Celta_Application

[pic] Cambridge 1 Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA) Application, Registration and General Course Information for Applicants 1 Bell Warsaw, ul. Nowy Świat 6/12, 00-497 Warszawa, |Tel: +48 22 621 38 36 |Fax: +48 22 625 77 34 |E-mail: warsaw@bellschools.pl | ELS-Bell Head Office al. Niepodległości 792 81-805 Sopot |Tel: +48 58 551 3298 |Fax: +48 58 555 0502 |E-mail: ziolkowska@elsbell.pl | INTRODUCTION 2 All Cambridge CELTA courses world-wide are externally moderated and standardised by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations Teaching Awards [Cambridge ESOL]. Although all courses throughout the world follow the same syllabus, the actual course timetable will vary from centre to centre. While the blue booklet “What is CELTA' Candidate Information” published by Cambridge ESOL (if not included in this pack, you can find this information at the Cambridge web-site: www.cambridgeESOL.org will answer many of your questions as to the general course requirements and course content, this document should provide you with more detailed information on the particular course we offer at ELS-Bell. Included you will find information on the various aspects of the intensive (4-week) and extensive (20- week) ELS-Bell CELTA programme, from facilities and resources available to the application and registration procedures. Contents: • ELS-Bell • A Typical Day • Input Sessions • Teaching Practice and Feedback • Written Assignments • Overall Assessment • Observations • Tutors • Facilities • Interview Process • Preparing for the Course and Reading • Post-Course • Equality of Opportunity Policy • Payment and Refund Policies • Accommodation • Finally 3 Bell International, Poland The Bell school in Warsaw is part of eight Bell schools in Poland which are located in Bydgoszcz, Gdańsk, Sopot, Gdynia, Kraków, Poznań, Szczecin and Warsaw. The Bell schools in Warsaw, Gdańsk, Sopot, Gdynia, Bydgoszcz, Łódź and Szczecin are operated by ELS-Bell - an ELT institution which is a member of the Bell Group of language schools (Bell International). ELS-Bell was established in 1989 and currently employs over 80 full-time qualified teachers. Altogether the six ELS-Bell schools offer tuition to approximately 5000 students at any one time including students on both open and in-company courses. 1 Bell Warsaw is a registered Cambridge ESOL Teacher Training Centre Warsaw is the capital of Poland, a large vibrant city of over two million people. It has a large foreign community, hundreds of international restaurants, bars and entertainment facilities. The school is located on one of the main streets in a beautiful period building; the interior is modern and there are fifteen well equipped classrooms. A TYPICAL DAY’S TIMETABLE Course hours for the intensive CELTA course are generally from 10.00am to 6.00pm (or possibly 9.00am to 6.00 pm for some courses), Monday to Friday. The part-time course takes place over 20 Saturdays from 10.00 am to 6 pm. Although there are slight variations in the timetable from course to course, typically, a day early in the course will look similar to the example below. |Intensive Course | |Part-time Course | |10.00 |Teaching Practice | |10.00 |Language Awareness 1: | |- | | |– |(Analysing language – form, function, meaning and use)| |12.15 | | |11.30 | | | | | | |BREAK | | |BREAK | |11.45 |Classroom Management | | | | |– |(Instructions, boardwork and classroom organisation) | | | | |1.00 | | |12.30 |Feedback | | | | |- | | | | | |1.15 | | | | | |1.15 |Assisted Lesson Planning | | |LUNCH | |- | | | | | |2.00 | | | | | | | | |2.00 |Teaching Practice | | | | |– | | | | | |4.00 | | | |LUNCH | | | | |3.15 |Language Awareness 1: | | |BREAK | |– |(Analysing language – form, function, meaning and | | | | |4.45 |use) | | | | | | | |4.15 |Feedback | | | | |– | | | | | |5.00 | | | |BREAK | | | | |5.00 |Classroom Management | |5.00 |Assisted Lesson Planning | |- |(Instructions, boardwork and classroom | |– | | |c.6.00 |organisation) | |c.6.00 | | 2 INPUT SESSIONS In the input sessions you will learn about various aspects of teaching EFL, such as phonology and developing your awareness of grammar, as well as techniques and activities for use in the classroom. In the sample above, for example, you will learn how to analyse language for teaching purposes. In the second session, you will work on the clarity of your classroom instructions, practise using the whiteboard and OHP, and consider different possible seating arrangements for different types of activities. These input sessions are intended to be of direct use in the classroom, containing ideas and activities for teaching, while at the same time exposing you to the techniques and the methodology you will be encouraged to use in Teaching Practice. These sessions are not lectures – they are designed to leave plenty of scope for trainee involvement, and trainees are expected to participate actively. In order to make the most of the time available, you may be given short ‘homework’ tasks to complete either in preparation for, or following on from, these input sessions. TEACHING PRACTICE (TP) This is perhaps the most important part of the course and it is an opportunity for you to put into practice the ideas and concepts you learn about in the morning input sessions. Time and Length You will typically have 10 or 11 teaching encounters, spread as evenly as possible over the course. For assessment purposes, you are required to teach a total of 360 minutes observed by a tutor. These teaching slots will range from shorter slots [20 minutes] at the start of the course, to longer lessons [50 or 60 minutes] as the course progresses and you gain more practice and confidence. Depending on the number of trainees per course and time constraints, we will also try to offer you extra teaching practice, which will be observed by your fellow trainees but not by your tutor. 