Looking to take the CELTA

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M.A.U.

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Hi.
I am looking to take the "CELTA", but not until early to mid next year.
It's a new direction for me (teaching the English language to non-speakers).
Actually, to teach will be a totally new thing for me.
What I need is some advice as to where I should start with preparing myself for the course I am looking to take.
English is my first language, but even though I have the ability to speak, read, write etc etc, I only have knowledge of the basic aspects of grammar.
I am looking to "Polish" up these bits and learn a lot lot more.
Again, the aim is to be proficient enough to take the "CELTA" and then progress beyond.
Any advice and help will be very much appreciated and needed.
I looked at just the grammar side of things, and boy, does it look scary!

Thanks in advance

M.A.U.
(Ash)
 

5jj

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Welcome to the forum, M.A.U. :hi:

Jim Scrivener's Learning Teaching (MacMillan) and Jeremy Harmer's The Practice of English language Teaching (Pearson Longman)are good places to start. One or the other (if not both) will almost certainly be on your reading list for the course. If you start reading one now, you will help prepare yourself for the course, and also pinpoint some areas where you may need to do some extra work, But don't think you have to master everything - that's what the course is for.

One of the parts of grammar that seems to cause many problems for beginning teachers is the tense system of English verbs. Rosemary Aitken's Teaching Tenses (ELB) is a very sound guide - and provides tips and materials that will be useful for you in your early days as a teacher.

You are wise to want to make yourself better able to deal with the course, but don't worry about becoming an expert before you start. You do not have to be an expert on English grammar before you start the course - you won't even be one at the end of the course! If you can identify the names of parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective, etc), can identify most of the English verb forms (present simple, past progressive, present perfect, etc) and have some idea of how they are used, then you are well on the way. It is the job of your course providers to bring you up to the reqired level; all they are looking for initially is an understanding of how the language works at a level that might be expected of a person beginning a university undergraduate course.

You can always post specific questions you have here, or in the 'Ask a Teacher' forum. We'll do our best to help.

Good luck.


ps:
It's a new direction for me (teaching the English language to non-speakers).
That would be a problem for most of us. ;-)
 

Tdol

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Michael Swan's Practical English Usage (OUP) is a book on grammar and usage that is worth investing in.
 

M.A.U.

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So that's another shopping list for me then, Lol.

Thanks for the guidance.

Is there anything in video format that i could possibly use?

I just feel watching something might re-enforce some of the stuff to cover.

Another ask.

Is there any practical sort of stuff going on anywhere?

I was thinking on the lines of a Paltalk room or maybe even Skype?

Thanks again and open to all suggestions
 

Tdol

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There are plenty of videos on Youtube
 
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