TEFL/CELTA/CELT answers...

woodstock1708

MightyMc92 wrote: »

Just a quick question lads and lassies.i got a phone call yesterday off a love tefl representative,after I liked a link on the love tefl page on Facebook.the rep offered me a 120hour course for €152,reduced by 15% from €179 and open until 18:30pm Irish time this evening.i was wondering has anyone availed of this course before,I know it's accredited by the odlqc but is it accredited by the department of education?

This seems a little too good to be true... can you post the link please?

A good TEFL course is indeed over 100 hours, but that's time spent in the school, learning from good tutors and doing observed teaching practice... these cost more than 1000€ in Dublin city centre, perhaps closer to 2000€ now. (I did mine in 2011, so prices have changed.)

MightyMc92

Just a quick question lads and lassies.i got a phone call yesterday off a love tefl representative,after I liked a link on the love tefl page on Facebook.the rep offered me a 120hour course for €152,reduced by 15% from €179 and open until 18:30pm Irish time this evening.i was wondering has anyone availed of this course before,I know it's accredited by the odlqc but is it accredited by the department of education?

MightyMc92

woodstock1708 wrote: »

This seems a little too good to be true... can you post the link please?

A good TEFL course is indeed over 100 hours, but that's time spent in the school, learning from good tutors and doing observed teaching practice... these cost more than 1000€ in Dublin city centre, perhaps closer to 2000€ now. (I did mine in 2011, so prices have changed.)

Thanks for getting back to me so quick.This website says im not allowed post links as I am a new user but if you go onto the love tefl facebook page its the fifth status down the page, dated the 26th of June and it says ''want to win a free tefl course" with a pic of three boats. I spoke to the rep again there,she gave me a call on a private number(through skype) she was a very fast-talker and when i questioned her asking her if the course was accredited by the irish dep of education,she said she didnt know but that it was accredited by the ODLQC. Once I asked the question she wasnt too interested in me after that as she knew i wasnt going to pay for the course there and then. Is there many tefl courses that are accredited by the dep of education or would i have to do a celta course?

woodstock1708

It really depends on what you want to do with it.

I did the CELTA at International House Dublin in 2011 - the month-long intensive. I already had teaching experience - I was a high school Spanish teacher in the US and had been teaching English privately in Spain for several years - and I still learned a lot on the CELTA course.

If you want to make a career of teaching English, you should do the CELTA course, either here in Dublin or somewhere else. Something online is just not going to cut it.

If you want to travel and teach to scrape by, an online course might be the right option. But if you want to be a good teacher and get a job at a good school, you'll need a real CELTA course.

That being said, it is a dead end career, money-wise. I love teaching, but I have to work an insane number of hours to make a decent salary.

You're welcome to PM me with further questions.

gaiscioch

MightyMc92 wrote: »

Thanks for getting back to me so quick.This website says im not allowed post links as I am a new user but if you go onto the love tefl facebook page its the fifth status down the page, dated the 26th of June and it says ''want to win a free tefl course" with a pic of three boats. I spoke to the rep again there,she gave me a call on a private number(through skype) she was a very fast-talker and when i questioned her asking her if the course was accredited by the irish dep of education,she said she didnt know but that it was accredited by the ODLQC. Once I asked the question she wasnt too interested in me after that as she knew i wasnt going to pay for the course there and then. Is there many tefl courses that are accredited by the dep of education or would i have to do a celta course?

Be prepared to spend at least €1000 if you want to get a serious course. The ACELS CELT costs c. €1000. ACELS is the Irish Department of Education accrediting body, and CELT is the name of its own course. ACELS also recognises courses of a similar quality: TCL, CertESOL, and CELTA. The CELTA course is, however, c. €1500. CELT & CELTA are the two main awards for efl teachers in Ireland. If your qualification is not ACELS accredited (check the ACELS website), I wouldn't give it the time of day, particularly if you'd like to find employment as an EFL teacher in Ireland at some stage.

MightyMc92

A lot of people I have been talking to,who have went to Dubai,seem to have got in through Sabis Educational Services,having done an online tefl course. The only problem is If i do the course and choose to send an application form to sabis now I wont make it for the start of the calender year. i.e. September, it will be January before I am called and if i go in the middle of the year, I may not be contracted to a school and only get sub hours here and there,which will be no good to me. The desire for me to go in September is big but I am going to America at the end of July for two weeks and I wont have sufficient time to do a 4 week celt course which is accredited by the irish dep of education and go to do dubai in September. No doubt, I will need more time. Has anyone here taught english as a foreign language in Thailand,or know of the correct way to go about applying for jobs there.

