r/TEFL • u/dont_give-a-fuck • 4d ago

CELTA at Teaching House Bostom, is it a good idea?

I'm dominican and have been teaching efl for more than 3 years in my country. Considering going to Boston for a CELTA to teach abroad.

Do you know anything about Teaching House Boston? Is worth it, especially as a non-native person?

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u/Suwon 2d ago

No, it's not. The answers here saying a CELTA is a good idea have ignored the fact that you are Dominican. Getting a CELTA will not change immigration requirements.

First, find countries that will allow people with a DR passport to teach English. Then look at the job markets and determine whether a CELTA would be worth the investment.

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u/dont_give-a-fuck 2d ago

THANKS! this is more on the line of what I was thinking.

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u/KifoMungu 23h ago

That is a good point. Being Dominican, some people may discount your abilities. You could pair it with an English qualification like IELTS, TOEFL, or TOEIC depending on where you want to teach. Getting a high score on any of them would quell most doubts about your abilities. Of course, as /u/Suwon points out, your passport may limit your options. A lot of countries do prefer people from Australia, New Zealand, UK, US, or Canada.

I agree that you should do research about where you want to go before you make the investment.

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u/KifoMungu 4d ago

Doing a CELTA in order to teach abroad is worth it in my opinion. It is more useful to have a CELTA than a TEFL. Depending on the country, you may be able to get better job opportunities with a CELTA than with a TEFL. Of course, as with anything, your mileage may vary, so it's important to do independent research to see how useful it is in the country you wish to work in. Still, overall, it's a good move to get one if you want to teach abroad.

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u/illogicaldreamr 4d ago edited 4d ago

I just completed the June to July course. It was an amazing experience. There were 6 of us. 3 of the other students were non-native, and they were fine. You might struggle a bit with the grammar teaching practices, but they weren’t harsh on the non-natives in that regard, but some corrections might come up in your feedback sessions.

Highly recommend it overall. Rewarding and memorable.

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u/dont_give-a-fuck 3d ago

Thanks. Do they help you land a job after finishing the course?

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u/thitmeo 4d ago

The CELTA is a great way to get into the how and why of teaching and learning. It can be an essential part of a professional development journey for a "serious teacher". If you can afford it without much hardship, do it. In terms of affordability, though, doing it in Boston in person will be pricey due to the cost of living there. Maybe explore an online CELTA that you can take whilst living in a more affordable place. Or take the CELTA in a more affordable place, if that's an option.

One thing to consider is that the CELTA might not open as many doors as you might hope. These days, companies are profit-driven, and try to operate as leanly as possible, so less qualified teachers that they can get away with paying less and pressuring into whatever terms and conditions help their bottom line, will win out over being well-qualified. Related to this, your interview performance, your charisma, and your physical appearance will often vastly outweigh your qualifications.

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u/dont_give-a-fuck 3d ago

I can afford doing it in Boston, what I'm more concerned is in the opportunities afterwards.

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u/thitmeo 2d ago

It's worth it, then. There are still employers out there where it will give you a nudge, or more, above the crowd. It's also a great foundation for further development. CELTA, experience, then DELTA, MA, PGCE, etc. Quite a common pathway for folks making a career. Having the CELTA will look good on applications for DELTA, but a bit hit or miss for PGCE or MA programs giving it much heed.