Celta?

I am a Taiwanese, who lived oversees in an english speaking country since I was 7 years old.

I am interested in going back to Taiwan to teach english. I have a few questions, like… does it matter if I take Celta or just any TESl course? Because, it seems that the Celta course is more demanding.

Also, when one attends a job interview, what do they usually ask you? And do they give you a test or what? I heard something about demos?

Thanks, it would be great if anyone can give me some info.

CELTA is definitely more demanding than some classes, but they are pretty strict about only letting native level speakers in - there was one Japanese girl who had spent a lotta lotta time in Canada in my class, and she couldn’t pass the class because of her English level. You should be sure to check with the class administrators that your level is appropriate before sinking the cash into it.

True about Celta, I know it is difficult. But, when employer are hiring, do Celta have more advantage over other courses?

Most employers in Taiwan don’t know the difference and doing any TEFL course won’t really affect your income. However, if you are ever planning to work in Europe or in certain international organisations, you should plan to do the CELTA or the Trinity cert. as a baseline qualification. If you don’t do it because you think you don’t need to at this point of time, maybe you could be ruling out certain jobs in other countries, later on in your career.

Whatever you decide to do, try to make sure the course has a significant element of observed teaching in it, otherwise you might as well just read a book. Bear in mind that a course which isn’t particularly demanding isn’t really preparing you for much.

In terms of applying for a job, employers want flexibility, energy and the personal qualities that put bums on seats. They are unlikely to give you a test, but demos are common. Usually, you deliver a 20 minute mini-lesson and they judge you on whatever criteria pops into their teeny little boss minds. (It’s illegal for most non-Taiwanese to do these, yet the practice continues.). Bosses don’t want you to simply teach English, she/he wants you make money for her/him by selling English learning. It’s an important distinction to grasp in order to be successful and happy teaching English.

Thank you to Superemma and buttercup for both of your inputs , informations and advices. They really helped me a lot.

Have a wonderful day!

No problem, get in touch if you have any more questions. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

:help:
Will a CELTA certificate allow me to command a greater salary teaching in Taiwan? I would like to know if spending four weeks and $2000USD would be worth it prior to arriving in Taipei as a new teacher.

The CELTA is a great qualification for getting to grips with some of the basics and giving you some tools to work with when you start a career as an EFL teacher. However, if you’re only interested in
(a) earning more money and/or
(b) working in Taiwan
then no - I don’t think you need it. Because of the relatively low standard of English language teaching, there are hundreds of places here in Taiwan that will accept you without it.

Hope that helps.

I definitely helps, Hartley. Thanks!

Plus, if you have a CELTA, you might end up working for Hartley.

I shelled out for a CELTA. Was it worth it? Well given that I had no teaching experience before I arrived and I needed some income on the side [I was studying at Shi-da] it definitely put some meat on my CV and helped get me some jobs that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise.

It was useful [methodologically, etc] and I never met another teacher who had one. So it would separate you from the masses and increase your income. And if you’re here for more than one year it would pay itself off.

I say go for it!

[quote=“amarbaines”]I shelled out for a CELTA. Was it worth it? Well given that I had no teaching experience before I arrived and I needed some income on the side [I was studying at Shi-Da] it definitely put some meat on my CV and helped get me some jobs that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise.

It was useful [methodologically, etc] and I never met another teacher who had one. So it would separate you from the masses and increase your income. And if you’re here for more than one year it would pay itself off.

I say go for it![/quote]
Hmmm…something to think about! If I can afford it, I am thinking of doing a CELTA program as a “learning vacation” in a location I like just prior to heading to Taipei.
I appreciate your thoughts!

Sorry Hartley :frowning:

Working for Hartley is GREAT.

CELTAS are useful for beginning teachers in that they give you some basic skills and a sense of confidence in your abilities. They also help you to develop a reflective attitude towards your work.

What is the difference between CELTA and TESOL? Is it the same?
And which one is better to have?

CELTA is the name of a specific course (accredited by Cambridge Univeristy).

TESOL is a generic name and there are lots of different courses.

There is no one authority to standardise the names and terms: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESL

My guess is that you are looking to compare the CELTA with the Trinity TESOL course. Note the reference to ‘Trinity’.

If that is the case here is my opinion:

CELTA = good course which has international recognition. It’s about the best introductory course you can do in terms of employer understanding, international recognition and as an EFL/ESL/TESOL/etc, benchmark.

Trinity TESOL = said to be a slightly better course but the CELTA still trumps it with its longstanding reverence.

If in doubt do the CELTA. You can’t go wrong.

Where can I get CELTA or TRINITY certified in Taipei? I don’t do well in online courses I prefer going to a class.

They aren’t run in Taiwan or online. You can do the CELTA in Bangkok.

Occasionally the CELTYL (the CELTA for teaching to kids) is offered in Hong Kong, but I think it’s usually a weekend course which means you’ll be flying over there every weekend for several months.

Try typing something like " celta course locations" in google.

Here are some links:
teaching-esl-to-adults.com/c … tions.html

This is the actual Cambridge website. It is not very well laid out, not very intuitive. Here is the page that links you to the training centres.
cambridgeesol-centres.org/centre … g/index.do

This website gives you a simple breakdown of what CELTA is and offers. I am not sure if the information here is correct as I plan on taking CELTA next year.
english-international.com/CELTA.html

Prices vary from centre to centre so you might want to look around. From my brief research you should pay around $1500-$1600 US for the course in Asia. If, or when, you sign up for the course make sure there are no other fees. I remember seeing one centre state that their price included some extra fee.

Hope this helps,
Bruce

From english-international.com/CELTA.html :laughing: