Following on from our blog last week, here are 10 more things about CELTA. Whether you decide to take the CELTA full time face to face, online part time, or any of the other combinations, all these things hold true.
11) You will learn aspects of the English language you didn’t know about
Being surrounded by language experts certainly helps you increase your own knowledge of the language, whether it is your first, second or third. From new words to phonemic chart symbols, from sentence structure to grammar topics you had never quite fully grasped, you will finish the course much more confident about your English and ready for a job interview.
12) It helps you reaffirm your conviction to be an EFL Teacher
Embarking on the CELTA course is a great way to reinforce your motivation for teaching. You will get to know a lot about inspiring people. If you are a new teacher, observing your trainers will give you a glimpse of what you could become. If you have never taught before, talking to other teachers might encourage you to modify or change the way you teach. It might also give you ideas for other places you would like to work at, other types of courses to teach (Business English, Exam Preparation etc…), or qualifications to take next (IH CYLT, DELTA…etc.).
13) You get to push yourself and test your limits
During the course, you will sometimes find yourself under pressure, as you are expected to teach, do your written assignments, attend seminars and observations and prepare for your lessons. However, knowing that you have done your best and that you have managed to complete the course will be satisfying and rewarding. You will feel proud of yourself and ready for the next challenge: teaching a full course!
14) You will learn how to write a good lesson plan
Being capable of creating effective lesson plans is a really useful skill to have, as it is an integrant part of teaching. During the CELTA course, you will have eight opportunities (TPs, teaching practices) to try lesson planning while assisted by your tutors. After them, planning will come much easier and faster than it did before and at the beginning of the course.
15) You can learn how to establish rapport with your students
Getting to know students and understanding their needs is an incredible feeling. It helps teachers remind themselves why they have chosen teaching in the first place. On the CELTA course, you will have a taste of this experience. You will learn from your students just as much as they learn from you, it will be enriching in both ways.
16) You can get a clearer idea of what kind of teacher you want to become
During the teaching practice you do on the course and the feedback session which follows, you will understand what your weakest and strongest points are as a teacher. You will then have the chance to work on them, improve them and make them shine. You will also be able to find out if are keen on including storytelling in your lessons, if you are the type of teacher who likes to challenge students by eliciting a lot from them orif you are curious about teaching young learners etc.
17) CELTA presents you with a lot of useful resources
Your trainers and fellow trainees will introduce you to textbooks, grammar handbooks, dictionaries, websites, videos and new technologies which will be a valuable resource for the rest of your teaching career.
18) You will leave the course with a fresh bag of ideas
When you start your first job after CELTA, you will most likely feel as if you got a head start, as you will have already built an initial archive of activities, learning games, warm-ups, coolers and entire lesson plans you can reuse and implement in future.
19) The course helps you build up contacts in the TEFL industry
Your CELTA class represents your first EFL network. You can find out about new opportunities through them: such as jobs, as well as conferences and events you may want to attend. Furthermore, International House Worldwide Organisation supports CELTA graduates in their job search, as on their website they have a section in which they advertise openings around the world.
20) It gives you a precise idea of what the job entails
Certainly, once you complete your CELTA course, you know what to expect from the EFL teaching adventure you are about to begin or you are going back to, reinvigorated and full of renewed motivation.