I was around 18 when I started to consider a career in TEFL. Looking for a way to escape the monotony of small-town life, I started to dream of spending some time abroad, and researching different ways to make it happen.
I found a huge amount of information on the subject, but the advice that the internet had to offer was divided. Some people thought that simply moving somewhere first and then finding a job was the best way to go. Others recommended getting qualified and finding a job before making any life-changing decisions. Further research into these qualifications threw up hundreds of different courses, and a million different places to do them. Confused and in need of advice, I went to my college Spanish teacher, who had experience as a careers’ advisor. This is how I first became aware of the CELTA and the benefits that it could offer me. With the information in mind, but still not convinced that it was the right path for me, I set it to one side.
Eventually, I moved to continental Europe to become an Au Pair and fell into teaching a year later. A few years of this went by, and I hugely enjoyed my job and working with learners. But I began to see that some kind of qualification was necessary in order to move up in the world. As soon as I took my CELTA course, I wished that I had done it earlier.
So, this is from me to you. From someone who began teaching with nothing but a good work ethic, here's why I highly recommend doing the course before setting foot in a class full of fee-paying students.
1. It gives you confidence
Have you ever stood in front of a class full of expectant learners? Well it’s pretty daunting! I remember my first class ever: I was a bag of pathetic looking jelly, and it probably showed. I had no experience in teaching, and certainly wasn't familiar with the materials provided to me. I just tried to get through the class and make sure that they left knowing more English than they did when they came in. A seemingly impossible task when our legs feel like they are going to buckle from nerves.
Here's another area where CELTA can help. It can provide proper training in a real, but controlled environment. Your tutors will be there, along with fellow trainees to provide support and guidance through the process, which is a huge comfort.
It also gives you the tools to reflect on your performance as a teacher, deciding what works and what doesn't. You can do this for yourself and for your CELTA colleagues, adding up to a real insight into lots of different teaching methods.
After finishing the course, standing in front of class full of those expectant learners won't faze you at all. CELTA will have taken all of the nerves out of your system, and any graduate will tell you that afterwards, they felt comfortable in a huge variety of teaching scenarios.
2. It saves you from nightmare workplaces
Here's a nice thing about our profession, it's quite uncommon to find unemployed EFL teachers. The demand associated with learning English is still booming and a lack of people choosing it as a career means that there are plenty of opportunities. That's great for us!
However, and here's the somewhat less encouraging news, some places are inevitably better to work for than others. I was lucky to find a job working for people that had my back, but many don't have such good fortune. During my time as a teacher, I have heard story after story of nightmare employers whose behaviour towards their workers can only be described as deplorable. Unworkable timetables, late or even non-existent wages, oh yes, it all happens.
So how to avoid falling into the trap of agreeing to work for these unscrupulous bosses? Get qualified.
As a CELTA graduate, you'll have your pick of the best positions in the most recognised institutions in the world. These places have a proven method, a demonstrable ability to retain staff, and usually a great working environment. See the job listings available at International House schools here.
3. It turns a job into a career
Being ambitious doesn't have to mean wanting the most prestigious job going, it also doesn't have to mean working long hours and missing out, all to secure your idea of the perfect professional future. Sometimes, being ambitious simply means wanting better conditions, better pay, and some kind of professional development. [LINK]
I will always love being in the classroom and working with learners, but I also didn't want to be at the bottom of the career ladder forever. So, after a few years of gaining some solid experience, I started looking around for new opportunities. I found that there is a huge range of career options for EFL teachers – Head of Studies, Examiner, Textbook Writer, Exam Designer, the list goes on. To find that there are so many opportunities out there for you, and then to discover that you lack the qualifications to go after them, is a real spanner in your plans. A key role requirement for any of these jobs is the CELTA, because even many years of experience won't mean a great deal if a recruiter can't see the course on your CV.
For this reason, among others, I decided to take the leap and sign up for the course at my local International House teacher training centre. Having now finished it, I can see not only that I should have done it earlier, but also why those top jobs require candidates to have the qualification. I can now apply for just about any teaching position I want and be assured that I will be taken seriously as an educator.
Further courses such as the Delta are also now open to me, which they wouldn't have been before. For those who have done the CELTA and want to further advance their knowledge and skills, there are lots of courses and CPD available, where before they might have found closed doors and rejection letters.
CELTA is a big commitment, and one that will require no small amount of hard work and dedication. But all my fellow trainees and I have gone on to very successful jobs after completing the course, and I could have done so earlier had I taken the leap!
