As part of our CELTA course, trainee teachers spend 6 hours in a real classroom teaching volunteer students.
These students are offered their classes for only £5 a week on the understanding that they are guinea-pigs for our trainee teachers!
Meet Mauro, Claire and Marta. Mauro is a doctor from Italy waiting to take up a residency in Londonderry, and who decided to spend his time in Belfast attending English classes. Marta (Spanish) and Claire (French) are both aupairs who moved to Belfast for an immersive English experience and found these classes! Today is Marta’s very first class.
So, what do you think of our trainee teachers and their classes?
Mauro: They are great because they are young, motivated, enthusiastic and really positive about teaching. The only ‘con’ is that there is a quick turn-over, after two weeks you get a new teachers and it is more difficult to build a relationship. But £5 a week is really good value! Sometimes the classes are excellent and sometimes less excellent (he laughs).
Claire: I agree with Mauro – the classes are cheap and good quality. I now understand a lot more then I did when I started the classes.
Marta: I was at another school, but afternoon classes fit in better with my time-table. Things here are a lot more relaxed and all the vocab was new to me today.
Mauro: The learning is complete, grammar, reading & listening. None of the other students waste time – they all really want to be there.
Have these classes given you anything besides English language?
Mauro: They are good for meeting people and socialising. This school helped me to feel less lonely.
Claire: I really agree with you! I’m also more confident, no-one judges you in class when you speak.
Do you have any advice for new teachers that will be doing the course in the future?
Claire: Act more confident and check your spelling before class! (she laughs). Don’t worry if you make mistakes though.
Marta: Ya – everyone in the class is there to learn – the teachers and the students!
