Last week at Azé

Well its my last week at Azé..... *tear*

The kids this week are absolutely amazing! They are so much better than last week's -- I'm really enjoying this bunch. I have an amazing family (The Favre family --- all our last names are famous American football quarterbacks like Favre, Elway, Montana, Manning and Brady). All the kids are great and really want to practice their English.

I also have a great class. I am teaching the lowest level again and these kids are much rowdier than last group... but it is good for class. They are much more excited and eager to learn -- and are a lot more fun!

Saturday day, I leave Azé and take a train to Basel, Switwerland to meet up with Nomad and get on a plane to Istanbul. We are staying at a hostel right on the coast of the Sultanahmet (the center of Istanbul on the European side). It will be interesting to visit a city that has a European and Asian half. I can stand over the line dividing two continents. This will mean I have been to 4 continents (North America, Europe, Africa and Asia).


Also exciting news -- i got accepted into the CELTA program in Prague, Czech Republic for the month of September. The CELTA is the most internationally recognised teaching qualification — highly regarded throughout the world — and makes it easy to get a job teaching English anywhere in the world.

What is CELTA?
CELTA is an initial qualification for people with little or no previous teaching experience and opens up a whole world of exciting teaching opportunities. Because it is awarded by Cambridge ESOL, part of the world-famous University of Cambridge, you can rely on its quality and recognition.

CELTA is accepted throughout the world by organisations which employ English Language teachers. The Cambridge CELTA has been accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) at Level 4 on the National Qualifications Framework. Cambridge ESOL also works with international ELT organisations to ensure the acceptance of CELTA globally.

There are five main units of learning:
Learners and teachers, and the teaching and learning context
Language analysis and awareness
Language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing
Planning and resources for different contexts
Developing teaching skills and professionalism.


So the program is offered in almost every country worldwide. I chose Czech Republic because of the location (Ive always wanted to visit CZ) and the price. It is by far one of the cheapest programs in Europe, they provide discount housing, and overall the price of living in CZ is one of the cheapest in Europe. CZ is also so centrally located, it will be easy for me to venture into other surrounding countries such as Germany, Poland, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.

Once I have this certification, I will basically be able to teach ESL anywhere I want. I am already in negotiations with an agency to teach in Taiwan starting in December.


Well thats all for now... gotta prepare the evening program!!!