The People You Meet in CELTA

Girl, I'm so interested in that piece of paper...

You sent your payment in and are getting ready to immerse yourself into the CELTA craziness. If you got to this stage, you know that its a small course. Max of 12. You may also be aware that these 12 people are the only people you will interact with for 120+ hours since the CELTA will be your life for the next month.

Ok. So?

The CELTA draws a large variety of people from a butt load of different backgrounds, locations, ages, and personalities. Because of the high variation, it is inevitable you will meet a lot of people you never thought you would meet, or perhaps wish you didn't. That sounded harsh. I actually met a few people I know I will stay in touch with for years to come.

Womp

As with any small, intimate group you are forced to interact with for an extended period of time, personalities will have a greater probablity of crashing. 

You will walk into the first day of class, take a look around and if you are anything like me, immediately beginning eyeing the people up. I mean its human nature. But hey, this is a new experience and you are ready to be open minded. You toss around that crumpled piece of paper the instructor made, awkwardly introducing each other. You think to yourself, "-s/he is hot  -fuck that guy  -nice catch dipshit". 

These could be your first thoughts, but they will change. You will find first impressions can, and do change. 

The next step is splitting the class in half, 6-6. These 5 other Celtoids you were randomly grouped with will become your 'family' for the next month, like it or not. You will interact with the others, but will spend 75% of your time with these 5. And don't think it ends after class, you will have to be in contact with these people on average 10 hours a day. Usually an hour before and after class; fighting over the copier, determining who is doing what lesson plan, or trying to fix your resub assignments together.

In my experience, there were a few macro-stereotypes I found in my class. These weren't exclusively in my 5, but the entire 12. 

The 'Lifetimer'. This guy started teaching ESL ages ago. He has a heap load of experience and can really teach, you might even think he is better than the instructor, and he very well could be. Either way, the instructor will give him a hard time. No one can be this good because this is the CELTA and you can't be good if you don't have a CELTA. He will be held to a stricter standard and everything he does will be evaluated with scrutiny. He's a cool guy though, and was one the people you will remain in contact with. Plus he's got some good maryjane hookups. Anyway, even if you don't like him, he is still a good resource about the ESL world, and may even help you find a job. Plus he will have a shit ton of good stories, if you are willing to listen. 

The Old Eccentric Guy. Don't confuse him the with Lifetimer. He may have dabbled in ESL but he has had a few other careers. Some you don't even find out about till the end of the course. You kinda want to stay away because he's not your age or just a bit socially awkward. Even so, he is always a good laugh. He has somehow been to more countries than the Lifetimer and is most likely married to a foreigner. 

God's Child. Jesus. Wait maybe I shouldn't use that. Whatever, this girl is too nice, but also retarded. She's also possible a vegetarian or vegan. She wants to spread the English language because its the Christian Language... You know, because Hebrew, Greek, or Latin weren't some of the first. Religion is a touchy subject, and you should know I am not a religious man, but when God's Child admits to the class that the world is only 6,000 years old and dinosaurs and people lived together, she starts to lose your respect. 

The Socially Awkward One. Just a weird person, but not Eccentric Guy weird. At least Eccentric Guy is entertaining and mysterious. The Socially Awkward One is impenetrable to social clues and very uncomfortable in social situations. He can't teach for crap and probably never will be able too. He is an extreme stereotype who mostly likely does not exist in most CELTA courses. He will be the very small minority that does not pass the CELTA. 

Pot/Bar/Sexpat Guy. He's whatever. He's a good time, likes to party, is younger, and does ok in the course... minus some outrageous comments. He will most likely try to organize a class party the first weekend and hit on all the girls in the course, even God's Child. He either wants a career change because 'My job right now isn't working out and imma get outta here' or, 'Hey, I just graduated, I'm down to kick around in another country for a bit and party my face off'. You'll find him at the bar or smoking up during the lunch break, but somehow pull off a decent lesson plan. You'll stay in touch with him because you know he'll always being doing some crazy shit. 

The Quiet Normal Person. That's it. They are quiet, normal, just don't like to talk a lot. You don't mind small talk with them, and they don't either. They're good people, but its hard to get to know them as they keep to themselves. 

