The Experiential Learning Cycle and the SIT TESOL Certificate Course
Language Learning Experience
So, in the last post, we looked at the fundamental components of the SIT TESOL Certificate Course. Before we look at a specific example of how participants interact with the content of the course, let's step back and explore the Experiential Learning Cycle(ELC).
The ELC, proposed by David Kolb, captures the process that we all pass through as we engage in learning. His model outlines the steps we take as we create learning. Kolb proposes the process can be broken down into four stages.
Do I need a TESOL Certificate to Teach English Overseas?
Teaching English Overseas With or Without a TESOL Certificate?
Many people who want to teach English overseas ask themselves this question when they first consider taking a TESOL Certificate course. In many cases, it's easy to see why.
You may be a native English speaker, possess a degree in a related area,
have experience teaching, or just feel you'd be a fantastic teacher don't you
already have what it takes? There is some truth to this though times continue to change.
25 years ago you really only needed to be a native
English speaker with a passport and a pulse to find a teaching job almost anywhere in the world. Today, getting a job teaching English overseas can be more challenging for someone who doesn't have a TESOL
Certificate. After all, other people applying for English language teaching job most likely are certified in TESOL.
Nonetheless, there are certainly circumstances in
which a TESOL Certificate may not be needed. For most, earning a
TESOL Certificate may be the best first step to take before teaching English overseas.
Watch this: Author Marsha Scarbrough shares
her thoughts on getting TESOL Certified in Santa Fe.
Here are some of the factors that may influence your
decision on whether or not to get a TESOL Certificate.
Contact John Kongsvik, the director of TESOL Trainers for more info
There's something that is driving you to get certified in TESOL. You may look at this as an entrance to the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages as their first career, a step into a new career, or as a complement to their careers.
Knowing what you're going to do once you've successfully completed the SIT TESOL Certificate Course is very important in considering how being TESOL certified supports your professional and personal goals.
The field of TESOL is an ever growing, ever adapting employment sector that does offer exciting opportunities for people who feel themselves drawn to working with non-native English speakers in their communities and abroad.
There are many reasons why people sign up for the SIT TESOL Certificate course in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Here are four categories...consider which one you identify with most.
There's something that is driving you to get certified in TESOL. You may look at this as an entrance to the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages as their first career, a step into a new career, or as a complement to their careers.
Knowing what you're going to do once you've successfully completed the SIT TESOL Certificate Course is very important in considering how being TESOL certified supports your professional and personal goals.
The field of TESOL is an ever growing, ever adapting employment sector.
TESOL offers exciting opportunities for people who feel themselves drawn to working with non-native English speakers in their communities and abroad.
Watch: Christina Romero talk about why she got
TESOL Certified at John Kongsvik's training center.
Here are four categories of people and why they choose to get TESOL Certified. Consider which one(s) you identify with most.
Get TESOL Certified with John Kongsvik in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Becoming TESOL certified as you enter the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages {TESOL}is not only a good idea, but it's also an investment that pays immediate and lasting benefits.
There are many clear reasons why getting TESOL certified is the first step you take before you start teaching your way around the world. More than likely, your principle reason is getting a job overseas. So, let's start from there.
You'll feel prepared to teach non-native English speakers. {Knowing a language is not the same as knowing how to teach it}
You'll feel competent in teaching all aspects of TESOL. {Learning a language is more than vocabulary and grammar}
You'll be able to choose from a wider variety of TESOL job opportunities. {There are hundreds of openings each day}
You'll be able to teach where having a TESOL Certificate is the law. {Many require this in exchange for a work visa}
You'll be on par with thousands of other TESOL Certified teachers. {Education and experience count in this field too}
5 Questions to Ask Your Employer Before the Contract is Signed
So, you've got your TESOL Certificate and have found some appealing possibilities teaching English overseas, and are preparing for potential TESOL job interviews. In addition to selling yourself in the interview, you also have to determine whether or not this job is right for you and whether or not the school is right for you. While this may be challenging for a number of reasons, arming yourself with as much information as you can get is the best way to make sure your expectations are met.
While there are employers who freely offer a lot of information about the school and community, many potential employers do not go out of their way to paint the clearest of pictures they could. Here are 5 broad strokes to ponder before you sign that contract to teach at that school:
You may not know too much about the school.
You don't know anyone who's worked there.
You don't have a clear picture of the TESOL position.
You don't know the real value of your compensation.
You don't know much about the location.
Watch this video: Esta Gutierrez shares how she got
TESOL Certified in Sant Fe, NM and taught all over the word.
Below you'll find a list of 5 key considerations to explore with a potential employer before you start packing your bags.
Regardless of yourteaching experience, the Experiential Learning Cycle {ELC} provides a framework
for informing and transforming our teaching practices. [to see the first post on this, click here]
Though the ELC has been
around in some
form or another, it was David
Kolb who brought detail to the stages of learning that everyone, on some
level or another, pass through as we engage in experiences and
encounters. Common phrases such as ‘we
learn from our experiences’ and ‘trial and error’ capture this natural process.
Educators can use this
basic process to frame how they approach teaching and learning. With a little effort and a bit of
practice, teachers can support their own understanding of what helps/hinders
learning and their ability to improve their own teaching practice.
Using the ELC is a critical way in informing and transforming your teaching practice.
The Skyrocketing Demand for TESOL Teacher Overseas
In previous posts, we have discussed
the increase in the demand for qualified English language teachers. The chances are that you can name a
non-native English speaking country and they are more than likely looking for English language teachers.
Doing a few Google searches will put
you in touch with a ton of websites that dedicate themselves to TESOL employment. On a monthly basis,
there are around 20,000 jobs that are posted somewhere online!
That is not to say that every country
has the same needs either in quantity of TESOL teachers or the quality of
English language instructors.
These vary region by region with the common denominator in all of them:
How do I get a job teaching English as a certified TESOL teacher?
In my 15+ years as a trainer on the SIT TESOL Certificate course, I have noticed that there are definite differences in how TESOL graduates enter the job market, TESOL certificates in their hands.
Some graduates have found work before or while taking the TESOL Certificate course. Some participants complete the course knowing that they will begin their teaching careers at a determined future date. Other graduates don't really know what they want to teach, where they want to teach or when they will begin.
More than likely you fall into category 1 or 2 if you are reading this.😏
Feel free to check out TESOL Trainer's Youtube page. There you will find a number of testimonials by graduates of the SIT TESOL Certificate course with John Kongsvik.
All of the graduates in the videos share what they have been doing with their TESOL Certificates. There is a wide range in the ages, the experiences, and the places where they lived and taught. It's well worth the effort to check it out!
Let's take a look at what you can do to get the ball rolling, seek and find a job teaching English, and begin your new journey as a TESOL Certificate teacher.
