an intensive four week course that teaches trainee teachers, with or without previous experience, how to teach English. The course can also be done part-time, which can take from two to three months. You don’t have to be a native English speaker nor does your English need to be absolutely perfect to do the course, as long as you have a high level of English, which according to their requirements, must be at least a C1 level (i.e. advanced.) If English isn’t your native language some schools may require you pass an IELTS exam, before you can work for them, though this isn’t always the case.

Before you start the course
With a CELTA you can’t just pay the course fee and expect to be accepted. There’s an application process which first involves completing a pre-application task in which you answer some questions on grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation to test your English language awareness. There are also some questions on your own ideas on teaching English, which should be a minimum of 200-300 words. After your initial application has been processed, there’s the interview, which can be either face-to-face or over the phone. Very few people are turned down during the application process and the purpose seems to be more about ensuring that potential trainee teachers know what they’re getting themselves into.

Brushing up on your grammar before the course starts is beneficial and I would highly recommend purchasing a good grammar book before you start the course. The syllabus does consist of language analysis sessions, so make sure you reacquaint yourself with some grammar basics before diving straight in.

Training for a CELTA generally costs around £1,600, but when you’re considering the cost also take into account that you may need to sort out living arrangements for the course period, as well as taking into consideration the fact that you’ll be living without a wage for a whole month. It’s impossible to work and do the course at the same time, even if you have an evening job and even those who have a part-time weekend jobs will struggle to do both.

You don’t necessarily have to do the course in your home country either. If there is a country you think you would like to teach in, you may be able to get the feel for it first by training there. International House, for example, has teacher training centres across the world including countries such as Vietnam, Ecuador, New Zealand, and South Africa. Doing a CELTA in another country could also potentially bring your living costs down, so it’s something worth considering.

Read more: English 4 fun

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