2 Students You will be teaching volunteer, non-paying, adult students (for the most part Polish) who want to improve their general English proficiency. These students have been placed in two (possibly 3) classes at two (possibly 3) distinct levels. Each class will contain up to fourteen students, and over the course each trainee will spend some time teaching at each level. On the first day of the course you will be given time to meet and get to know your students before you actually teach them. Your first teaching practice lesson will take place on the third day of the course. 3 Planning and Materials At the beginning of the course your tutors will give you detailed guidelines as to what to teach, together with suggestions on how to teach it. This support will be gradually withdrawn as the course progresses, and you will be expected to take on a major role both in selecting teaching points and in independent lesson planning. You will not be teaching every afternoon, but it is important to bear in mind that you will need to allow time for lesson planning and preparation of materials in the evenings and at weekends. On the days that you are not scheduled to teach, you will be observing the lessons taught by the other trainees in your teaching practice group. 4 Assessment of TP Each lesson you teach will be observed by your TP tutor, who will be responsible for assessing your progress in TP, and by your fellow trainees. After each TP session, there will be a group feedback session, where trainees and TP tutor will discuss the day’s lessons. This is also an important aspect of the course, and you will be expected to contribute actively, commenting both on your own and on other trainees’ lessons. In addition to this oral feedback, your tutor will also give you personalised written feedback on your lesson. Teaching practice is hard work, and a good deal of time and effort is required on your part, but it is also generally viewed as the most satisfying, rewarding and enjoyable part of the course! WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS In order to be awarded the certificate, you must submit and pass four written assignments, which will be spread over the whole course. Each of these will focus on different aspects of teaching and learning. The written work as a whole should be between 3000 and 4000 words. The assignments are of a very practical nature rather than a theoretical one, and are directly related to the classroom and actual teaching. For example, one task (‘Lessons from the Classroom’) will involve reflection on teaching practice and observation of experienced teachers, and from this you are asked to identify specific areas in your own teaching which should be the focus for future development – i.e. The establishment of a personal action plan. The other 3 assignments will focus on the following areas: • Language Analysis • The design of a listening or reading skills lesson • Investigating the motivation and learning needs of a particular student (or group of students) You will be given full guidelines about how to complete the written assignments during the course, and you will receive written feedback on each piece of written work from your tutors. OVERALL ASSESSMENT There is no written or practical examination at the end of the course. Assessment will be made on a continuous basis, and you will be assessed on the following three areas: • Teaching Practice • Written Assignments • Professional Development Plenty of guidance and help will be given as far as assessment is concerned. You will have two one-to-one tutorials with your tutor (roughly 1/3 and 2/3 of the way through the course), where you can discuss your progress and identify areas to work on. At one point during the course, an external assessor appointed by Cambridge ESOL will visit Bell Warsaw and observe the course for one (possibly two) days. His/her role is to assess the course you are being offered at the school and to moderate grades. He/she will observe some teaching practice and look at some of your written work. This ensures that the ELS-Bell CELTA course meets the required standard in terms of course delivery and that assessment is in line with the criteria set by Cambridge ESOL. You will receive a copy of the Cambridge ESOL assessment criteria at the start of the course. The three pass grades are: |Pass |to receive this grade you must meet all the pass criteria for written assignments and teaching practice. | |Pass B |to receive this grade you must meet all the pass criteria for written assignments and teaching practice, and achieve | | |significantly higher than pass-level criteria in your classroom teaching skills. | |Pass A |to receive this grade you must meet all the pass criteria for written assignments and teaching practice, and achieve | | |significantly higher than pass-level criteria in your classroom teaching skills, lesson planning, and your awareness of | | |teaching and learning processes | To give a general idea of the worldwide distribution of grades, here are the figures published by Cambridge ESOL for the year 2000. Pass: 63% Pass B: 25% Pass A: 4% Fail: 3% Withdrew: 5% OBSERVATION As part of the course, you are required to observe lessons taught by fully qualified and experienced EFL teachers for a total of six hours. These observation sessions will be spread over the course and you will be observing live