Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id j1GI83C17738; Wed, 16 Feb 2005 13:08:03 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 13:08:03 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <s213452a.086@mailgate.lagcc.cuny.edu> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "John J. Hunt" <jhunt@lagcc.cuny.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:10745] RE: Teaching Certificates- TEFL, CELTA. etc X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise Internet Agent 6.5.1 Status: O Content-Length: 6766 Lines: 169 I would highly recommend the CELTA to anyone who wants to start in TESOL, especially if you are interested in travelling abroad and don't want to devote the time to doing a full MA program. It is four weeks of full-time training: AM workshops on communicative / interactive lessons and afternoon practice teaching under the supervision of qualified trainers. I have heard it described as "trial by fire" and "boot camp" for TESOL teachers. I did and enjoyed the CELTA years ago in New York (and the DELTA later on in Spain) and have hired many new teachers who have come through the certificate program. I found most graduates (especially those earning a grade A or B) to be even better prepared that some teachers with MA from programs that relied too much on theory and forgot about actually teaching real students. __________________________________ John Hunt, Assistant Director Center for Immigrant Education and Training Division of Adult and Continuing Education LaGuardia Community College, CUNY 29-10 Thomson Avenue, Room C231 LIC, NY 11101 1-718-482-5926 >>> mcazabon@hotmail.com 2/16/2005 8:05:24 AM >>> Hello Eric, RSA CTEFLA = Royal Society of Arts Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Adults. This qualification was formerly known as CTEFL. It is done in conjunction with UCLES (University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, I think). Marian >From: Eric Bestrom <erichmong@yahoo.com> >Reply-To: nifl-esl@nifl.gov >To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> >Subject: [NIFL-ESL:10728] Teaching Certificates- TEFL, CELTA. etc >Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2005 05:20:35 -0500 (EST) > >Dear Ms. Rasool, > > From what I know, RSA Dip-TEFLA, is a rigorous, >standardized British advanced degree. I don't know >for sure, but RSA stands for something like Royal >Society of Anglia (of Anglophilia?). Don't quote me >on that. "Dip" stands for "Diploma", and you can >imagine how TEFLA is connected to teaching English as >a Foreign Language. > >CELTA is a certificate showing that one has passed a >basic training course to learn how to teach English to >speakers of other languages. This course, its >standards and its certificate were developed at >Cambridge University. It can be used as an initial >stepping stone to further study in British higher >education in teaching English to speakers of other >languages. CELTA used to be known as CTEFLA or the >RSA Certificate. You can read one source about it at >the link below: > >http://www.cambridgeesol.org/teaching/celta.htm > >Also offering a basic training in teaching English as >a foreign language are schools which award TEFL >Certificates. There is no universal accreditation and >review board for TEFL Certificates. TEFL Certificates >are not standardized in their requirements, hence >there is a lot of variation in the quality of the >schools which award them. TEFL certificate schools >are often less expensive than schools which award >CELTA and do usually do not have as strong an >orientation toward British English. I recommend >comparison of teacher training courses and schools in >any case. A good place to start research into this is >on the discussion boards at Dave's ESL Cafe- the URL >is http://www.eslcafe.com. > > >From 1996 to the end of 1998, I was a teacher trainer >for the ITC teacher-training school in Prague, Czech >Republic. Full disclosure: I am going to describe my >former employer in the next paragraph and I am going >to praise them. I liked working for them in my time, >and I have heard and read good things about them >since. At any rate, the description of the program >also gives you a sketch of similar TEFL certificate >programs. Again, I advise you to compare many >different schools of different types in different >locations before making your choice. > >ITC offered a 120-hour intensive course. Trainees had >to do about 4 contact hours of trainer- and >peer-critiqued teaching practice with non-native >English learners (mostly Czech volunteers, but some >Chinese, Vietnamese, Ukrainians and Russians who lived >in Prague). There was about 3 hours of observing and >discussing notes taken on experienced teachers >teaching live classes. Each trainee spent about 12 >hours observing other trainees' practice lessons to >the English learners and learning how to analyze and >write standardized critique sheets to benefit these >peers. Additionally, about 5 hours were spent >analyzing and discussing each other's practice lessons >after observation. Consistently, graduates of our >program reported that the element they appreciated >most in our program was this emphasis on critiqued >teaching practice. The second most appreciated >element of the program was language analysis- ie. a >brush-up on the fundamentals of the structures and >functions of English grammar, and the best practices >for teaching these items to speakers of other >languages most effectively. American trainees without >previous English teaching experience often especially >needed the grammar brush-up! The school also gained >praise because of its job placement assistance for >graduates. ITC has familiarity or working >relationships with school directors in various >countries who are keen to hire recommended ITC >graduates. Some trainees enrolled in the program >after having taught English abroad already for some >time and saw the course as a way to add to their >teaching "bag of tricks". Americans and British were >the most common enrollees in the course and seemed to >find the easiest employment with the TEFL Certificate, >especially in Eastern Europe or East, West or South >Asia. Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders also >were frequent enrollees and when they graduated found >relatively easy employment with a TEFL Cert in the >same places. Western Europe offered easier employment >for Brits (EU members) with CELTA certificates or >advanced degrees. It was difficult to place our >graduates in, e.g., the Netherlands. > >The address of my old employer follows: > >http://www.itc-training.com/ > >Well, I hope this helps you. Please feel free to >e-mail me or post to the list if you have additional >questions. > > >===== >Eric Bestrom >Functional Work English instructor >Hmong-American Partnership >1121 Glenwood Avenue >Minneapolis MN 55405 > >E-mail: erichmong@yahoo.com >Telephone: 612-377-6482 >Fax: 612-377-4633 > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around >http://mail.yahoo.com _________________________________________________________________ FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar - get it now! http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/
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