TEFL - Cambridge CELTA Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

The Centre
Unique to this centre, is the incredible natural environment and the opportunity to interact with the unique flora and fauna and participate in sustainable development projects and environmental protection. Helping to educate the local population is an essential part of your course and you may even wish to volunteer on the islands once the course is complete. This project developed with the aim of creating a win/win for both our CELTA candidates as well as for the people of the local community.

The centre on the Galapagos Islands operates under the direction of the Department of Sustainable Development of the Municipal Government of Santa Cruz. The staff are passionate professionals from the UK, Ecuador, Australia and Canada who have come together to design this CELTA course to address the specific needs of our candidates in one of the most exotic locations on earth.

The Team
The team consists of international CELTA trainers from the UK, Australia and Canada, with experience in providing quality CELTA courses all over the world. Most people fall in love with the Galapagos Islands when they first visit, and we were no exception. This CELTA project provides the opportunity to live and work on the islands and allows our CELTA candidates the chance to join us in paradise while obtaining their certificates. As you can imagine, the Galapagos ecosystems are incredibly diverse but also very fragile, and we wanted to make sure that this CELTA project would help contribute to Ecuadorian environmental objectives and sustainable development. For this reason, we partnered with the Municipal Government of Santa Cruz Island which has 42 years of experience with environmental and educational programs.

Volunteering
As a CELTA Galapagos candidate, you will be practicing your teaching by providing hands-on lessons to volunteer classes of students from the local community. These classes allow local students the opportunity to practice their English with native speakers, and build the confidence they need to work in areas such as the busy tourism industry. With more qualified workers available locally, demand for foreign workers can weaken, thereby reducing the immigration of non-permanent residents to the islands. Besides this program, the municipal government also pursues a variety of environmental conservation projects. Should you choose to remain on the islands to volunteer or work, you will have the opportunity to help-out with these initiatives.


Leisure activities:

- Cruises - 4 days or 8 days
Before or after your course. Find the cruise you like and we will help you to lower the price.

- Scuba Diving with hammerheads sharks!
Volunteer discount for fun dives in the most recognized Diving Centre in the area.

Not a diver yet? We offer you 40% off Open Water & Advanced +accommodation included with Otro Mundo dive center in Montanita (on the main land) before you arrive on the Galapagos Island

Free excursions and activities included on the weekends during your course.

- Bay tour and snorkeling: sea lions, sea turtles, marine iguanas, etc...
- Tortuga bay, about 3km walk each way
- Charles Darwin station
- Lava tunnels, length about 1km
- Las Grietas and Playa de los Alemanes walk about 1.5km
- Cerro Mesa look out, best view from the islands

Course Outline

Each course runs for 4 weeks from Monday to Friday, 10:30am to 7:30pm. There are a total of 140 contact hours plus a further 80 hours (min) required outside of class for assignments, lesson planning and further reading. A typical day on the course is as follows:

� 10.30-12.00 � Input
� 12.15-13.45 � Input
� 15.00-16.30 � Delayed Feedback and Guided Lesson Planning
� 17.00-19.00 � Teaching Practice
� 19.30-20.00 � Feedback

Teaching Practice is an integral part of the course. This is organised in small groups of 5-6 trainees with volunteer students at two different levels. After each teaching practice session an evaluation of the session is facilitated by a course tutor.

The CELTA course covers the following syllabus:

� Language analysis and awareness
� The learner, the teacher and the teaching/learning context
� Language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking
� Planning and resources for effective teaching
� Classroom management skills
� Developing teaching skills and professionalism
� Classroom observation
� Teaching practice

By the end of the course candidates should be able to:

� Assess learner needs, and plan and teach lessons which take account of learners� backgrounds, learning preferences and current needs
� Demonstrate language knowledge and awareness and appropriate teaching strategies
� Demonstrate knowledge about language skills and how they may be acquired
� Plan and prepare lessons designed to develop their learners� overall language competence
� Demonstrate an appropriate range of teaching skills at this level and show professional awareness and responsibility

You will be assessed by your two CELTA course trainers throughout the course. An external assessor, appointed by Cambridge English Language Assessment, moderates each course for quality assurance purposes to assess the extent to which centres/courses are meeting Cambridge English requirements regarding, e.g. course delivery, facilities, and assessment of candidates.

There are two types of assessment: Teaching Practice and Written Assignments. To complete the CELTA certificate, you must pass both assessments and your grade is based on your overall performance.

There are three passing grades:

� Pass �A�
� Pass �B�
� Pass

A budget option is available for 300 USD per person per month. The building is downtown (i.e. easier access to restaurants etc.) and the rooms are clean and comfortable with private bathrooms a shared kitchen.

Accommodation in a hotel with breakfast can be arranged by the school. From 1,028 USD for 30 nights incl. breakfast.

Each course runs for 4 weeks from Monday to Friday, 10:30am to 7:30pm. There are a total of 140 contact hours in each course (i.e. time spent in the classroom learning, engaging in teaching practice, or participating in teaching activities). Teaching Practice with real students is from 4.30pm to 6.30pm each weeknight, with each candidate teaching for a total of 6 hours.

Teaching opportunities on the Galapagos Islands themselves are possible, with an excellent chance to get a volunteer position (paid opportunities are a bit more tricky to find).

The centre is well connected with the local school and university and they will assist you in a job placement.

Many candidates choose to take a voluntary position to gain valuable teaching experience which will enhance your resume/CV. There are many opportunities to teach on the mainland of Ecuador and again, the centre will assist you with your search in the area.

1. Choose the start date which interests you. If you are still unsure, please choose an approximate date for now - you will be able to specify later.
2. Register your details with Cactus TEFL (1 minute) to help us track your application.
3. Download the application form and save it on your computer.
4. Complete it offline in your own time
5. Go back to www.cactustefl.com, sign in and submit your completed form.

You can also submit an application by email. We will explain how to do this on the application form. Please contact us if you have any problems with the application procedure.