The DELTA Teacher

This piece consists of an interview with a DELTA teacher. (NB: the author is not the DELTA Teacher).

1) What is DELTA?

DELTA (Diploma in English Language Teaching for Adults) is a certification where a teacher must meet particular standards of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) knowledge and practice that demonstrate achievement of a masterful level within the industry.

2) Are there any pre-requisites necessary for doing a DELTA course?

A teacher must have an entry-level certificate, such as the CELTA (Cambridge English Language Teaching for Adults), and must have taught TESOL full time for 3 years.

3) What are the advantages of doing a DELTA?

Upon completion of the DELTA, candidates possess an externally accredited certification of their knowledge and practice level which can help get jobs or earn raises. Typically, by engaging in all three modules, candidates develop their knowledge and skills beyond what it had been and raise their awareness of information and skills within the TESOL industry. There is often an explosion of inspiration from observing other masterful teachers developing their own knowledge and practice, too.

4) Are there any disadvantages?

The DELTA is expensive and time-consuming. There is no guarantee that this investment of time and money will result in the certification. Module two’s face-to-face teaching component is brutal, like all Cambridge programs, and at times dehumanizing, and this can cause discouragement and burnout among otherwise creative and engaged teachers.

5) How do you use your DELTA diploma in your current role?

Currently, I’m designing a curriculum and creating materials rather than teaching in a classroom. My teaching practice and evaluations during module two help me put together the curriculum and design material. I also rely heavily on knowledge of second language acquisition gained during my preparation for the module one exam. I go through a process similar to module three every time I start a new course development project.

6) Can you share a couple of activities you have used in a lesson that went very well?

During the DELTA module two, I liked to go off the beaten path and find topics that weren’t typical of every lesson ever taught. I had a great lesson using a variety of Graphic Organizers to develop learners’ reading comprehension and retention. 

Recently, I created an activity for the reading section of the IELTS exam which helped learners develop their scanning reading subskill, but would engage the interest of high school age learners. I provided a “periodic table” of superhero “elements” and had learners fill the gaps in a table by referring to the graphic. It helped isolate the subskill because learners couldn’t rely on background knowledge, and many of the words for which they were scanning weren’t real words.

7) Who has inspired you a) in your life b) Career? Or c) If you could meet any person living or dead who would it be?

a) Pope Francis

b) a variety of high school and university professors who created memorable learning moments

c) Leonardo da Vinci

8) Do you have a favourite text book and reference book to recommend? Or do you prefer working without books?

I am a huge fan of the “jungle path”, which is Jim Scrivener's term from "Learning Teaching" that relates to the art of teaching without lesson planning. I enjoy discussion based lessons which consolidate learning gaps as they emerge.

9) What tips do you have for those who are considering doing a DELTA? For example, is distance learning the way to go?

 A blended course seems the most logical. There is no substitute for those 4-5 weeks of face-to-face observed and evaluated teaching. By the same token, few people could afford the time to do all three modules this way. Distance learning for modules one and three seem more efficient and cost-effective. It often seems like a great time to double-down and go somewhere exciting so you get an adventure and class combo, but this is usually unwise. Stay local or go somewhere not particularly exciting. You won’t have the time to enjoy your locale and you’ll be disappointed. Also, the additional stress of being out of your element when you need every moment and all your wits about you might push you over the edge. Play it safe and conservative.

10) Do you have any general tips for new teachers?

Experiment. Observe. Spend extra time on lesson planning and post-lesson self-evaluation and consider this an investment in yourself and in your future. You won’t need to put this extra time in forever and you’ll never regret the time and effort you put into building a strong and diverse foundation.

11) Can you share some useful websites for learners or/ and teachers?

My go-to is the British Council. I always seem to start there when researching and then branch out to other resources.

12) If you could change one thing about the education system where you are what would it be?

I’d like bigger rooms with more mobile furniture. I want more flexibility with the space itself and to do more movement and creative lessons.

13) Does technology aid or hinder learning?

That depends on the teacher. Are you using technology as a gimmick to engage the learners and show how modern you are? Or are you using technology to accomplish goals you couldn’t prior to that innovation? Is it distracting from the learning or enhancing it? 

I’m actually a huge proponent of distance learning, which relies almost entirely on technology. I believe distance learning is the wave of the future in every subject/discipline/industry, but TESOL is on the crest of that wave because of its very nature. We need to bring together speakers of other languages and distance is our biggest challenge to overcome. Computer Assisted Language Learning is the obvious answer and so the question becomes somewhat moot. Technology doesn’t aid nor hinder as much as it makes it possible in the first place.

14) Can you recall a defining moment in your life?

I realized that I never wanted to work full-time, year-round in a building, punching a time clock, ever again and I decided to make it a priority to redesign my professional life accordingly.

15) Can you share details of a book or/ and film you particularly liked and why it had an impact on you?

Richard Curitis' ''Love Actually” (2003). It may seem like a silly rom-com to some, but I find it expresses such a spectrum of relationships that it inspires me every time I watch it. You see new romance and more mature love. You see requited and unrequited love. You see platonic friendship and parental love. You see siblings supporting each other or betraying each other. The basic message of the movie is the “love actually is all around us” and by the end you see the way humanity is meant to work together rather than in isolation.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please feel free to share any other useful tips or experiences. It would be great to hear from you!