Teaching English as a foreign language, or TEFL, is a popular choice among graduates who want to go travelling and people wishing to pursue a new career. But which course should you take?
"The most recognised TEFL qualification in the world is the University of Cambridge CELTA," says International House Galway director Mary Grennan. "It has been in existence since 1962 when it was designed by the founder of International House, John Haycraft, so there’s a lot of history and intellectual knowledge there.
"Unlike other TEFL courses, CELTA tutors are highly qualified teacher trainers and each CELTA course is externally assessed by a nominated University of Cambridge assessor. This makes the CELTA a highly reliable qualification that schools and universities worldwide can trust. For this reason, 87 per cent of the English language teaching positions advertised around the world request the CELTA qualification and no other one."
CELTA courses are run at universities and colleges worldwide and are offered by prestigious universities such as King’s College London as part of the master’s degree in English language teaching.
Former IH Galway CELTA candidate Mai Solabarrieta said: "With the CELTA, I not only discovered that I was able to teach, but also that I really enjoyed it. The energy of standing in front of a group of people willing to learn and to be able to teach them something is something that I never thought could give me such a feeling of fulfilment. I’m in touch with my classmates from the CELTA, and they are literally all over the world."
Ms Solabarrieta recently completed a CELTA course at IH Galway and is now teaching in San Sebastian, Spain.
With the CELTA course, the world is your oyster – the only decision you have to make is where you want to go.
The next CELTA course begins in April and full time courses run throughout the summer. For more details, contact IH Galway, email [email protected], phone 091 381110.
