Some of you budding English teachers out there might be wondering how to teach the word "freak" in a context that the students can understand. Wonder no longer - James has eliminated that source of worry.
Showing posts with label CELTA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CELTA. Show all posts
Monday, 11 June 2007
The serious nature of teaching English
Some of you budding English teachers out there might be wondering how to teach the word "freak" in a context that the students can understand. Wonder no longer - James has eliminated that source of worry.
Monday, 4 June 2007
ALKA CELTA - for stomach cramps
Though pain in the neck is nearer the mark. I'm just close to finishing week two, which starts on a Wednesday and ends on a Tuesday. Welcome to the strange, introverted world of CELTA.
I'm writing this at 8.30 in the morning, which alone could account for the lack of style and panache in this missive. The fact is, I haven't had any time to think about writing. Any writer will surely agree that this is the major part of the battle where writing is the order of the day.
I haven't even really had the chance to get out and look at the city beyond the main square and the side-street bars where cheap beer and cheaper meat is on the menu. Though my impressions are good, they are merely first ones. Not a pretty state of affairs after two weeks.
And in the zany world of TEFL? Well, I have focussed on the learner, analysed her needs and decided she needs to work on her pronunciation. I've planned a few lessons in huge detail. That means about eight sides of A4 each, typed. I've had a ton of input sessions (that means lecture to you and I, but they don't want to call them that because it implies passive learning) which have been very interesting. I have spent about four hours watching Experienced Teachers, which really has been a burden to me.
The main issue for me is the scheduling. Start at 10.45, two two hour input seshes, an hour and a half for lunch, an hour and a half of pointless sitting around while other people have their lessons analysed, ten minutes for my own, up to three hours of teaching / watching others' lessons. Of course, my main bone to pick is with the four dead hours in the middle of the day. I'd like that back please.
After teaching / watching teaching there are usually feedback sessions which drag on past 7pm usually. They have also, incidentally, dragged all your will to be out of you with their huge time wasting format and pernickerty marking. Then you get home and fed by, say, nine pm and one can finally start ones homework.
Two and a half weeks left and my trip from China to England is definitely taking on a kind of mythical feel.
I'm writing this at 8.30 in the morning, which alone could account for the lack of style and panache in this missive. The fact is, I haven't had any time to think about writing. Any writer will surely agree that this is the major part of the battle where writing is the order of the day.
I haven't even really had the chance to get out and look at the city beyond the main square and the side-street bars where cheap beer and cheaper meat is on the menu. Though my impressions are good, they are merely first ones. Not a pretty state of affairs after two weeks.
And in the zany world of TEFL? Well, I have focussed on the learner, analysed her needs and decided she needs to work on her pronunciation. I've planned a few lessons in huge detail. That means about eight sides of A4 each, typed. I've had a ton of input sessions (that means lecture to you and I, but they don't want to call them that because it implies passive learning) which have been very interesting. I have spent about four hours watching Experienced Teachers, which really has been a burden to me.
The main issue for me is the scheduling. Start at 10.45, two two hour input seshes, an hour and a half for lunch, an hour and a half of pointless sitting around while other people have their lessons analysed, ten minutes for my own, up to three hours of teaching / watching others' lessons. Of course, my main bone to pick is with the four dead hours in the middle of the day. I'd like that back please.
After teaching / watching teaching there are usually feedback sessions which drag on past 7pm usually. They have also, incidentally, dragged all your will to be out of you with their huge time wasting format and pernickerty marking. Then you get home and fed by, say, nine pm and one can finally start ones homework.
Two and a half weeks left and my trip from China to England is definitely taking on a kind of mythical feel.
Friday, 1 June 2007
What are you doing? Helter CELTA
Work piled on work is all that I am up to at the moment. The the first week of the CELTA course has been always busy, usually straightforward, sometimes entertaining and rarely relaxing. I've virtually never had ten minutes spare to upload photos / update my blog / tidy-up / think of any more vers using "up".
The highlights of the week have been mostly linked to the guys I am studying with. They are a fairly intelligent and amusing bunch:
James
James has the daze award for style in class. He found a picture of a caravan and a bunch of cows being blown away to illustrate a hurricane.
James: Do you see this often in Poand?
Looks around, tries to get an answer from the students.
James: Do you see this in Poland, Student A?
Student A: Well, we have cows in Poland.
James: Yes, but they usually stay on the ground in Poland, don't they?
He had a few moments like this, and in a class where one is an observer it is not polite to laugh, so I had about five minutes of trying to stifle myself each time.
That's all from me for now. Eyes peeled for the rest of China some time this weekend if I can drag myself away from the City aniversary celebrations!
The highlights of the week have been mostly linked to the guys I am studying with. They are a fairly intelligent and amusing bunch:
James
James has the daze award for style in class. He found a picture of a caravan and a bunch of cows being blown away to illustrate a hurricane.
James: Do you see this often in Poand?
Looks around, tries to get an answer from the students.
James: Do you see this in Poland, Student A?
Student A: Well, we have cows in Poland.
James: Yes, but they usually stay on the ground in Poland, don't they?
He had a few moments like this, and in a class where one is an observer it is not polite to laugh, so I had about five minutes of trying to stifle myself each time.
That's all from me for now. Eyes peeled for the rest of China some time this weekend if I can drag myself away from the City aniversary celebrations!
Thursday, 24 May 2007
The dust is settling...
So here I am in Poland, in beautiful, sunny, humid and muggy Krakow.
I actually quite like the look of the place. There are lots of old churches that are nice to look at and not go to. There is a huge square where the beers are massively priced at half what they would cost in England. Shopping is cheap, travel is cheaper. The people are very friendly and always deign answer my English in lieu of an Polish.
I've started my course. I'm glad to say the course is challenging and different to what I had done before. I was a little worried, before I came, that I was wasting a month and about a thousand pounds in fees and living expenses. In fact, I am being taught a bunch of stuff which will augment and extend what I already know. Great news.
This narrative was supposed to be mostly about my travels from Japan to Liverpool and there is some good news on that front, too. We have found, treated with, warred with and defeated the wireless router we found in the flat. All being well, the story begins from the beginning sometime tonight or tomorrow.
I actually quite like the look of the place. There are lots of old churches that are nice to look at and not go to. There is a huge square where the beers are massively priced at half what they would cost in England. Shopping is cheap, travel is cheaper. The people are very friendly and always deign answer my English in lieu of an Polish.
I've started my course. I'm glad to say the course is challenging and different to what I had done before. I was a little worried, before I came, that I was wasting a month and about a thousand pounds in fees and living expenses. In fact, I am being taught a bunch of stuff which will augment and extend what I already know. Great news.
This narrative was supposed to be mostly about my travels from Japan to Liverpool and there is some good news on that front, too. We have found, treated with, warred with and defeated the wireless router we found in the flat. All being well, the story begins from the beginning sometime tonight or tomorrow.
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