Today we caught up with our recent CELTA graduate, Gretchen, who has started working at Lexis English Sunshine Coast. We thought we’d ask Gretchen a few questions about her CELTA experience…
Why did you want to become an English language teacher?
I love meeting new people from different backgrounds and also enjoy the good feeling you get from helping people. Teaching English gives you the chance to do both…. and get paid…and you can do it anywhere in the world!!! ! Now that’s what I call winning!
Why did you choose to do a CELTA course over other TESOL qualifications?
I had been told by a number of people that the CELTA course was more widely recognised overseas and when I checked, CELTA was listed in all the position descriptions that appealed to me, right around the globe. I want to be able to use this qualification to work abroad at some stage, and I would be devastated if my qualification fell short. CELTA is the most sought after qualification, and it is such a thorough course, I am so glad that I chose it. It’s definitely the best investment I have ever made.
What did you like about the course?
I loved it. Our tutors were excellent, and through their example we gained lots of tips and tricks. It was fantastic to have two great mentors to guide us through. They really tuned into us as individuals and worked with us one-on-one. They were really encouraging, but also quite frank and honest.
It was really helpful to practise in increments. The practicals/ classes got longer as the course went on, which was excellent for building our confidence and our skills.
The other students were brilliant and I know that I have made some friends for life. Even though we were quite diverse, I think the people drawn to this course do have a lot of good qualities in common, and I really admire my CELTA classmates. It was a bit disappointing when it finished because I had so much fun and really liked being with the other people in our class, although I had had enough of the assessments by then!
What advice would you give someone who was planning on doing CELTA?
Look at some of the recommended resources, and if you can do some Cambridge Grammar study beforehand, you will be very grateful as the course rolls on. Make sure you do the pre-course task! This was a great start to get our heads into gear for what was about to happen….
Listen to your tutors, and learn as much as you can from them. They really are trying to make you the best ESL teacher that you can be. Take their recommendations on board, and let them help you with their advice. They will build upon your strengths and help you to work on any problem areas. They know what works and what doesn’t. They’ve seen it all before!
What are your plans for the future?
I plan to do as much ESL teaching as possible. It’s more rewarding than I had even imagined. For now I will stay on the Sunshine Coast because I’ve been doing some private tutoring, and recently started some relief work for Lexis. I love every second of it. The students are wonderful and the staff are brilliant, generous and helpful. I almost skipped to work today. I couldn’t be happier.
For more information about CELTA and other teacher training courses visit: https://www.lexistesoltraining.com/