Jan Laco

Hi guys,

Reading through sone of the questions and I am wondering are some of you starting from scratch?
I have no degree or had no teaching experience so far. My girlfriend lives and works in Spain and suggested that I could try to teach English there.

Is it possible to artend CELTA courses in evenings or weekends?

dwayneshintzy

Dublin have a part-time course in the International House, anyway. One starting in September, and one in February. It lasts 12 weeks; the last one that started in February, it was on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings. Not sure if the one starting in September will have the same schedule though.

gaiscioch

Jan Laco wrote: »

Hi guys,

Reading through sone of the questions and I am wondering are some of you starting from scratch?
I have no degree or had no teaching experience so far. My girlfriend lives and works in Spain and suggested that I could try to teach English there.

Is it possible to artend CELTA courses in evenings or weekends?

Yes, there are evening and weekend courses such as mentioned above. And, yes, you can do the CELTA without a degree, but the CELTA is in no way a replacement for a degree; it supplements it. Furthermore, if you spend €1500 on a CELTA course and then, down the road, you want to teach in an ACELS-accredited school in Ireland, you will not be qualified to do so simply because you do not have a degree behind your CELTA. Be very clear about this: "If you wish to teach in Ireland in a recognised school, you must have a university degree and a CELT/CELTA/TESOL qualification." (Source) To me, €1500 seems like a lot of money even if, at the moment, you only want to teach in Spain.

Moreover, many countries insist upon a degree as a necessary requirement for a work permit. In Spain, this is obviously not the case for an EU citizen. However, even one of the online tefl providers concedes "Due to the high levels of competition in Spain and France, you may struggle to get the better TEFL jobs without a degree, but you should still be able to find entry-level and summer camp positions."

Perhaps, for the moment, save your €1500 and see if you can get into one of those summer camps on the basis of English being your native language. Or even something like this just for experience which could lead to some paying job (although almost all sources agree that due to competition from native English speakers with degrees, it's almost impossible to get a decent-paying EFL job in Spain without a degree)

owenlynch1310

Hi,

I am interested in doing either the CELT or the CELTA course. I was planning on doing the CELT course as they have a course that starts at the end of Nov and ends the 18th of Dec. I plan on working as much as I can and then leaving my job , complete a CELT or CELTA then traveling to central and south America in January.

Basically I have the same age old question. Which course is better to do, the CELTA or CELT. I have read a lot of post on here and I know they are the same with regards to contents. The CELT seems like it would be a better option for me as it would allow me to work to a later date in the year where as the CELTA last course finishes the end of November which means I would be sitting around in Dec just wasting money until I can go in January. The CELT course is also €700 cheaper.

So I was just wondering if anyone knows anyone who has done CELT and taught in Central or South America . Also presumably the CELT is more well known now since its been knocking around for a while now.

I'd really appreciate any help or advice anyone could give as I am finding it really difficult to make a decision

yosser hughes

owenlynch1310 wrote: »

Hi,

I am interested in doing either the CELT or the CELTA course. I was planning on doing the CELT course as they have a course that starts at the end of Nov and ends the 18th of Dec. I plan on working as much as I can and then leaving my job , complete a CELT or CELTA then traveling to central and south America in January.

Basically I have the same age old question. Which course is better to do, the CELTA or CELT. I have read a lot of post on here and I know they are the same with regards to contents. The CELT seems like it would be a better option for me as it would allow me to work to a later date in the year where as the CELTA last course finishes the end of November which means I would be sitting around in Dec just wasting money until I can go in January. The CELT course is also €700 cheaper.

So I was just wondering if anyone knows anyone who has done CELT and taught in Central or South America . Also presumably the CELT is more well known now since its been knocking around for a while now.

I'd really appreciate any help or advice anyone could give as I am finding it really difficult to make a decision

Lets face it, you looking at the price difference and trying convince yourself they are both equally recognised.
They're not. Do the CELTA. That price difference will be insignificant in the long run. It's all about recognition and the CELTA is the internationally recognised qualification.

owenlynch1310

Hi,

yes I am definitely looking at the price. I don't see the point in in paying an extra 700 euro if I don't have to. Have you done the CELTA ?

CiboC

yosser hughes wrote: »

It's all about recognition and the CELTA is the internationally recognised qualification.

As is the CELT......!

owenlynch1310

CiboC wrote: »

As is the CELT......!

Hi, Thanks for the reply. Have you done the CELT or know of anyone who has travelled abroad with it.

I know it is recognised but many people seem to think the CELTA is the best option because you will get asked fewer questions by prospective employers when traveling. I am planning on going to central or south America.. Probably won't even matter that much there!

CiboC

Many people travel and teach abroad using their CELT qualification.

