Anyone done a CELTA course?

[ruby2019missyou]

Hi
I am looking for recommendations as to where (online) I can do a CELTA course. Please recommend/dis recommend places to me. Cost is a factor. I am considering a change in career and I want to teach TEFL in the UK either at a language school or privately or online. I believe it's better to do a CELTA course than anything else.
Thanks

Echoing the comments about maybe doing an introductory online course, and waiting for the CELTA - which can seemingly be done partially online now, but not completely due to the observed teaching element. I did the CELTA course in 2007 and it changed my life, I then went on to study further in the field but that was the stepping stone. Whereabouts are you? I couldn't recommend the FE college I studied at enough! Good luck.

Thanks for starting this thread, OP. How much opportunity is there for work afterwards? I’m rather tempted by the part time option.

OP- sorry - I meant studying grammar! Nothing to do with the way you write! Lots of trainees find the English grammar tough, e.g. explaining tenses, unless they have a background in languages. I think a pp mentioned the grammar book which is worth getting to know to save time once you start studying.

Best of luck. I've met most of my friends through TEFL and very envious of you starting out!

You could try this CELTA pre-interview task. ( you will be asked to do one)

foyle.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/CELTA-Pre-interview-Task.pdf

I did the 4 week Celta course - utterly gruelling. I've teens and that made it so much easier-the course is full on & I found it really stressful. But - it worked for me .I'm working at a college, the hours are good and I love it. It's a second career for me.

Due to current circumstances the observed teaching element is being offered as observed online teaching so yes, it is possible at the moment to do it entirely online.

I looked at the course last year, my local university offers it and runs a taster day. The fact that I couldn't go to the taster day due to a domestic emergency made me rethink whether I could commit to the course itself. It's a lot of money and a big commitment. The attraction for me was the potential to work from home.

I thought about this a couple of years ago but when I looked at job applications for ESOL teachers FE colleges and other providers asked for a CELTA qualification PLUS a generic teaching qualification (I think it was CETTLLS (!) or PGCE at the time). Is this other peoples experience? Did you get teaching jobs with just a CELTA?

Ah just realised EFL and ESOL aren't the same thing...

They are and they aren't. It's about context of the delivery.

EFL is usually abroad and with classes of learners all speaking the same L1, or in private language schools in the UK ( or another English speaking country - Malta is a favourite) with groups of students from different countries but learning English in a way we might learn French, or Spanish. There's also a growing online industry too with companies often based in China who look for native speaker teachers.

ESOL is for learners who live here and need English for their day to day lives.

CELTA ( although there is also Trinity) is the industry standard and the route into both options if considering a longterm ( rather than gap year/funding your travel) career.

Thanks @MaryHill very helpful. Is the CELTA enough for UK FE colleges? The jobs I have seen ask for a teaching qualification on top of this (PGCE or CETTLLS). Thanks.

I work in a FE college and also for the local authority. I have CELTA and some other SQA Applied Practitioner certificates. I don't have any teaching qualifications.

Many FE colleges actually require DELTA, but if you can gain experience of delivering credited courses ( here in Scotland it's SQA) then that can often make the difference.

There are other ESOL jobs working for third sector organisations, like the Red Cross or local Housing Associations and other community projects often linked to employability, mostly dependent on short term funding, but they are very worthwhile and rewarding. College work can be rather results driven whereas community working is often more people centred. I like having the balance of both. :)

As an aside, when I decided to retrain and began researching options, I was advised by a well meaning and very experienced College HOC that I shouldn't imagine I would ever make a full time career of ESOL teaching, competition for jobs is so stiff. She suggested it would be a nice hobby, or volunteer role. But I've done it, and I now teach in her college. I haven't ever reminded her of the advice, although I did say to her she had been very helpful as I started out...

I did my CELTA at Language Link on Earls Court Road, 12 years ago, two evenings a week plus a few Saturdays. It took about 8 weeks or so. You have to be assessed and given a grade. It's intensive and you can't miss classes without getting some sort of penalty on your score. I did it as a second wing to my bow, then the financial crash happened and it saved my life, finances-wise. It has repaid itself easily. They interview you before and give you a grammar test to see if you're up to it.

That's great @MaryHill it must just be the colleges round here (London) asking for teaching quals on top or maybe it's a new requirement. Sounds like a hugely rewarding job and great you have made a full time career from it.

That's useful to know @AllInADay I may well retrain one of these days!