classes taught by regular teachers here at Bell Warsaw. For each observation session you will be given a task to complete which should help you focus on particular aspects of the teaching and/or learning process. Over the course, you will have the opportunity to benefit from observing different teachers, with different teaching styles, and a variety of different classes, levels and teaching/learning materials. FACILITIES For the duration of the course you will have full access to our CELTA library. This library contains a wide range of methodology and teachers’ resource books, as well as dictionaries and grammar reference books. You will be able to refer to these books during the day and borrow them overnight. On the first day of the course we will collect a ‘book deposit’ of 100 PLN (approximately ₤15/ US$25) from each trainee. This deposit will be returned at the end of the course provided all books and cassettes have been returned to the library. In the event of any book losses, a deduction will be made to cover the purchase of replacement copies. You will also have access to a photocopier, which you can use to make copies of handouts for use in teaching practice, and tape recorders, video and overhead projectors will be available for you to use in your lessons. PREPARATION FOR THE COURSE AND READING There is no set book on which the course is based. However, we strongly recommend that you buy the following: • Grammar : ‘Practical English Usage’ by Michael Swan (Oxford University Press) (ISBN : 019431197X) • Methodology : ‘Learning Teaching’ by Jim Scrivener (Macmillan Heinemann) (ISBN : 0435240897) These books will prove invaluable both for pre-course preparation and as reference material during the course itself. You will also find them extremely useful in your post-course teaching career. Upon payment of your deposit, we will send you a pre-course task, which should be completed before the beginning of the course. This task will provide a good orientation and introduction to the areas we will be looking at over the course. You will need to refer to a copy of ‘Learning Teaching’ in order to complete part of the pre-course task. 1 TUTORS We have a team of fully qualified and dedicated teacher trainers who have a wide range of experience in both teaching EFL and teacher training. Between us we have worked in a variety of different teaching contexts and countries including; the UK, France, Spain, the Middle East, North Africa, Canada, Thailand, Cambodia, Brazil and, of course, Poland. There will be at least two tutors on your course, with a minimum tutor to trainee ratio of 1:6. INTERVIEW PROCESS Should you decide to apply for the course at ELS-Bell, you will need to complete and return the accompanying Application Form and Pre-Interview Task. We will make a preliminary assessment of your suitability for the CELTA course based on your Pre-Interview Task. If your task is of a suitable standard, we will call you to arrange an interview. This will ideally be conducted at the school; alternatively a telephone interview can be arranged for applicants who are unable to attend the interview in person in Warsaw. The interview will be conducted by one of the CELTA trainers, and is designed to give us an idea as to how you will do on the course. We only accept candidates who meet the ESOL entry requirements and who, following the interview, seem capable of passing the course and being awarded the Certificate. You will be told during the interview whether or not we shall offer you a place on the course, and you will also have an opportunity to ask any questions you might have. POST-COURSE Upon successful completion of the course and once results have been agreed by the CELTA award committee, you will receive a Certificate from the University of Cambridge English for Speakers of Other Languages. Typically, Certificates arrive at ELS-Bell 6-8 weeks after the course has finished. You will also receive a certificate and written report from ELS-Bell, which you can use as a reference when applying for teaching work. ELS-Bell does not act as a recruitment agency and, therefore, does not find employment for trainees after gaining the certificate. However, we are able to offer help and advice in job-hunting; we will provide a list of local EFL schools and who to contact, we will also make available listings of current teaching vacancies both in Poland, where demand for CELTA qualified teachers is high, and around the world. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES STATEMENT “CELTA is based on the principle of open and equal opportunity for all, irrespective of gender, marital status, sexual orientation, creed, colour, race, ethnic origin, age or disability” (CELTA Syllabus and Assessment Guidelines, Cambridge ESOL). ELS-Bell is committed to the principle of ensuring equal opportunity for all, regardless of gender, marital status, race, colour, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age or disability. • The interview procedures and selection criteria for all teacher training courses offered at ELS-Bell are based solely on professionally relevant criteria. • The evaluation of all course participants is based solely on individual progress and achievements made during the course, and any formal assessment is made with reference to objective assessment criteria. • All selection and assessment criteria and procedures will be monitored and reviewed by a working group to ensure that discrimination is not occurring. • The management group will investigate any claims of discriminatory behaviour on the part of staff or course participants and, where necessary, take all appropriate disciplinary action. 