Don't get us wrong - we love CELTA!
The CELTA course is a valuable qualification that
thousands of teachers have benefitted from. It does not, however, suit all the
teachers in our context. We developed the ‘Certificate in Teaching Skills’ (CTS)
suite of courses as context-specific alternatives to CELTA and other externally
validated courses because our needs are sometimes different.
Specifically:
· CELTA is
specifically for teachers of adult learners. Our teachers work with very Young
Learners (K-1), Primary (Grades 2-5), Secondary (Grades 6-11), young adults
preparing for academic studies in English (university Preparatory Schools or
Schools of Foreign Languages) and
teacher-managers who need mentoring-training skills. We have separate courses
for each of these different groups.
· CELTA is
a pre-service course for people who have probably never been in a classroom.
Its methodology developed out of the methods devised for training teachers for the Peace Corps. Our teachers are already in the classroom. They have different
needs specific to their own language learning histories and their beliefs about
how to teach or learn a foreign language, therefore they need a tailor-made
course. They also come with some habits that need to be reconsidered.
· The CELTA
application involves a pre-course task and an interview. We do not have an
application process. Every English language teacher who is put forward can be
accepted.
· CELTA
candidates are required to have a high C1 level of English. We accept any level
of English on a CTS course.
· On a
CELTA, teachers have to carry out practice teaching successfully at two distinct
levels; e.g. pre-intermediate and upper intermediate. Beginners are not
preferred for practice classes because they require a different methodology.
Pre-intermediate and intermediate students are not distinct levels, and not
acceptable. These factors make arranging the CELTA practice teaching component
quite complicated. Instead, the practice teaching (micro-teaching) on CTS is
done with the other teachers in the same group.
· The CELTA
course is typically a one-month, intensive experience. It can be hard for
teachers to commit this much time, especially if they have young children. Our
CTS course can easily be split into two, two-week sections given in consecutive
years. Also, teachers’ motivation tends to be higher on shorter courses.
· On CTS we
use the course books teachers will teach that academic year for practice
teaching so they will be able to put into practice what they have learned. This
may not be the case on CELTA.
· We do not
aim to cover as many objectives as CELTA. (See below.) We prefer to ensure that
all participants have got the basic skills needed to teach well.
· Organising
a CTS course is relatively simple as the institution deals directly with
SeltAcademy.
We highly recommend taking CTS courses as a starting
point and continuing with CELTA/ DELTA and an MA in ELT as a path of
professional development.
Comparison
of CELTA and CTS aims
“The (CELTA) course enables candidates to:
• acquire essential
subject knowledge and familiarity with the principles of effective teaching
• acquire a range of
practical skills for teaching English to adult learners
• demonstrate their
ability to apply their learning in a real teaching context.
Candidates who
complete the course successfully can begin working in a variety of ESOL
teaching contexts around the world.” (Taken from the CELTA syllabus, p. 2)
The CTS course enables candidates to:
• acquire essential
knowledge about teaching language systems (grammar, lexis and pronunciation)
and training students in reading, writing, listening and speaking skills
• acquire
familiarity with recognised principles of effective teaching
• acquire a range of
practical skills for challenging their own learners
• demonstrate their
ability to apply their learning in micro-teaching with peers or real students
It also guides candidates towards resources for their
future, on-going professional development.
Candidates who complete the CTS course successfully
will be more effective in their working context.
CTS courses study the elements of CELTA that are most
useful for our teachers and add elements that they need which would not be
covered on a typical CELTA.
What
are the benefits of a CTS course?
When we describe the benefits of taking a CTA course
to teachers and to administration, we emphasize the following components of our
course.
· We aim to
help teachers plan effective lessons based on the needs and characteristics of
their learners. Their lessons should have an aim. Language should be
contextualized.
· We show
teachers ways to choose useful activities, set them up, give clear
instructions, monitor effectively and give useful feedback. We teach them to
start on time and finish the lesson rather than letting the bell finish the
lesson for them. These points help them a great deal with classroom management.
· We
encourage them to give more challenging activities and to develop learner
autonomy as appropriate.
· We give
them the skills to teach grammar and vocabulary in English, without using the
students’ mother tongue.
· We show
them practical pronunciation activities they can use with their students.
· We show
them how to plan skills lessons. [Top tips: Don't read all the reading passages out loud and don't display the transcripts while listening to the audio.]
· We teach
teachers how to reflect on student learning.
· We work
with their course books so they see practical ways to use them in class.
· We
encourage them to see how students should progress from module to module (in a
university context).
· We
include many sessions on Teacher Language; e.g. questions, transitions,
eliciting, presenting language, feedback, etc.
· We
correct the teachers’ fossilized language errors.
· We give
the participants many resources for their future professional development for
after the course finishes.
Every teacher is an individual learner so every
teacher picks up on different parts of the course according to their needs and
awareness level. Professional development must continue afterwards to get the
full benefit of the course.
When you choose a professional development course for your school, make sure it reflects the needs of the teachers and students (and other stake holders) accurately.
Successful
completion of CTS
A certificate of attendance is awarded at the end of
the first two-week course and a certificate of achievement is given at the end of the
second two-week course, assuming the participant meets the criteria. For the
CTS-Academic, participants earn a separate certificate for each three-day module.
To be awarded a certificate, participants must:
· attend
100% of sessions
· maintain
a portfolio of all their lesson plans, handouts, session notes and other work.
This should be neat and tidy. Portfolios are checked twice across two weeks and
signed by the trainer.
· contribute
in a positive way during sessions and work towards a good group dynamic both
within the larger class group and their smaller micro-teaching group.
· put all
their effort into practice teaching and writing lesson plans according to the
input given.
· make
progress across the two weeks
We expect
participants to show a willingness to change attitudes and behaviours that
prevent their students from getting maximum benefit from English language
classes.
Trainers
may withhold certificates of participants who do not meet the requirements.
They may also award a certificate with a note on the back indicating areas to
work on in the future.
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