Any CELTA experts around? (Any EFL teachers maybe?)

[BertieBotts]

Trying to finish one of my assignments. I have to think of a controlled and freer practice and I've been suggested to focus it on pronunciation, it's specifically for a Russian learner, so w/v or th would be best.

However - you can't really do freer practice for pronunciation, right? So what do I doooooo?

[CarpeVinum]

Oh go on. You know you want to

And I haven't had a good TEFL yatter in ages. The downside of working for yourself.

Well one of the downsides. I am the worst boss I have ever had. Horribly unsympathtic and making me go to work when I feel "ill".

[YoniBottsBumgina]

Haha. I'm in Germany and it's past 1am here!

The hassle/stress I was having earlier was over my other assignment, which I also had to rewrite. Language assessment or something, basically, we have to define an item of lexis using context and CCQs. I did fine on this for the first one (vocab) but the second one was a pain - it was all grammar, which is fine, 2 out of 3 were fairly easy because they have one meaning (I've lost X, and shouldn't have) but they also wanted us to define the passive voice using context and CCQs.

Eventually I just changed the example they gave us (the house was built in X) to something that sounded more natural to me (my bike was stolen) and then the CCQs were about whether it was important that the bike was stolen, or who stole it, but I don't know if I will get marked down (I failed the other one because I changed "pension" to "pension scheme") - I just found it really difficult to identify a structure, rather than one set meaning, using CCQs and context.

[CarpeVinum]

Well your questions sound fine. Emphasis in the right place in terms of underlining the function of the passive voice.

I think the only minor whinge might be pension SCHEME, but that's cos I live in Italy and by using scheme I would have ended up derailed by a false friend.

I think the bike lends itself better to engaging context than the house. Pic of distraught man in silly helmet and indecent shorts flapping about in front of a policmen asking questions. Bob's your uncle.

[saffronwblue]

Well you have nailed the concept of the passive that we don't know or don't want to say. So your ccqs are about "do I know who stole the bike?' so I'm sure you will be fine. I can't comment on how prescriptive your tutors are likely to be about changing the topic.

What week of the course are you in? How is TP going?

[CarpeVinum]

about whether it was important that the bike was stolen, or who stole it

If they come back to you on that, with the passive the agent is unimportant, or unknown. Both could work with the bike.

My bike was stolen (which is why I'm late) agent unimportant
My bike was stolen (and I want you to find and arrest and HANG the fucker!) agent unknown.

I like your bike example.

It is giving me ideas for the next time I teach the passive which will nclude men in silly shorts.

So I am stealing it.

[saffronwblue]

Yes, the passive puts the focus on the outcome.The bike was stolen, the man was shot, the harvest was brought in, the email was hacked, etc etc.

[CarpeVinum]

In fact I like all the examples here better than the yawn fest that mades it into the text books.

I want more bike stealing, email hacking, people shooting and a damn sight less company founding, building building, and other assorted boring bollocks that sends me and the student(s) to sleep.

[YoniBottsBumgina]

Ha thanks! I'm technically in week 12 we lost half a week because of the snow and then because it's extended past Easter it's been pushed even further because some people couldn't make certain dates. And I have a 40 minute TP to catch up on which I missed due to illness, but I'll miss observing at that level because I'm abroad, and I haven't taught them for about 6 weeks now. Annoying, oh well. I can look back over the video footage they made us take and everyone was too self conscious to watch! Apart from this we just have one last input session, they said on my last TP they thought I was safe to release into the world... sounds slightly ominous. I did have a brilliant last TP, though, I got them to write limericks, which everyone except the mad teacher said would never work and it DID

YY my CCQs are something like that - what happened to the bike, do I know who stole it, is it important who stole it? (No because the rest of the context is about how I have to get the bus now) - although being late is better, ah well.

[CarpeVinum]

Needing to get the bus is just as good as being late. It just helps put what is being siad in context, and the bus does that really well.

Man in silly shorts at bus stop is also quite funny. And brill image for setting up a context.

12 weeks! Bloody hell it's got long. When I did it it was only four weeks.

[YoniBottsBumgina]

Text books are dullsville, only ever entertaining unintentionally. We should make a mumsnet one.

[YoniBottsBumgina]

Oh you can still do it in 4 weeks, but I am doing it part time which is supposed to be 10/11 weeks. - then again I am working part time too, so I suppose it does count. Must be pretty hardcore in 4, though.

