Hilal Hastaoglu » celta tutors

After being interviewed by Katie from TEFLLogue, I thought I should interview one of the super recent CELTA graduates my self. Gamze Uslu took the CELTA at the same place I did (International Training Institute - Istanbul) right after I was done with the course.

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Introduction:  Gamze Uslu is a 25 year old Turkish girl. She is a Translation – Interpretation graduate. She describes her self as a full time translator, part time teacher and a dedicated party girl.

Conclusion: CELTA takers don’t have to be book worms! hehe 

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1. How did you hear about the CELTA? (advice? google? from a friend? etc.) 

How should I start? In fact, I was familiar with the Cambridge teacher training courses before the CELTA as I once took the ICELT when I was a fresh English Instructor (this is how they call it at universities here) at a university but quit working there only after 4 months and obviously couldn’t finish the ICELT.  It took me two years to regain my confidence and energy to go back to the idea of teaching. After I moved to Istanbul (I was in Ankara then) to work as a full-time translator for a translation company, I realized that I didn’t want to spend my next 20 years stuck in a choking translation office in front of a computer, unconsciously and continuously typing the same technical stuff. So I thought I could go back to teaching.   My teacher friends also encouraged me. Then, I went online to see what I could find. First, I found out about the TEFL and then found the Cambridge CELTA page. I applied for both of them but only got a reply from the ITI which offers the CELTA course. And my journey started….   

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2. Why did you want to take the CELTA? (qualification? higher work pay? etc.) 

In my country, I can be an English teacher without the CELTA as I have the pedagogic training certificate required by the public schools and even some teaching experience at a well-known university. However, my very first teaching experience was not exhilarating at all and this time I wanted to take firm steps. The CELTA is for beginners and this was what I needed to start all over from the beginning in order to gain my confidence back. Besides (like with everything else I do), I wanted to be as “perfect” as I could when it came to teaching. So I thought if I was going to be a teacher, I should be a good one like the one who taught me English at school and the CELTA is the mere convenient point one can start and follow on.

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3. How has the CELTA changed your “outlook” on teaching?  

The CELTA showed me how to look at the “picture” from the student’s eyes. When you know what the students “see” you know what to “show” better. 

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4. What was the most challenging part of the whole experience?

Hmmm….I remember the third week was the most difficult week (in the full-time course). I don’t know why but we were all fragile (unlike the first week when we were all cheerful and enthusiastic) trying to plan lessons (and finding them unsatisfactory), writing self-assessments (and hating the fact that you still have the same weak points since the first TP), writing reports for the observations and completing small tasks and also rushing to deliver the assignments on time, getting them back for re-submits (but what’s the problem this time?), then submit them again… “My God, where is the last copy? Can’t find it! Does anyone have the CELTA CD with them? I need the observation form again….” ….. and nervous break-downs, a girl or two crying…BUT, in the end IT ALL TURNED OUT WELL NO WORRIES! OK, the challenging part…I think you really need to dedicate yourself. It’s not something you can do easily while you look after young children, babies or ill family members who need your attention, fulfill a full-time job’s requirements, deal with an illness, move house or sort out a problematic relationship. Your mind, energy and attention should be with the course from the beginning until the end.

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5. What words of wisdom/advice would you give to people THINKING about doing the course?

Follow whatever is required by the tutors. Push aside whatever conflicting idea/method/technique/point of view/belief you may ever have. Be it an experienced teacher who thinks he is made up of what he has gained through his professional life and can’t get himself “reshaped” or a fresh teacher candidate for whom everything seems a bit of a jungle life in the classroom, the CELTA is for you if you want to be the “real” teacher who “teaches”. So, digest whatever is served, try to get the “gist” without getting lost in the details – ABSOLUTELY keep your work done day-to-day and never postpone anything as they pile up and up and up….before you notice.

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6. Was it worth the money? (Some people think twice before they can actually spend money, so yeah, I want to help them make a decision because the CELTA is not a cheap course) 

 You definitely learn. It’s for sure. You pay a good deal of money but you receive the course from the best tutors (at least this is the case at ITI

Istanbul). I’ve saved for the CELTA for months and I don’t regret it. Besides, you can earn it back easily when you become a full-time teacher

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7. Think about the time you didn’t take the CELTA and think about now. What difference can you see?

 Getting into a class is not a nightmare anymore and I now have an outline in my mind that I can use when I need to plan a lesson.

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8. What problems do Turkish students have in classrooms? Any solutions? (for example they cant say “TH”, tongue twisters may help them learn how to say “TH”)

Apart from the difficulties in pronunciation, they always try to find the Turkish equivalent of every word or grammar structure which is sometimes impossible. Once they asked me why we put “-s” when we say “two dogs” because the number (two) already gives the plural sense (and yes, in Turkish we don’t add the plural suffix to a word when it is already preceded by a quantifier). I just told them this is the way English language is spoken.

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9. What information did you try to find about the course (before you started) and couldn’t find on the internet etc.?  

