UsingEnglish.com ESL Forum - Teacher Training http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ en Tue, 21 May 2013 17:42:52 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/images/misc/rss.png UsingEnglish.com ESL Forum - Teacher Training http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ Any good resources to help TEFL students get through their online course http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/teacher-training/190917-any-good-resources-help-tefl-students-get-through-their-online-course.html Wed, 15 May 2013 15:36:57 GMT Hi Just wondering if anyone can help a newbie like me. Just finished my first module on Grammar and am not going to attempt my assignment on lesson planning. Any suggestions for online resources and general advice. Umar;-) Hi Just wondering if anyone can help a newbie like me. Just finished my first module on Grammar and am not going to attempt my assignment on lesson planning. Any suggestions for online resources and general advice.

Umar;-) ]]> Teacher Training Umar Khan http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/teacher-training/190917-any-good-resources-help-tefl-students-get-through-their-online-course.html CELTA PRE TASK HELP PLEASE PLEASE URGENT!!! http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/teacher-training/190680-celta-pre-task-help-please-please-urgent.html Fri, 10 May 2013 19:30:08 GMT hi there guys, I am just about to apply for the celta course and im finding the pre task abit hard on certain parts, if you guys could help me out please that would be great, Thank you very much the _*first one:*_ We call these... hi there guys, I am just about to apply for the celta course and im finding the pre task abit hard on certain parts, if you guys could help me out please that would be great, Thank you very much the

first one:

We call these labels (e.g. inviting etc.) FUNCTIONS. It is another way of categorising language, this time thinking more about what the language is actually doing. Look at the dialogue below and label the function of each utterance.
A: Hey Bob.
B: Yeah?
C: Give us a hand with this suitcase could you?
D: Sorry but Jenny's waiting for me.
E: OK. Never mind.




This is clearly an informal conversation, between two friends. Write a similar dialogue in the box below with the same number of lines and using the same functions between two people who do NOT know each other.





2) You have a group of adult beginner (i.e. their level of English is low) students. You want to teach them " Would you like . .?” as in “Would you like a cup of coffee?”. What would you do? Think about how you get meaning across; how the students will practise; and how you help those learners with difficulties.



3)Now think of your own experience as a learner of languages at a school or elsewhere. What conclusions would you draw from your experience as regards what makes a good language lesson? Write a minimum of a hundred words in the space provided below. (AND THAT ONE) Thank you guys in advance ]]> Teacher Training fabdi123 http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/teacher-training/190680-celta-pre-task-help-please-please-urgent.html Choosing an online course. http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/teacher-training/190625-choosing-online-course.html Thu, 09 May 2013 20:19:06 GMT Hopefully I can avoid too heated of a debate by starting with what I know. First I know that a face to face course with a practical teaching section is better than an online course without. I also know that there is no such thing as an "accredited" certificate or course, the closest being those offering CELTA programs. That is about the extent of what I know other than my own situation. For me time and money are both tight, that is the first reason I am looking to the online courses. The second reason is that while I know this could become a very rewarding career, I am not certain it will be a good enough fit for me to justify the added expense. If it becomes something I enjoy enough to choose as my second career I fully intend to take additional training to improve myself, just not now.

With that out of the way, what I am looking for is help in choosing a specific program. I do not want to start an argument about which is best as I have seen enough of those to find them unhelpful. What I can hopefully find are the ones to avoid. If you have a company that, in your opinion, did not live up to their end of the bargain or cost more than they should that is what I am looking for. I have tried some of the review sites but there are just so many programs, ads, and questionable reviews that it has just became noise to me. ]]> Teacher Training ncs8585 http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/teacher-training/190625-choosing-online-course.html I need help ..... Please ... http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/teacher-training/190514-i-need-help-please.html Wed, 08 May 2013 00:56:03 GMT I am doing a TEFL course currently and I would like some help on the following question - Write a list of 5 of the most important ways to ensure that you achieve the overall aim of involving *all the students all the time* when you are teaching... I am doing a TEFL course currently and I would like some help on the following question -

Write a list of 5 of the most important ways to ensure that you achieve the overall aim of involving all the students all the time when you are teaching EFL.

I have already attempted this and come up with the following :-

1) Using English 100% of the time (with good terminology and grammar)
2) Knowing all the students names
3) Having enough prepped work/ and lesson plans for each lesson
4) Learn all Students names
5) Correct all mistakes that students make (but not overdoing it)
6) Having the ability to know all students levels, abilities and progression routes
7) Encourage the students and have good classroom management

I know there are 7 points, I was wondering whether these any good as an answer or whether there were more appropriate answers for the question.