"I am late" would have been better because it's simpler language than "I have to get the bus" and my tutor is picky about language of context being graded so that the only tricky part is the target language.

[YoniBottsBumgina]

I think the mumsnet textbook needs references to Centre Parcs. And the oxo tower. And pom bears, of course.

[CarpeVinum]

ohhh I spy a business op

English with Mumsnet

Unit 1 - The Imperitive: How to tone your Fanjo.
Unit 2 - Functions- Giving advice: You should leave the bastard !
Unit 3 - Model verbs for making deductions: Troll spotting.

heh

[YoniBottsBumgina]

Brilliant

Unit 4 - Adverbs of degree. How unreasonable are you being?

[YoniBottsBumgina]

Unit 5 - Intonation: Did you mean to sound so rude?

[CarpeVinum]

Must be pretty hardcore in 4

Wine helped.

Don't think I slept much.

But I was about a million years younger and had stamina in those days. No way I could do it now. I'd fall over.

[CarpeVinum]

YoniBottsBumgina



I think we could get seven units out of AIBU alone.

Justine's lifestory can feature as reading comp.

Oh feck, we are back to boring passive as an extension activity

"Mumsnet (to found) in 1997. It's forums (to open) to posters at half past 8 and within five minutes the inaugural bunfight (to initiate) when CuntyChops (to accuse) of being a judgemental bint who probably worked for the Daily Fail. faces (to post) by various agents from MNHQ to no avail. Gin (to consumed) by the vatload when the server (to crash) by an influx of trolls from ARSE.


I'm sure we could shoe horn a bit of email hacking int here at least.

[saffronwblue]

I've delivered both 4 week and 12 week courses and always found the part time mode became a drain on everyone. Most people can carve out 4 weeks for solid intensity, but anything longer and real life starts to intrude.

Unit 6 Vocab "naice"
Unit 7 Swearing in context
Unit 8 Reading skills- read the whole fucking thread first!

[CarpeVinum]

read the whole fucking thread first!



and then we can confuse them by banging on about skimming and scanning instead of reading every single word intensively (with a dictionary in hand)

[YoniBottsBumgina]

I agree saffron. Everyone started out saying, god, I don't know how anyone does this in 4 weeks, then by half term we all understood

It's great though. I'm really enjoying it. Not sure 3 weeks off for Easter was sensible, as I'm struggling to get back into it now, but I definitely feel it's been worth it. I don't think I'd have managed a 4 week one with a DC anyway.

[FiteFuaite]

I hear your Ship or Sheep and raise you a Tree or Three

Do you oldies remember Offstage? And Challenge to Stink? I mean,Think?!

I bought them off the net recently for old time's sake and it was such a blast from the past. I am prob the oldest tefler on here,though :(

[CarpeVinum]

Challenge to Stink? I mean,Think?

Oh yes.

Not offstage though.

Are you our golden oldie FiteFuaite

Evidence that TEFLers never do get to retire.

I think I'll be doing this till they are no longer able to prop me up, or I get demensia. Pensions not being a typical benefit offered.

Oh well, by the time I hit fifty years service at least I may have finally perfected teaching relative pronouns.

I hate relative pronouns. Not sure why. I Just Do.

[YoniBottsBumgina]

I need to pick all of your brains again :)

What is worse as a first-teaching-job-after CELTA type experience? The "language factories" like Berlitz etc, or going straight into freelance? I am a bit nervous about going freelance straight away but it seems that Berlitz etc might be my only option otherwise. That was the route I assumed I'd go down - generic language school and then branch out once I feel confident in my own ability to teach and set a curriculum etc, but then someone has said the teaching conditions are awful. Are they really so bad?

[saffronwblue]

Can't comment about the teaching conditions but the problem with big factories like Berlitz is they often have a "method" which is like a script and violates everything you have just learned about interactive languge teaching. On the other hand, freelancing means you probably are not getting support from other teachers or leadership in the curriculum. I would look for a small school just to build up your confidence and allow you to try out some different techniques. It is a lovely liberating feeling when you are not in TP and you can just find your natural style.

[Salbertina]

Yes, their method is 9-steps or something (or was that AA?!)..anyway, contradicts everything you learn on a celta course, pay poor and principal used yo be able to listen in to a class.. Not sure if this is even legal now.
Id recommend a school which recognizes the celta and requires it.