Doing the TEYL course right now.

Cuisenaire rods are FUN!

Masterpieces by Ion, Tom, Eric and myself. Ion can draw so well. Did I mention that I love crayons?

Elvampirilla

Mr. Pickles

Norris

Barface

So smashed on a Tuesday, need to hit the shower and go to bed now.

Got a “Standard” pass for my teaching today. It’s not “Above Standard” but I’m happy because I know I still have plenty of room for improvement. Things like pairing/grouping students or “chesting instructions” seemed easy to execute while observing classes, but they turned out really awkward and unnatural when I actually did them.

Despite planning my lesson, scripting my instructions, ICQs and CCQs (Instruction Checking Questions and Concept Checking Questions), anxiety got the better of me and I didn’t carry out some of the stuff I intended to do. I am glad the class wasn’t a complete failure even though I did my gist task and introduced one vocabulary after my detailed reading task (because I completely left them out).

My tutor, John, was surprisingly very encouraging and positive; quite different from all the nightmare stories I read online about CELTA trainers. My group mates, Aaron, Brian and Laura were also very supportive, especially Laura. Oh, and of course my roomie, Jinhan, too.

Even though it’s been barely a week, I feel that I have learned and benefited greatly from my trainers. Like what you’ll Google from ex-CELTA trainees, this course is truly helpful for anybody who wants to teach English as a career. The pedagogy is excellent for teaching any language in fact, and I noticed some similarities to the PBL (Problem Based Learning) pedagogy I practised while teaching Republic Polytechnic.

Workload is gradually building up and I can see now, why they say the CELTA course is very intensive.

Some tips on what to bring

• Big A4 ring folder with dividers and clear pockets
• Stationery (pens, pencils, eraser; hole punchers, staplers, glue and scissors are available in the school)
• A notebook or writing pad
• Color pencils (to add color to the black and white printouts used for your lessons)
• Jacket (as warm and humid as Bangkok is, classrooms can get pretty cold at times)

Everything is conveniently and cheaply available at the supermarket in Big C where ECC is located if you don’t want to bring your own.

I reaaally should be preparing for Friday’s lesson or sleeping right now instead of blogging but I’m afraid I’d forget all these by the time weekend comes. Besides, my weekend’s probably burnt too with a 750 – 1,000 words assignment due on Monday. Heck, I’m gonna treat myself to a beer and get a cheap bikini so I can chill by the pool after Friday’s class!

The answer is simple, time and money.

Thailand is one of the cheapest countries to take CELTA, considering it costs about US$3,800 at the British Council in Singapore and only US$1,660 at ECC Thailand (after early bird discount, if you apply 45 days before the course commences). Do some simple calculation and you will realise that it is cheaper to do it in Thailand even after adding your (budget airline) tickets, accommodation and living expenses. We’re talking about budget guesthouses to mid-range apartments and simple meals of course.

CELTA at the British Council in Singapore is offered on a part-time basis, or so they claim. It is two days per week, from 9am to 5pm over a 10-week period. That hardly sounds part-time to me since I’ve got to be extremely fortunate to have a very understanding employer who’d allow me to take two days off every week, or quit my day job. Over at ECC Thailand, you will complete the full-time course in four weeks.

Did I mention that they also throw in a locally (Thailand) recognised TEYL at no charge?

Application

After a lengthy application form and a 45-minute phone interview, I have been accepted for the CELTA course! Here are a couple of tips for filling up the application form:

1. Do your research, Google is your best friend.
2. Borrow relevant books to read them before, during and after applying.
3. Double check for grammatical and spelling mistakes.
4. Answer the question. Not all of them require you to define or give textbook answers.
5. Keep your extended writing task short and sweet (but stick to the 300-word minimum)

Regarding the phone interview, you won’t need to fret too much if you’ve done your homework and completed the application form on your own.

Visa

ECC Thailand does not provide an official admission letter and they will advice you to apply for the 90-days Tourist Visa instead of the Non-Immigrant Visa-ED. Contact your country’s Thai Embassy for more information.