I am a native speaker of English, and just need some advice.

Thank you.n:-) ]]> Teacher Training stallen84 http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/teacher-training/190514-i-need-help-please.html Horrific CELTA interview: feedback requested http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/teacher-training/189867-horrific-celta-interview-feedback-requested.html Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:39:01 GMT I had my first CELTA interview the other day. It went terribly and I received an email rejection. I would like some feedback before I try to apply to another training center. I have been teaching English in southeast Asia for about a year and a... I had my first CELTA interview the other day. It went terribly and I received an email rejection. I would like some feedback before I try to apply to another training center. I have been teaching English in southeast Asia for about a year and a half. I must get a CELTA certification if I am to find work in a legitimate school, as opposed to the typical language factories.

Some Biodata
I have a humanities MA.
ESL experience 1.5 years
Tutor experience 10 years (academic writing, LSAT prep, GRE prep, etc..)

The pre-interview task
I blew five grammar questions (I have not taught much grammar mostly IELTS prep, business English and literature, so my grammar has gotten rusty). I was asked to fix those errors. Everything else seemed fine.

The interview: the horror begins
The interview was to be via Skype at 10 am. I logged onto Skype 15 minutes early. At 10 I tried to contact my interviewer (skype showed him as available). No reply, so I waited. At 10:15 I sent a message. "I will be online for the next several hours." Just as I sent the message, my neighborhood lost power. I tried to call the school but I could not get through. My cell phone network is notoriously bad at making international calls.

I got my laptop and materials and headed to a KFC, they always have reliable wifi. Sure enough, their network was down. I headed to an internet cafe that I have used before: they were closed! I travelled to a second internet cafe, which I had never used before. I logged on the computer to find the interviewer was still there. It was now 11:04 as we began the interview.

We began with an overview of the course. This went well. Next we discussed two of the grammar questions that I had gotten wrong. He asked me if I knew why they were wrong. The first one I knew. The second one I only had a partial explanation. He explained it to me fully. I said something like "wow that is really interesting." (Note: I positively responded to his feedback.)

He then asked me to talk about a time I was given feedback that I disagreed with. I told him that I had worked for an international school with appalling standards. My director told me to fabricate test results and to not follow the syllabus. He said the students were too stupid and lazy to learn. I told the director that I would not cheat my students and he could fire me if he liked. Of course, he fired me.

The interviewer said that was not what he had in mind. He asked me what I would do if I received feedback in the CELTA course that I did not understand or agree with. I said that if I didn't understand the feedback that I would try hard to understand and ask questions. He then asked, "but what if you understand it and don't agree with it?" I said that if I didn't agrree there would be no point in arguing, reasonable people can disagree. What is more, I want to take the course to learn the CELTA method, so I would just carry on. He then said that there is no CELTA method and that the CELTA course is based on sound research. Basically, that what they teach just is the way to teach English. I kept my mouth shut and let him continue.

He then moved on and asked me to explain how I would teach two similar sentences. Just as I was about to give an answer my internet connection died!!! Why? The employee at the cafe told me that they cut off the internet every 40 minutes, at which time you have to pay your bill and log on again.

Why would they have such a bizarre policy? Why would they not ttell me that before hand? Why would they use such an odd time increment?
This is Asia!

By the time I paid the bill and logged back on the interviewer was gone. He sent me an e-mail and told me to answer the question via e-mail. I answered the question and sent it to him.

The aftermath
The next day I received an e-mail from him telling me that I was rejected. An excerpt from his e-mail:

Quote:
Cambridge ESOL regulations prohibit us from accepting candidates onto the course who we do not feel will be able to respond to the intensity of the course; in your case, with evidence from your application, we are not confident that you can analyse language appropriately in various teaching contexts, interact appropriately with trainers and respond appropriately to instruction and feedback. (my bold)


Once again I would like to thank you for the effort that you have put into this application and wish you the best of luck in your future teaching career.
Wow! I take from this several things. I understand I need to bone up on my grammar. That, I understand. But two things trouble me. First, he does not think that I would be able to handle/use feedback. Second, he does not feel there is anything that I could due to remedy this and thus did not suggest that I reapply. Does that sound like a correct interpretation of what he wrote?

I have no idea what I could have said or done to make him lose confidence in my ability to "interact appropriately with trainers and respond appropriately to instruction and feedback." I was polite and enthusiastic.

Everyone who has made it this far into my post, thanks. I appreciate any feedback. As I said earlier, I need to get a CELTA. There just is no other option, other than changing careers. ]]> Teacher Training intj http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/teacher-training/189867-horrific-celta-interview-feedback-requested.html