1 QUALITY CONTROL AND GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE ELS Bell is committed to providing quality teacher training courses which are delivered with a high degree of professionalism in a motivating and supportive environment. The tutors will make time available during the course to discuss any concerns you may have with the coursework, teaching or assessment. Feedback on the course from trainees is an important factor in the development of our course timetable and so in addition to the informal daily feedback from trainees to tutors which is inevitable on a course like CELTA, we will also ask you for some formal written feedback at the end of the course. In accordance with Cambridge ESOL policy, we also have a formal complaints procedure in place should a serious issue arise regarding the interview and selection process, delivery of the course, or the conduct of tutors. Any candidate wishing to make a complaint should in the first instance discuss the matter with the Main Course Tutor. If the candidate is not satisfied with the outcome of this discussion, they should send the complaint in writing to the Director of Teacher Training. Within three working days, the Director of Teacher Training will inform the candidate of what action, if any, is to be taken. If still unresolved, the complaint will then be sent to the Head of Schools for consideration. In a situation where the Head of Schools has been unable to resolve the complaint to the satisfaction of the candidate, the candidate can refer their grievance to the ELT unit at Cambridge ESOL. You will receive a copy of “candidate enquiries on results and complaints procedure” from Cambridge ESOL on the first day of the course. 1 TUITION PAYMENT and REFUND POLICIES Places on most of our CELTA courses are limited to 12 trainees. Successful applicants will be placed in a particular course on a first-come, first-served basis. Having been accepted during the interview, payment of a non-refundable deposit is required in order to guarantee a place on a particular course. The balance of the tuition fees is due ten days before the course start date. If the balance of fees is not received by this deadline, you may lose your place on the course. Please note that should a candidate withdraw from a course prior to the start date, she/he will be eligible for a partial refund of the balance of tuition fees (minus a 20% administration charge) only if both the following conditions are met: • ELS-Bell is able to confirm a qualified substitute in place of the withdrawing candidate, and • The course already has the maximum number of participants No refunds will be made once the course has started. For current fees, please refer to separate ‘Course Fees’ sheet. Payment of deposit The deposit of 1000 PLN (approximately 150 GBP) is to be paid to secure a place on the course. Payment can be made: • In cash / by debit card at the office • By bank transfer, stating the details of payment to: ELS-Bell Bank Account Fortis Bank Polska SA ul. Okopowa 7, 80-819 Gdansk, Poland 16 1600 1303 0004 1007 1017 8001; swift code: PPABPLPK (add PL at the beginning for payments made abroad) Please state your name and what you are paying for (CELTA deposit / fee) Please fax or bring in person a copy of the bank transfer form so we can process registrations immediately. Note that only on receipt of this proof of payment can registration be completed. The number of participants on each course is strictly limited. Therefore, if possible, deposits should be paid in cash to ensure registration. If the deposit is paid by bank transfer, the date on the fax or email sent by the candidate to Bell Warsaw confirming payment will be decisive. 2 Payment of balance The balance is to be paid by bank transfer (see above) not later than 10 days before the start of the course. Lack of payment may mean loss of place on the course. Please fax, email or bring in person a copy of the bank transfer form so that payment of fees can be confirmed. 3 Receipts and Invoices On paying the deposit, you will receive a receipt. You may want the invoice for tax purposes; if so please provide invoice details when paying the deposit (i.e. Who it should be made out to and the address which should be included). ACCOMMODATION For course participants who are coming from outside Warsaw, or from abroad, the school will be happy to assist in making any necessary accommodation arrangements. A single room with breakfast in a student hotel will cost between 100 and 250 zlotys per night (approximately 15 – 40 GBP). It may also be possible for the school to assist in finding self-catering studios and apartments (200 – 320 GBP per month). You’ll probably spend about 100 GBP on food during the month. Course participants who require accommodation should discuss this with the secretary when paying their deposit. Reservations for accommodation should be made as early as possible and at least 1 month before the course starts. 1 FINALLY Participation on the CELTA course requires a good deal of time, energy, effort and commitment. The course is challenging, hopefully enjoyable, and it will certainly provide a sound practical and theoretical base for anybody wishing to start a career teaching EFL. We hope that this booklet has been informative and that it has helped you gain a greater understanding of what the CELTA course at ELS-Bell will be like. Please, do not hesitate to contact us if you would like any further information. Should you wish to apply for a place on the course, we look forward to receiving your application, and to meeting you in person at the interview.