First Assignment

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by David Sexton on January 26, 2011 at 2:57am

2. I am actually currently in the process of applying to Hong Kong's NET (Native-speaking English Teacher) Scheme. Since I will initially apply to the program generally and only later be able to decide on a specific school, I will say that I am attracted to Hong Kong because of the high energy, economic freedom, and the possibility of learning Chinese (even though it's not Mandarin) and the NET Scheme because of the competitive benefits package and the stability of working for the government.

3. Cuisenaire Rods

4. Gosh, I don't know, perhaps a page with recommendations for restaurants near the school?

5. To become a master teacher, obviously! But also to not be so distracted by NYC that I neglect the course.

6. Crystal, I think it's awesome that you want to teach in Cairo. I traveled there a few years ago and get quite nostalgic when I'm reminded of the experience.

Permalink Reply by Gabriella Pinto on January 26, 2011 at 2:00pm

2. I won’t be looking for a job immediately after the course, as I’m already committed to doing some volunteer work in India. But someday, I think I might be interested in applying to the British Council schools in the West Bank and Gaza. I taught English in the West Bank a few years ago, and I’ve always wanted to go back. Particularly in Gaza, I think there’s a real need for teachers who can provide education that’s practical, but also creative and therapeutic.

3. Cloze exercise. I’ve certainly seen these types of exercises before, but I didn’t know the proper term for them.

4. I agree with Crystal about the ‘Job Postings’ section. Currently, it seems that postings just appear in chronological order. I think it would be more helpful to be able to filter results by geographic location, position type, etc.

5. I would just like to learn more about the best practices for teaching English. In much of the teaching I’ve done to date, I’ve often felt I was simply making it up as I went along, so to speak. I’d like to be better equipped with strategies and techniques for designing both individual lessons and the outline of a course as a whole.

Permalink Reply by Zofia Goszczynska on January 26, 2011 at 11:08pm

2. After completing the course I may be moving to Istanbul, Turkey. There are a lot of options for teaching English and my Turkish is not yet good enough to understand everything on their websites but "English Time," "The English Centre" and "Berlitz" seem like good places to start. I like these schools because they have central locations, small class sizes, and structured courses that would give me a framework in which to gain experience and develop my teaching abilities.

3. I had no idea what Cuisenaire Rods were. Still not quite sure if we're going to be cooking or teaching English.

4. My recommendation for the website is that there be an easier way to get back to the group page. When I clicked on "My Page" I thought that was where I was going and I had to try a few different links before I found my way back to the group page. Maybe the tab should be "My Pages" and have a sub list "My groups" ?

5. My personal goal, besides becoming the teacher with the mostest, is to learn how to use grammar reference books in order to be able to explain to a student or a non-native English speaker why something is said one way and not another.

Permalink Reply by Cintia Huffman on January 30, 2011 at 1:47pm

2. I would like to be hired at La Guardia Community College. It has a long-lasting program and I think it would be a great place to start my TESOL career. I like that the student community is diverse, creating more of an international feel in a classroom where students can learn from each other's cultures as well.

3. Realia - It's such a simple definition, but I never heard of it before.

4. I think the site could use more color. Perhaps more photographs of international cities to brighten the site. Different colors for different pages would also help surf through the site a little easier.

5. I don't have any experience teaching, so I would like to gain as many skills and confidence as I possibly can. I would like to be hired in NYC before planning to teach abroad since I recently moved here and would like to explore the city a little longer. I'm interested in teaching long-term, so this will be a great first step towards that goal.

6. Crystal and Stephen - I also share with you the lack of experience in teaching, but I think that this program will give us the tools needed to begin on a strong note.

Permalink Reply by Zofia Goszczynska on January 30, 2011 at 7:40pm

6. Cynthia: if I don't move to Turkey I'm planning to stay in New York and teach English here. I would love to exchange ideas about possible job prospects here. So many people come here to learn English and I really like what you said about students learning from each other; I think that makes a classroom very vibrant!

Permalink Reply by Zenya Prowell on January 30, 2011 at 3:14pm

2. After the course, I'd be interested in applying to Angels Academy of English in Trinidad and Tobago. It looks like a homey, nurturing school and it’s near the city center.

3. I didn’t know what a “functional exponent” was.

4. It could be useful for there to be a page where CELTA trainees could read about experiences teachers have had at the schools listed in the directory. I wasn’t sure of the criteria for these particular schools’ inclusion in the directory.

5. My goal in taking this course is to learn to teach English clearly and effectively.

6. Crystal, I agree with your suggestion that a search function on the job listings page would be helpful.

Permalink Reply by Ben Cohen on January 30, 2011 at 7:48pm

2. I may not be looking for a job directly after the course. But when I do I am interested in going to Russia because I am interested in learning more about Russian culture and language. I am not sure yet, but maybe I would apply to the British Council schools.

3. One word I did not know was realia.

4. It would be nice if the school browser results offered for information.

5. My goal for this course is to gain teaching experience and overcome any nervousness I have of teaching.

6. Cintia, I like your idea of including more photographs on the website. I find that colorful images always give websites a more interesting look.

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Williams on February 5, 2011 at 2:07pm

2. I will probably apply to The British School of Bucharest. My cousin and a couple of her friends taught there and I've heard good things about the benefits and local places to eat.

3. I did not know what a functional exponent was.

4. I would like more pictures of the schools.

5. My personal goals are to gain confidence for speaking to groups and to finally be a big girl for more than two years.

6. Ben, I have the same issues, but hopefully they will be things of the past after this course.

Permalink Reply by Andrea Whinnery on February 13, 2011 at 11:27pm

2. I have a strong desire to find work in Spain and so there is where I focused my school search. Many of schools based in Spain do not seem to actually focus on teaching English. However I found myself liking Idiomaster Language Centres. It is located in Cordoba, Spain and does seem to focus on teaching English. They are affiliated with Trinity as well. Their website is in Spanish, I understood a fair bit but I would love to learn more about them.
3. I had never heard the term “Back-chaining” before. I now know that it is a useful technique for drilling longer sentences. I hope to see the technique in practice so that I can get a further grasp of it.
4. I was reading some other suggestions and I do agree with all of them. One thing I noticed was that navigating is a bit difficult. I found myself in older groups accidentally and then not being quite sure how to back track. I think it is a great tool for all of us though and I know I will find it useful.
5. My personal goal in completing this CELTA course is to obtain a strong set of skill sets that will help to make me an effective and fun ESL teacher. I hope that this in turn will allow me to help others pursue their dreams.
6. Zofia- I think that is really funny what you said about Cuisenaire Rods. I, as well, was immediately in the kitchen when I saw that definition. Ha!
Cintia, Ben, Crystal- I also have no formal work experience teaching. I’m really happy to know that I’m not alone so I thought maybe you would be as well!