Within the EFL industry the CELT qualification is recognised as being equivalent to the CELTA. Any prospective employer who is looking at qualifications of prospective teachers will know that the CELT and CELTA are of equal status.

newthingsgirl

Hi Folks
im thinking of doing the celts 4 week course in ALT Bray starting in Oct.
I dont have a degree so applying to teach in any Dept of Ed facility is out.
does anyone know if I could teach English in an evening class in a VEC instead? does anyone do this currently? or does anyone teach English privately in their or their clients home? and is there much uptake for private lessons?
Thanks

AW2015

Hi Guys,

I'm looking into doing a CELT course in Dublin in the next month or two but have no idea which language school to choose.

Does anyone have any feedback on any of them?

Thanks!

CiboC

All the CELT providers are supposed to run their courses to a consistent standard set by QQI, have you narrowed down your choice by location, times, dates and price yet? Also check availability, many courses book out in advance.

Nymeria

Hey, I'm just wondering if anyone can help - I'm deciding whether to do the CELT or the CELTA before I go abroad to teach in Korea next year, and are some part time options for both starting in September.
I know from reading up that the CELTA is more recognised etc. and my gut tells me to just scrape together the extra money as it will probably be worth in the long run, especially if I want to work in Europe when I come back - the only slight problem is I don't have any proper references really for the application, and any experience that they may ask for the interview. The CELT application form doesn't mention references.

So for the CELTA it says they require two academic references - the most obvious one I can think of is my honours project supervisor from my degree who I really didn't get along with, and generally did not have a great relationship with I don't really fancy emailing him months later to ask for a favourable reference. I got on ok with some of my other tutors, but they might not remember me that well. Does anyone have any ideas about other options for references. How much do they take this into consideration?

Also, how difficult are the interviews? I have read about people not getting a place on the course even though they have experience (volunteering etc.) which I don't have.

Has anybody been in a similar situation?

Thanks.

dwayneshintzy

I did it in the International House, and it was grand (the interview). They really just want to see where your grammar knowledge is at the minute; if you're a native speaker (and have completed a degree) you SHOULD be more than capable for the course.

Where are you applying? I can't speak for CELT, but I would definitely recommend CELTA in International House in Dublin.

CiboC

Nymeria wrote: »

I know from reading up that the CELTA is more recognised

Not any more, this is old information. At this point both are equally recognised. You will not have any problems with a CELT certificate anywhere.

Nymeria wrote: »

Also, how difficult are the interviews? I have read about people not getting a place on the course even though they have experience (volunteering etc.) which I don't have.

Some CELT providers require a pre-course interview but the purpose of this is twofold.
1) to make sure that applicants are aware that they will need a primary degree to teach in a recognised EFL school in Ireland.
2) to make sure that the applicant knows what they are getting into. The courses are intensive and require a considerable amount of self study, particularly in the case of someone who may not be overly familiar with grammar.

Nymeria

Hi CiboC,

I'm more worried about language schools in other countries (apart from Ireland, the UK and Australia) not really recognising this and assuming they are different.

I'm still deciding between the two but the difference in cost is a big plus point for the CELT, is the extra cost simply because the CELTA is affiliated with Cambridge University?

Anyway, thanks for your reply.

CiboC

Hi Nymeria,

Recognition of the CELT is widespread right across the world, not only in Europe but also throughout Asia and the Middle East. Ireland does have good reputation as a destination within the EFL industry and this is reflected in knowledge of the bodies responsible for quality and standards in Ireland. Organisations like MEI and ACELS are known within the industry abroad.

In terms of course content the CELTA and the CELT are pretty much identical, the cost difference does not arise as a result of the course content so one would have to surmise that it is as a result of the level of greater administration on a CELTA course.

meelyb

Hi,

I want to start the next TEFL training courses this September in Madrid. International House Madrid is the only CELTA one I can see and starts September 1st. I am not available to go until Sept 3rd. They said I have to complete all hours. So there are other accredited TEFL courses in Madrid. One starts Sept 7th, perfect. 1375eur, 4wks 9.30am -7pm. Thing is, I am just worried that it is a waste of money in a sense. They are really marketing Americans and the experience of living in Madrid. I feel like they spun me a line by saying, apply quick there is one place left! While other sites, have the places left on a countdown for all to see. I hate feeling like a sales person got me even if it is all above board. It is the same price more or less as the CELTA but obviously doesn't have the Cambridge association that international job posts seem to request. I assume Employers ask for Cambridge or Trinity qualifications only as it saves them to bother of having to assess the standard or legitimacy of your TEFL cert given how saturated the market is with varying certs offered. I spent ages researching this companies reviews etc. whereas I wouldn't need to so much if they were International House. Same goes for the employer therefore. Has anyone done a non CELTA in Madrid. Or even a non CELTA abroad and did you find yourself restricted or having to justify it? Also, anyone know of Trinity tefl course in Madrid. The do not list centres the way CELTA does on their main website.

