ESL Certification: Teach Around The World
This week Alisha Robertson told us her tips on how to incorporate teaching ESL into your career break travels. She mentioned that she actually got certified to teach ESL while she was still living in America; but what does that certification entail and is it really necessary?
[singlepic=1863,275,,,right]First of all, certification normally comes in a couple different forms – CELTA (Certificate for English Language Teaching to Adults) is the most known and recognized. It’s a certification offered by Cambridge University and known throughout the world. Most places require that you have a certificate in order to teach at an English Language school. Keep in mind that certification is not necessary for volunteering, however it does help your effectiveness!
CELTA certification is the same all over the world. It consists of 4 weeks of learning content. It can usually be done in an intensive one month of classes or in night classes over the course of a number of months. It’s not a cake walk - there are homework assignments and instructors are grading & constantly critiquing you.
What It’s Not
You won’t learn grammar rules! The certification is simply learning how to manage the classroom, plan a lesson, and teach a range of grammar lessons. It basically teaches you how to analyze grammar so that you can implement it in the classroom.
Real Life Experience
Implement what you learn immediately…that afternoon! You get experience teaching by instructing students of various levels and being critiqued by the instructors. You have to plan the lesson and deliver it just as you do when you are teaching abroad.
Is It Necessary?
Sometimes. It certainly can’t hurt and it’s actually a great learning experience. With a university degree and a CELTA, you can pretty much get a job anywhere in the world. That’s a powerful combination. However with no CELTA, it’s still possible to get a job – but much harder. Most schools will require a certification no matter what your background is (unless you are already a teacher!). But in person networking is always best; more often than not once they see your career background they will probably give you a second look.
However, why not consider certification while you are in the planning stages of your career break - it’s something that can be done while you are working and will simply expand your options while on the road for working or volunteering. Places like Teaching House, with 4 locations in the US, offer night classes that can fit your schedule. Plus – as an added bonus you meet a lot of great international people who love to travel and live abroad – so you’ll immediately bond with them!
Teaching House has locations in New York City, Boston, Miami, and San Diego.
4 Responses to “ESL Certification: Teach Around The World”
Other comments
9 Comments on "A Year in Paris"-
Leah on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 8:12 am
I really enjoyed reading your post. I am thirty-two soon and have itchy feet that are ready to try out foreign soils.
It is a fear of leaving the security of the day to day grind of paying the bills and living a safe and non-challenging way of life that has put me on hold for some time.
I hope (as it has I) your post will inspire others to go and follow their bliss – Leah 🙂 -
Patricia GW on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 8:54 am
Travel and experiencing a new culture really has put it into perspective, and filled that void with purpose (and joy).
In three weeks I’ll be moving to Paris myself for one month. I have the same feeling – the incredible surreal realization that I’m going to be living there…. it’s thrilling!!
-
Abby on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 2:11 pm
Oh, Jenny! Escargot isn’t palatable — it’s delicious! I love your writing style; it’s so fun and energetic. Can you believe how far we’ve come? Everyone, Jenny and I were in the exact same industry and have known each other online and via work emails for years and years. But we’ve only met once, many, many years ago. And one of those jobs she was sleeping next to her BlackBerry for was one I’d just left. And now she’s 33 and living abroad, just like I was last year. Kindred spirits. Jenny, you’re a true inspiration — I can’t wait to see how your adventure unfolds!
-
Debbie Beardsley on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 3:22 pm
Your life in Paris sounds ideal. It is nice to read about people who follow their dreams instead of wishing they had! Enjoy the rest of your journey.
-
Terriaw on Tue, 7th Jun 2011 1:40 pm
Wow, fabulous and well said! I love your new outlook on like. After experiencing career burnout and feeling a little lost and purposeless lately, you have encouraged me. I look forward to seeing Paris someday!
-
Jenny on Tue, 7th Jun 2011 6:50 pm
merci for all the sweet comments! @abby we are soooo kindred spirits! well except when it comes to our differing feelings on escargot…;) and congrats patricia on the move! thrilling indeed!
-
shawna on Thu, 9th Jun 2011 1:32 am
you’ve reawakened my travel bug. must. return. to. france. (someday.) eat a croissant for me!
-
Weekly Travel Blog Links — LandingStanding on Mon, 13th Jun 2011 6:16 am
[…] how badly I want to go to Paris… If only we could afford living there for an extended period of time during our travels! Any […]
-
G. Michael Schneider on Sun, 19th Jun 2011 3:36 pm
I am a firm believer in living and working overseas, just as you described. However, many of us actually like our jobs and our homes and are simply looking to renew and refresh our lives, not change it. However, you can have the same type of cultural experience without having to reach into your own wallet and without having to quit your day job–by taking what I call a “working vacation.” My wife and I have done this 15 separate times, from Australia to Zimbabwe, Turket to Tibet, Mauritius to Mongolia. I describe how to do it in my blog otherguysdime.wordpress.com and via Twitter at @otherguysdime. Learn how to have fun without having to have burn any of your bridges behind you.
2010-08-11 12:49
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Sherry Ott, Pamela MacNaughtan. Pamela MacNaughtan said: RT @ottsworld: What is #ESL certification and do you really need it to teach/volunteer abroad? http://su.pr/8mWJgM #careerbreak [...]
2010-08-11 16:17
Luckily the school I'll be teaching out didn't want any certification at all. Regardless though, I've been researching and learning what to do in the classroom.
2010-08-12 03:39
Wow - you are lucky considering its China - many of the Asian countries prefer certification! Let me know if you have any questions or need any tips Mike - I'm happy to share any CELTA tips with you!
2010-11-02 15:25
One of the best places to be trained to Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) is International TEFL Academy. http://www.internationalteflacademy.com
They train and assist thousands of people to teach in all corners of the globe.
Though some schools in developing countries may not require a TEFL / TESOL / CELTA certification, most do. Either way, it's your job to be a professional English teacher to paying students who count on a trained teacher to help them learn a vital language.
A great day living abroad is doing a good job at work and then enjoying the rest of the day in another culture.
A bad day is floundering in a job with paying customers looking at you with blank stares 5 hours a day and then going home after work looking up information on the internet trying to learn how to do your job before you are fired or quit in frustration.
Just the reality of teaching abroad