Casey Townsend

Today I’m super happy to share an interview with a fellow CELTA graduate, Casey Townsend. We both studied the CELTA course together in April at the same school.

She’s gone on to successfully work as an English language teacher, both in a school and privately via Skype.

I think it’s important to stay in touch with the people on your course and see how their lives change as they start their teaching careers. It’s also very useful for you to read the real-life experiences of previous CELTA candidates, so you can get some insight into what to expect from your studying!

So let’s get started…

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am 26, I live in Bath and I did my CELTA in April this year.

Why did you choose the Cambridge CELTA course?

I had just left my full time job, and teaching English is always something I had wanted to do. I studied English Language at university and I had completed a module on it.

What research did you go through before settling on the CELTA qualification?

I asked in the language schools in Bath which course was the best one to do for jobs, and I was told that CELTA (not TEFL) was the course most of the schools require you to have completed.

What new professional and personal skills did you learn on your CELTA course?

Confidence speaking in front of people! And being judged whilst doing so, and getting feedback. It was a sharp learning curve, it was far more enlightening that I thought.

What was the most challenging thing about your CELTA course?

The sheer fast pace of it. There is a lot of information to assimilate in a short space of time. The days are long, and then you have work to do when you get home. It is not for the faint hearted!

What are your plans now?

I currently teach English Language in a school in Bath, as well as privately and on Skype. The hours in schools out of season tend to be sporadic. However, if you are proactive to find students privately you will have enough work!

What advice do you have for anyone studying (or thinking about studying) the CELTA?

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Work hard and always respond to feedback, in an effort to improve your teaching skills. Have fun!