What the CELTA did for me…
Monday, 13th July 2009
In the midst of the recession back in the UK, taking the CELTA course was the best decision I ever made in pursuing a career change to work and travel around the world.
I applied to Nugent Waterside, close to Chiang Mai. The combined resort and training centre appealed because of its remote location 25 km from Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. Away from town, there were few distractions so I could focus on the course, and it offered a complete package of great accommodation, lovely food, training facilities, classrooms and resources all under one roof. This also allowed me to develop great friendships with fellow trainees.
The CELTA is a really intensive and demanding course. The days are long and the assignments take up any free time outside of the classroom. However, the sense of achievement after each teaching practice where you apply what you have learnt is fantastic. Having never tried teaching before, it was a very challenging experience. Working with the great Thai students in the knowledge that I was teaching in an effective way was very rewarding experience. The course has enabled me to teach English confidently, and to the best of my ability and professionalism so that I know I can help my future students to achieve their best.
The CELTA qualification is well recognised throughout the world and will make working abroad easier. During the course my plan was to look for teaching jobs in South East Asia. I am now living and working in Mae Sot, close to the Burmese border. I work with the migrant schools along the border, not teaching, but instead designing and building playgrounds! However, from my links with migrant schools and local community, I am currently in the process of sourcing extra work in teaching English to the Burmese teachers here and may also start some volunteer English teaching.
I will stay in Thailand until the end of the year, working and travelling and learning Burmese and Thai. In the New Year I intend to look for teaching work in India, or perhaps South America, or maybe return to Thailand, where I have met some incredible, warm and generous people. Who knows!? And that’s how I like it! All I know is that taking the CELTA, and moving to Mae Sot has taught me a lot about myself, the type of work I want to do and opened endless possibilities and an exciting future. I am in a place now, that 6 months ago, I could not have imagined.
Tags: chiang mai, esl, tesol, thailand, celta, tefl, english
Posted by Sarah Fowkes 2009-07 under Experience Cultures, Types of Courses, Teaching Languages,
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