James is a recent graduate of Lexis TESOL Training Centres’ latest CELTA course and is now working at both Lexis English Sunshine Coast and Lexis English Noosa. I caught up with James and asked him to tell us a little bit about his CELTA experience.

Why did you want to become an English language teacher?

English teaching is the ideal fit for the type of person I am. I have long considered being a teacher, but the lifestyle of a traditional school teacher did not appeal to me. Becoming an English teacher has opened up the opportunity for me to work overseas and really immerse myself in a new culture. The work is rewarding in that it allows me to be creative and to connect with people from a great variety of backgrounds, which is one of my greatest joys.

Why did you choose to do a CELTA course over other TESOL qualifications?

The CELTA course appealed to me due to its reputation for producing well trained teachers. I felt that the better the training I received, the more confidently I would be able to step into an EFL classroom.

What did you like about the course?

The course was very communicative and group orientated. The sessions are designed so that the trainees not only learn from their own practice and experience, but also that of their peers. In this way we were able to give advice to one another as well as observe what others did well and incorporate this into our own teaching. The trainers did a great job of facilitating this environment.

What advice would you give someone who was planning on doing CELTA?

I would advise future CELTA trainee to utilise their trainers as a crucial resource. The insight, advice and encouragement they offer comes from experience gained from many EFL lessons. A good grammar book will also come in handy. Get to know your fellow trainees and the students to make the learning environment more enjoyable.

What are your plans for the future?

I will be either fine tuning my Spanish or picking up another language while I get some teaching hours abroad. After that I will be hunting down some of the more lucrative EFL jobs!