Scott Thornbury’s excellent recent post marking 50 years of the course that became the CELTA has prompted me to polish up an old idea of mine that hasn’t been seen since it was deleted off Dave’s ESL Café ten minutes after it went up (“because we do not allow posts like this”). Things being deleted from Dave’s generally being a sign they are worthwhile, I thought I’d give it another try here:
The Association of CELTA Qualified Teachers (ACQT, perhaps pronounced “akwot”?) would be exactly what it says – a kind of trade association of teachers who have that qualification. With a bit of financial and organisational help from Cambridge ESOL and/ or local CELTA providers, local chapters would get together to:
– Raise the local profile of their qualification (and so raise themselves above the general riff-raff, and hopefully make more teachers get more qualified)
– Organise and get involved in CPD (continuing professional development) that is particularly suitable for people in their position, including getting ready for the Delta and helping each other do it
– Exchange information about good and bad schools
– Advertise jobs at schools who are specifically asking for the CELTA to their members
This organisation would be particularly useful in places like Japan where no qualifications at all or an MA with no observed teaching practice are still the norm. If there were later associations of Trinity-qualified teacher, Delta-qualified teachers etc, that would be even better – and at some point maybe some of them could merge. In the short term, though, I think this specific idea is the most likely to take off.
Sound useful and possible?
Other random ideas that were meant to change TEFL forever
The Advanced Teaching Certificate
A prize for TEFL/ TESOL journalism
Big Teacher (a TEFL version of Big Brother – more possible than it might sound)
TEFL Olympics (ditto, though mainly just for my own amusement when I first wrote it)
This is a great idea! What needs to be done to make it happen?
Thanks Julie. I’d imagine the best way would be for people to set up local chapters which would later contact each other and Cambridge to try and make a larger structure supporting them.
Hi Alex
I also think this is an excellent idea!
If anyone from Shanghai is reading this (and has a CELTA, DELTA, Trinity cert. or diploma, or MA in TESOL), please contact me via my website and let’s set something up. Would be great to organise some CPD workshops over here, too.
All best wishes
Simon
Hi Alex,
I think you’ve got a great idea. I do the administrative prep and support for the only CELTA course in Chile. I am currently taking the DELTA and hope to be a CELTA tutor in the future.
I am especially interested in your ideas on continuing professional development and building a network of qualified teachers.
I’ve recently tossed around an idea like this with a group of friends and a few recent CELTA candidates here in Chile. We’re putting together a website.
I’m curious to find out if there is more international interest.
Thanks Ronda. I think once one person sets one up and makes a success of it, it should soon spread to other places. I have no organisational abilities whatsoever, but if anyone does a Tokyo or Japan version I’d join tomorrow.