Hi everyone,
I am new to this site today and would like to know if anyone can give me any advice regarding CELTA please.
I have my interview for the course next week, which I am a bit nervous about. I was told there was nothing to prepare for, yet from doing my own research I now know I will be asked to do a 5 minute lesson. My understanding is that it can be on any topics, can anyone give me any advice on this please? Although I've been told I do not need to prepare, I definitely want to plan the topic that I will discuss if required!
Alternatively, if you can provide any information about the course, I would be grateful. I am reading some of the required and recommended books, as well as forums like this and finding it all very useful, thanks!
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Hi!
When I was interviewed to take the CELTA course I wasn't told to prepare a lesson. Actually the interview consists of the tutour asking you about your teaching experience (if you have it) and your expectations for the course. Through this interview they will also assess your spoken English.
Before taking the course I also researched about it on the internet because I wanted to know what some people who had taken the course thought about it and I got a bit scared. Everyone talks about the pressure and the stress. My best advice to you is: take things easy. Be committed, do whatever you're told to, but don't push on yourself too hard. Oh, also be prepared to deal with criticism. Don't take it personally. Take advatange of everything your tutour and your mates say.
Good luck!
Thanks for your reply, its good to hear from others. I think its fear of the unknown that is worrying me.
I appreciate your words of wisdom though!
Hi, I am about to embark on CELTA and am a bit scared about the sort of pressure that is likely to be on me. I have been reading comments made by people who have had the experience of the course including yours. However, I am rather concerned about some of the particular areas that I need to look into or be more focused on. It is suggested that the indepth knowledge of grammar and the key terms used to refer to the same would be highly indespensible. One last thing, which books would be recommended to be read in order to be successful?
Look forward to an expert advice.
Thanks.
The CELTA certainly is very intensive. In my experience:
So every now and then someone finds it easier than expected - everyone's different, I suppose.
Regarding preparing yourself before you start, though, I would highly recommend that you do the following (and do it seriously - not just a quick 'skim'):
While completing the task, make sure you really take the time to refer to:
Pay particular attention to the units/chapters on (skim through other chapters, but read these chapters carefully):
You don't need to 'know your grammar' completely, you just need to know the common terms used to describe and breakdown the grammar. If you are familiar with the following you'll have a good advantage:
Some resources I'd recommend (just one from each group should be plenty):
Hope that helps.
Thank you Heath for your invaluable and practical advise as they would introduce me to a pragmatic approach and make me even more confident on the first day of the course. I feel quite alright with the first and the third point you mentioned above, though am a little concerned about the second point related to studying resource of teaching methodology. Unfortunately, I haven't had time to read them or even access them, either sicne I though I would get them from the school library no sooner do I begin the course. I have ten to fifteen days ahead to begin with the course, and am wondering if I could study the books on teaching methodoly later when the course triggers or shall I immediately get those books now and start reading them. What if these books aren't available in my country?
The course is intense, but easily passable. I guess some tips I could offer would be to learn the terminology used by CELTA and the trainers (CCQs, freer practice, guided discovery) as it is presented, and make sure you understand it as you go along. That means ask questions if you don't know something, and ask for clairification if you don't understand something. This is important because every thing you learn builds on itself, and it week 3 you don't want to be relearning what was presented in week 1.
2nd: implement what you learn in input sessions in the mornings into your lesson plans. They will go over a guided discovery in training, and then you should try and create a lesson plan using that technique. It's important to put into practice what you learn during your practice teaching.
Finally, as mentioned before, the two books I used most in CELTA were "Learning Teaching" by Jim Scrivener and "How to Teach English" by Jeremy Harmer.
I'm not good at grammar myself, despite having a degree in English, so I have found "Grammar In Use" by Raymond Murphy very helpful during CELTA and in my post-CELTA teaching.
Good luck!
P.S. After a year of teaching in Korea and then choosing to do CELTA I found that CELTA was very important for professional development. In Asia the chances of getting any sort of feed back on your teaching are very, very low. CELTA may be the only opportunity you get to have somebody really look critically at your teaching and tell you honestly what you need to be working on to become a better teacher.
Sorry, I meant those only as suggestions to get a head start. The more you do the easier the course will be, but the only essential component is the Pre-Course Task.
That means the pre-course carries alot of weight! and I envisage I have got to ponder this in much great detail. Thak you Heath.
CELTA is a very well designed course from the pre-course task to the very last day of the program there is never a wasted moment. I spent a lot of time finishing the pre-course task and i think it helped me to pass the course. Good suggestion