"If you are looking for an internationally recognized teaching qualification, we have the course that is right for you," reads the first sentence on British Council’s website for the CELTA course. Internationally recognized?!?! I repeated the words out loud in amazement. I felt like I had just found the passage to a thrilling lifestyle and promising career.
“Travel and teach wherever you want. CELTA makes that possible!” someone wrote on a teaching forum. 99% of the reviews drew such beautiful pictures of what life after CELTA is that I couldn’t help but buy into that exciting narrative.
In 2018, I signed up for the course, and after four weeks of intensive studying, I received my certificate - the pass that was supposed to open doors to international classrooms.
CELTA’s reputation does open doors to international classrooms - the reviews have proven that many times - yet not everyone can cross the threshold. Wait, what?! But why? I asked one of my fellow CELTA trainees in disbelief when she broke that news to me with an apologetic look on her face. Because you’re a non-native English teacher, she said.
Many countries don't want to hire non-native English speakers as English teachers anymore. That was already true when I was taking the course. If they do want to give a chance to a non-native English teacher, the requirements, in many cases, are impossible to meet; 5 years of proven (very often continuous) stay in an English-speaking country or a university diploma - very often both of them are required. I have none of that. I lived in England for a year and studied in Poland.
But why didn’t tell us about it beforehand?! I kept pressing the matter. The disappointment raging in my didn’t let me come to terms with the harsh reality. Well, isn’t that obvious? It’s a business like any other. Your money is their salary, Kate said matter-of-factly. I felt betrayed.
Eventually, I came to terms with the fact that as a non-native English teacher, I won’t be on equal footing with native English teachers. No hard feelings, not anymore.
The ESL industry prioritizes teaching “real English” above anything else. “Real” refers to words, phrases, and grammar used in everyday life - language elements that fill up my personal non-native dictionary by, maybe, 30 up to 40%. I might know loads of words and understand grammar rules better than anyone else, but in many cases, I can only make “educated guesses” as to what sounds natural. I rarely find myself saying, “no one speaks like that.” I can’t be the judge in such cases.
Was it a waste of money in the end? Not necessarily.
If CELTA has anything to offer to non-native English teachers, it is credibility in the domestic market. In 9 out of 10 cases, recruiters get back to me.
On a personal level, I no longer feel intimidated by the coursebooks or the amount of material I have to teach. I can swiftly apply the tricks and techniques learned during the course. I also learned a few things about myself and changed my perception of the profession itself.
The confidence I gained! Truly, an amazing feeling!
The doors to many international classrooms may be closed for me. Nevertheless, the skills I learned will surely benefit students in my homeland.