 I was very anxious about my accent and fluency as I’m not a native speaker. I browsed through hundreds of online forums to learn about those with similar cases and contacted some of them and was relieved to see that they were actually OK! So, I said “if they can do it, why can’t I?

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It was a long long long long day. We had 2 of my colleagues doing their TP’s. Once they were done, we had a “professional development & careers advice” lesson (very very very useful). Then we all checked our folios’ to see if we had anything missing. When we were done with everything, we all went out to Taksim in Istanbul and had dinner together. Our tutors had fish & chips (I guess it’s a British thing hehe). I had the most delicious hot dog in the world. It may have tasted as so, because I received my CELTA certificate with a PASS before I ordered anything!!

Can you believe it? Hilal and a PASS on the same piece of paper!!! Woooohooooo!

Final 5 words about the CELTA:
Constructive * Effective * Leading * Terrific * Amazing

So, you had the opinion of my colleagues. Perhaps, you’re not yet convinced. To convince you
that the course was worth it (as I claim in my entries), our tutors were kind enough to give
you all some info. & advice about the course.

Amanda GAMBLE
CELTA tutor
International Training Institute, Istanbul

Why is the CELTA a course worth taking?

Anyone who has looked into the TEFL world will see there are hundreds of different courses to take so how can someone who is new to this field decide which course is the best? Different courses offer different things: some can be done online, some won’t break the bank, some are short….. So what should you look for?

A course….
* with hands on experience - one where you actually get into the classroom and really practise how to teach
* that gives an internationally recognised certificate on completion
* that gives you the opportunity to see experienced teachers in action
* that gives a balance of practical ideas as well as some of the theory behind teaching
* during which you get constant support from your tutors
* which you can give and receive feedback on a day to day basis and gets you to reflect
* which gets you to think about specific areas of teaching through written assignments
* which by the end of it you feel that you can actually go into a classroom and teach something

Which course provides all this and more? The Cambridge CELTA…..but there are three important questions you need to ask yourself before applying for this course.

1. Can I work as part of a team? This is important because you plan lessons with your colleagues, give them feedback, work together on projects etc. Team work is not only necessary during the course but in your life as a teacher.

2. Am I organised? There is a lot of paperwork on the course. If you don’t keep up to date with it all, the course will be difficult. Teaching also includes some paperwork - it’s not all just about being in the classroom.

3. Am I open to criticism? You receive constant feedback from your colleagues and tutors. It is important that you can take this feedback on board in a mature way and respond to it in order to develop and progress. After qualifiying, getting regular feedback on your teaching is a great way to develop yourself.

If you can answer YES to these three questions, then apply for the CELTA. As well as learning a myriad of things about teaching, you get to make some great friends and have lots of fun along the way.

Sharon LEACH
CELTA Trainee
International Training Institute, Istanbul

I think the CELTA is a great start for those interested in teaching English as a foreign language. With its hands-on approach and emphasis on self-evaluation and reflection, it is challenging, empowering, stimulating and interactive. It’s all about self-discovery and entering the endless, but wonderful cycle of learning and teaching. Doing the CELTA helps give you more confidence to go into a classroom . You’ll develop a greater awareness of the needs of the students and an understanding of the rationale behind classroom activities. You’ll also make some great new friends!

Liz AYKANAT
CELTA Tutor-in-training
International Training Institute, Istanbul

I trained to be an English language teacher 14 years ago, and very quickly after the first couple of teaching practice sessions, I realised I loved it. It was a career change for me, and totally the right one. 14 years on and I still love it & I get a buzz out of seeing other people get the same enjoyment.CELTA is not for the faint-hearted. Whether you are on a full-time or a part-time course, it is intensive. You have deadlines to meet, research and assignments to do and input sessions to attend (& you really can’t afford to miss any). Perhaps the most demanding part is the teaching practice. In these sessions, you are in front of real students who are actually learning English and can put you on the spot by asking you difficult language questions - or by just not understanding what you have asked them to do. Added to this you are being observed by your tutors and peers - all of whom are frantically scribbling notes in order to give you feedback. However, there is nothing better than realising that students are actually using the language that you’ve just presented to them, or when the student thanks you for clarifying something they didn’t understand or for an enjoyable lesson. And when you take a risk and try out a new technique and it works - like magic - then you realise just what you are getting from the course. This is what makes CELTA real and rewarding.

Observing this CELTA course as a tutor-in-training made me realise that when I did my own course, it wasn’t just luck that I had a great group of supportive tutors. As I experienced myself, tutors are trained to ensure that you get the best out of the course. Every input session is presented so that it includes practical teaching techniques and methodologies that are used in the language classroom. If you watch the trainers (as well as listening to them), you will see and experience the real language classroom - even if the topic is something different like “administrative matters”.

In addition to this, the feedback is constructive and motivating. Even if something didn’t go as you’d hoped, you are not “criticised” but encouraged to think through the problem and given practical advice to help you overcome it next time.

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