Sunday, April 17, 2011

CELTA Offered Online This Year

It looks like Cambridge is moving into education of the 20th century (maybe even the 21st). According to the Cambridge ESOL website, CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) will be available online starting in September 2011. Currently, it is only available in person at over 200 centers around the world (eight, in the United States, at this time). Here's a list of all CELTA course locations around the world.

The online CELTA course will have the same requirements as the face-to-face course (without attendance, of course). The only thing that will not be able to be done online is the teaching practicum. Six hours of assessed hands-on teaching practice will still be required.

I wonder if this opening up of the strict CELTA course requirements will raise the value of other TEFL/TESOL certification courses in the minds of those who favor CELTA over other certificates.

What do you think?

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Tuesday, February 8, 2011

"The Time Goes Fast!"

This is what one of my adult ESL students said yesterday when I ended our ninety-minute conversation class. We had met a few days before for a free ESL Needs Assessment that I always offer to potential students, but our meeting yesterday was our first conversation class together.

I always love to hear the English language learners (ELL) I work with comment on how fast the time flies when we work together. Comments like these let me know that the ELL is enjoying the class and, I believe, more easily getting the practice they want.

And, I guess I should mention that "time flies" since I haven't posted anything to this Teaching ESL to Adults blog in over a year! Time flies when you're having fun!

I continue to work with adult ESL students and I love it. I appreciate the many of you who continue to find, read and comment on my blog.

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