Choccie Lover

meelyb wrote: »

Hi,

I want to start the next TEFL training courses this September in Madrid. International House Madrid is the only CELTA one I can see and starts September 1st. I am not available to go until Sept 3rd. They said I have to complete all hours. So there are other accredited TEFL courses in Madrid. One starts Sept 7th, perfect. 1375eur, 4wks 9.30am -7pm. Thing is, I am just worried that it is a waste of money in a sense. They are really marketing Americans and the experience of living in Madrid. I feel like they spun me a line by saying, apply quick there is one place left! While other sites, have the places left on a countdown for all to see. I hate feeling like a sales person got me even if it is all above board. It is the same price more or less as the CELTA but obviously doesn't have the Cambridge association that international job posts seem to request. I assume Employers ask for Cambridge or Trinity qualifications only as it saves them to bother of having to assess the standard or legitimacy of your TEFL cert given how saturated the market is with varying certs offered. I spent ages researching this companies reviews etc. whereas I wouldn't need to so much if they were International House. Same goes for the employer therefore. Has anyone done a non CELTA in Madrid. Or even a non CELTA abroad and did you find yourself restricted or having to justify it? Also, anyone know of Trinity tefl course in Madrid. The do not list centres the way CELTA does on their main website.

I wouldn't pay that much for a non-CELTA course........

I see there are CELTA courses starting at Chester School and Hyland School on September 3rd......Would you make it to start on that exact day?

It's not unheard of to land jobs without CELTA though......Through all my research before going to Madrid, it certainly looked like that's all they would accept...but on the ground here I have worked with people with alternative ****ty certs.....I have a CELTA myself but never was asked to produce any certification by my school....

All that being said, the CELTA is very highly valued in Madrid and although you could get lucky without it, getting an alternative cert could bite you in the ass down the line when applying elsewhere....I certainly had a lot of issues with my ****ty cert before getting the CELTA.

Also, the teachers I know who got work without the CELTA did have the advantage of having prior teaching experience under their belt.....

Hope that helps

meelyb

Choccie Lover that definitely helps. I just spotted the Hyland there too. Was a bit suspicious of it as the Celta website only states International House:

http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/find-a-centre/find-a-teaching-centre/

I fly to Edinburgh Sunday to Wednesday. The Hyland course starts Thursday. I have actually come back from two and a half years in Canada ( two weeks ago) to do this so I guess I will be in the airport Wednesday anyway, may as well connect to Madrid!! I am lucky in that I have accommodation with a friend to start with. Just hope they will take me last minute on the course and it checks out okay.
Thanks

Choccie Lover

meelyb wrote: »

Choccie Lover that definitely helps. I just spotted the Hyland there too. Was a bit suspicious of it as the Celta website only states International House:

http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/find-a-centre/find-a-teaching-centre/

I fly to Edinburgh Sunday to Wednesday. The Hyland course starts Thursday. I have actually come back from two and a half years in Canada ( two weeks ago) to do this so I guess I will be in the airport Wednesday anyway, may as well connect to Madrid!! I am lucky in that I have accommodation with a friend to start with. Just hope they will take me last minute on the course and it checks out okay.
Thanks

Hyland are a reputable school in Madrid....as are Chester.......not sure why they aren't on the Cambridge English website with regard to the CELTA....perhaps contact Cambridge English just to treble check, but I wouldn't anticipate any problems....And good luck....if you have any questions about the CELTA or Madrid, just let me know :-)

meelyb

You're a star!

Choccie Lover

meelyb wrote: »

You're a star!

No probs.

BTW checked the Cambridge website and Hyland (and Chester) are both listed as CELTA centres as well as International House.

Good luck and hope you get a place!

meelyb

Choccie Lover wrote: »

No probs.

BTW checked the Cambridge website and Hyland (and Chester) are both listed as CELTA centres as well as International House.

Good luck and hope you get a place!

Oh the irony! Of the three official CELTA centres in Madrid, International House starts this Tuesday and yday told me they had one spot left. So I decided to ring the Hyland centre that starts on the Thursday (given my Fringe festival Endiburgh plans) to see if they had room as they did not answer my emails from last night yet. They cancelled the course as of last night as they were short one person. They then sent one of their cancelled students to the one spot that International House had available. IH just confirmed that this student took the last place. I was going to cancel my flights to Edinburgh altogether as this is more long term important.

My last option is Chester but I was a bit sus by the fact that they are 160eur cheaper. Turns out they are out in the burbs as is their offered accommodation. I don't fancy 'technically' living in Madrid really so looking at other options. Sad face.