CPD - Post Placement Opportunities

The following post will be broken up into three ongoing activities relating to my post placement practice –

A.      CELTA - Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Course

B.      PhD Research

C.      Internal Job Applications

A. CELTA

After an application process that has taken almost three months, I have successfully been accepted on to the level 5 certification of CELTA ESL Teaching. This course is intended to start immediately upon completion of placement and offers an in-depth, hands on, practical approach to language teaching. Which compliments the current placement and gathered experience nicely, in preparation for a future career of ESOL/EFL/ESL teaching in F.E.

One of the texts suggested by the CELTA courses is Swan’s Practical English Usage, which contains clear and concise materials applicable to my current specialism of ESOL (e.g. language terminology, tenses, superlatives and conjugations). This is particularly important as English language is taught more as a structure overseas, whereas in the UK, the degree of native application from birth means that acquisition has played a larger part in learning at a younger age than L1 learners who spoke their own respective mother tongues.

(Note: due to acquisition having a range of interpretations throughout the field of linguistics, the one most commonly settled on is as follows: “The social and psychological processes through with and individual develops an ability to communicate through language. A basic distinction is drawn between first and second language acquisition” – taken from Nunan’s Task Based Language Teaching p212).

By completing this qualification, not only will I have additional hours of practice with observed lessons to continue my ongoing development as an ESOL teacher. But also, I will be able to progress onto a DELTA certificate, which focuses on language as a structure, something I believe would be priceless in the ongoing pursuit of continuing professional development.

B. PhD Research

Having completed my masters almost a year ago now, I am looking to continue my research into teaching materials, with a specific interest into transferability and/or multimedia application(s) of digital learning. With the increase of online learning materials comes an increase of unstructured learning outcomes, evidenced by those who have learnt languages using websites such as YouTube and the likes. Learning a greeting, within the context of it being that and nothing else is substantial enough to warrant and support and stand-alone video. But when ongoing “series” take a “sentence-at-a-time” approach. The learning is slowed down to a pace where it would take more time than it needs to just to teach a single whole 4-lined paragraph.

Currently BMET operates a B.Y.O.T (bring your own technology) policy and has openly welcomed my I.T. expertise, when developing or updating materials for digital presentation. But what I’d like to research is how effective online multimedia is in comparison to the traditional analogue teacher/learner classroom scenario. Having openly asked the staff as to if they’d be interested in partaking in my research, all have agreed, seeing how it could benefit them in their ongoing careers. As well as help me to continue to develop my understanding at the highest possible qualification level available under the current British education system.

C. Internal Job Applications

Recently, I was informed by fellow members of staff to apply for a job with the BMET college group, via their Matthew Boulton campus. Having had experience with the inner workings of the college, I leapt at the opportunity and undertook the microteach with complete and utter determination.

Although I may be waiting for the result of the interview at this time, this made me ask about how teaching staff are recruited and how – if possible – I could return at the discretion of ESC or any other campus, upon my completion of the course and/or during my PhD.

Staff have kindly said they would be happy for me to return, so I look forward to applying again when my time comes to an end at my placement.