Employability Series: Working with ELTS (English Language Training Service) by Ellie McHugh

Blog Post by Ellie McHugh

Over the summer, I had the fantastic opportunity to work within the ELTS department at Swansea University as an English tutor on the General Summer programme. I finished my second year of studies in the Applied Linguistics department at Swansea University at the start of June. Luckily, the programme began at the end of July, allowing me ample time to relax before heading into a job.

My six weeks working within ELTS, made my summer in more ways than one. To start with, I was part of the most incredible team, with characters who made each day more enjoyable than the last and provided me with an insight into their diverse teaching backgrounds and years of experience.

In my role as English tutor, I taught several groups of students from all language backgrounds including Catalonian teenagers, university students from China, Japan, Venezuela and Taiwan and adults from a many more. Every class was unique which made each day more exciting: it was incredibly rewarding to be a part of their language learning journey.

However, my summer was not just stuck in front of a whiteboard as we took the students on several trips over the span of my six weeks. The General English programme not only provides students with a solid foundation on which they can further their English proficiency but delivers a course jammed pack with fun! The students received a taste of Welsh culture with trips to the Gower, Pembroke and Tenby and despite the typical Welsh weather blessing the start of our Tenby trip, the students had a great time as the sun eventually came out!

Overall, I had the most fantastic time teaching English over the summer and it was all down to my CELTA* qualification – so if you have made it this far then please take one piece of advice, take hold of an incredible (and cheap) opportunity and do the CELTA at Swansea University.

* The CELTA course is embedded in our degree (a place on this particular module is subject to interview and suitable academic progression) and it runs twice a year. As well as this it is available in the summer period (as an external candidate and as a 4-week intensive). For further information about the embedded CELTA,  please see our webpages: here and here

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Jade Hobby from the college of arts employability and careers says:

“Ellie’s experience is a fantastic illustration of what Swansea’s Arts and Humanities students can do as part of, or alongside, their degree to enhance their Employability. Employability encompasses not only skills that are conventionally useful in the world of work, but a broader set of abilities that will help students achieve their goals after graduation. For example, the CELTA course not only gives its students a professional qualification, but it helps them to develop their teaching and presentation skills; the ability to work as part of a team and work independently; self-organisation and time management skills, as well as an ability to critically analyse.and reflect on practice.”

Employability: http://www.swansea.ac.uk/artsandhumanities/employabilityandcareers/http://www.swansea.ac.uk/artsandhumanities/employabilityandcareers/