That One Person You Hate. This person can't be described because everyone hates different kinds of people, but most likely, you will dislike someone. You won't know who it is until you get into the course, but they will most likely be there. It may even be one of the people I listed above, multiple people, or hopefully, no one at all. My advice. Put on a good face, let them use the copier before you unless absolutely necessary. Just don't gossip, it may interfere with your relations with the others. Wait till after the course to blog about them ;) 

Certificates in ESL

If you want to work in some backwater country for a shady school and low pay, you don't have to worry about any kind of certification to teach ESL. I know people who went to Thailand or something with just a highschool diploma or a BA in Psychology, but it didn't work out well for them.

However, if you want some decent pay, in a decent school and county, I would suggest getting some kind of certification. I would heed this advice even if you hold some sort of (advance)degree in a related field. I know a few friends with MATEFLs (which is a Masters degree in TEFL), whom admit it was largely theoretical and did not prepare them adequately to actually teach (think theoretical mathematics vs engineering). 

That being said, there is a difference between a degree and a certification. A degree is usually a lot broader and theoretical, earned over a long(er) period of time. A certifications is usually very intense and practical and shows a potential employer you have the motivation and specific skills to teach ESL. 

The good news is that a related degree without a certification will most certainly get you a job, but a certification will surely give you a pay raise as well as an advantage over the competition. It may even qualify you for an admin position.

But I just keep saying 'certification' which is pretty vague and not very helpful to you. So I am going to give a quick rundown of the different certifications in ESL you can get... or stay away from. 

Let's start with what you should stay away from. 

Anything online. No. Just no. This includes pure online courses as well as hybrid courses. These are not reputable, even though they have sparkly websites with tons of completely 'valid' testimonials. Some will promise that they are 120 credits or hours or guaranteed job placement. Don't fall for it. Some examples are Oxford Seminar, and TEFLonline. 

100% in-person courses are usually reputable. The best certifications are usually administered by well known universities that are at least 120 hours programs with 6 hours of observed teaching practice. They are usually labeled as certificates in TEFL or TESOL. Some vocational or county schools offer these, but I would try to stay away from them and look for a "name brand" university that offers a cert. If you find a program through one of these options, make sure it has at least 6 hours of observed teaching practice. Employers will want to see this, and it is usually listed on the certificate. 

The best, and I use "best" to say that they are the most reputable certifications, are both from England. They are the CELTA (Certification in English Language Teaching to Adults) and the Trinity CertTESOL. 

The CELTA is administered through University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) and in my opinion is the best entry level ESL certificate. You can take the course at Cambridge, but that can be very expensive. In North America, it is most commonly administered through private language institutes. To my knowledge there is only one US university that offers the CELTA -The University of Texas at Austin, which is where I earned my CELTA. Its a great program. Upon completion, you will also receive a TEFL cert. from the University of Texas for the price of just the CELTA. Check out the program here.  

The CELTA cost about $2,000-$2,500 and takes 4 weeks to complete, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Its very intense and you will live, eat, and breathe the CELTA for the 4 weeks. There is however, a less intense course that usually takes 8 weeks to complete, but these are less common. 

The Trinity CertTESOL is in my opinion the second best entry level certification you can get. It is administered through the Trinity College of London. It is very similar to the CELTA; it is an intensive 4 weeks course and cost about the same. Why I say its second best then is because it lacks some 'street cred' and the Cambridge name. Some people claim it is inferior to the CELTA because it does not include a input session of identifying learning styles, but from everything I have heard and read, it is equally as reputable, at least in Europe. The reason I say equal in Europe is because the CertTESOL is only offered in a few locations, namely; Barcelona, Prague, Kerala (India), London, and Cadiz, and has not been approved/accredited by any other TEFL organizations outside of Europe like the CELTA has. 

There are a host of other more advanced certifications you can get after you get the CELTA or CertTESOL, but they require a pre-requisite of one of the two to enroll in. 

My suggestion, get the CELTA, or at least a university certificate in TEFL/TESOL before you begin teaching.