What inspired you to work for Active Language?
Active Language had a great reputation in the area for being a school which promotes teacher development. Going to the ACEIA annual conference, I often saw that there were speakers from Active Language, and I really enjoyed the sessions I attended run by their staff. At the time, I was working in a school with fewer development opportunities and jumped at the chance to become a part of the Active team.
The square outside the school—a perfect spot for a coffee, ice cream or beer!
Describe a typical day at work.
During a full-time course, I might start work at 9:00 a.m. if I have the first input session of the day. When I'm tutoring on the course, I'll be observing the trainees from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and then chatting to them in the feedback session before we work together to plan the following day's lessons.
I tend to stay at school over lunch if I have input sessions in the afternoon in order to catch up on the admin side of things. Having said that though, sitting in the square outside is also an option, and so depending on how I feel I might go out and grab a coffee or an ice cream. Then, there are a couple of afternoon input sessions—though it's rare for one tutor to be on for the whole day!
A fun end-of-course shot
Why do you do what you do?
I love teaching! I love being in the classroom and spending time with learners. Working on the CertTESOL course also gives me the opportunity to reflect on my own teaching, which is always a good thing.
What makes Active Language special?
We continually strive to provide quality training for everyone who comes through our doors—both trainees who are taking a teacher training course with us and our own staff. All of the teacher training team are passionate about ELT and we love sharing that enthusiasm with others during our courses or when we speak at conferences here in Spain.
Why should someone choose Active Language over competitors?
We are a well-established teacher training centre and have been running the CertTESOL course in Cádiz since 2005. In that time, we have helped more than 600 teachers on their ELT journeys through the Trinity Certificate and Diploma in TESOL courses as well as our own in-house training for the teachers at our language school.
What makes Active Language easy to market to potential participants?
Active Language runs a five-week CertTESOL course, whereas most other full-time courses run for four weeks. Though it's still an intense experience, having a three-day weekend makes life a little easier and gives our trainees a bit of extra time to get out and enjoy Cádiz. Plus, there's definitely something special about Cádiz. Some people say it's the light, or the pace of life, or the people...whatever it is, it's a great place to be.
Observing during teaching practice
How do you help support participants?
In the run-up to the courses, I'm available to help trainees with any queries they have about visa requirements, accommodation, places to eat in Cádiz, and so on. Then during the course, the Course Director is on-hand to support trainees with deadline queries, course expectations, and handling the intensity of the course. We also have high-quality career support, with the opportunity to meet the careers advisor to work on your CV or to talk about your options for the future. We offer lifelong career support too and past trainees will often get back in touch to let us know how they're getting on and ask for advice for further development.
What questions do participants often ask you, and how do you typically respond?
People who are interested in taking a pre-service teaching qualification often ask why they should take a course which costs over a thousand euros when there are cheaper options available. When you start looking into training providers and have no experience of what's on offer, it can be difficult to know why there are such huge price differences between different courses. I have to admit, I love a good bargain, but to be honest, paying for a top-quality, accredited course will set you in good stead for the future and provide you with the practical experience which is what it's really all about.
With a group of trainees
What qualities in program & host community relations are important to you? (And to Active Language?)
One of the main reasons for Active Language running a five-week rather than a four-week CertTESOL course was to allow trainees more time to experience Cádiz. Many trainees come to Cádiz with the intention of staying on after the course, or arrive and fall in love with the city and so stay for longer. Furthermore, Active Language is a well-established part of the community; lots of the learners who come to join us for the teaching practice component have been our students for years and we have strong relationships with local schools.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
For me, it means getting a taste for the place where you're living—trying the local dishes, getting off the beaten track, and seeing something other than the typical tourist sights.