Teaching English/CELTA at the IH, Krakow

So I'm thinking about getting my CELTA at the International House in Krakow. Does anyone have any expereince there? good or bad. Also will this increase my chances of getting an English teaching job in Poland?

Any answers would be of help.

-Steve

well the international house in wroclaw was very good. and they are a very present and visible organisation throughout the world

Celta's gained from IH are well regarded, plus I think their is a comprehensive job placement scheme as well. The advantage of IH, is that a this will put you in contact with other IH, worldwide.

you really should be looking at Daves ESL cafe for better information on ESL in PL. THis forum is not dedicated to teachers.

I would avoid IH Krakow; my experience there was not great. The instructors and administrators are all pretty disorganised. The "input sessions" are tedious and borderline patronising. The instuctors themselves have difficulty providing clear instructions, answering questions, and managing time (all things they are supposed to be teaching us to do well!) The accommodation provided by the school is also a bit worse than you would expect, with broken appliances the school wouldn't replace, dusty, lumpy bedding - not the kind of thing you want to be dealing with while doing a CELTA.

Overall experience was really disappointing, especially considering some of the good reviews and recommendations IH Krakow has received.

Hmm, Topas is writing quite sensibly.

IH schools are only as good as the franchisee, half of who haven't paid for the inspections/support etc. IH is falling to bits a bit in Europe - its main markets are now further afield. The Śląsk franchise has kept the name - they've marketed it and it is known there, in other places, some IH schools are cancelling the franchise and rebranding.

I went to IH Wroclaw. I found it to be worth every penny. I don't feel I would have been able to teach without it.

I found the staff in IH Wroclaw to be very organized and had a great time table.

However, I did find them a bit patronizing. I did find them extremely fair.

lowfunk99

Wrocław, Katowice, B. Biało are considered among the better ones.

Here in Warsaw it went down the pan about 5 years ago due to serious money problems.

I know this is a few years too late, but for anyone who's still interested, IH Krakow no longer works due to some petty money issues. However, their teacher trainers, Magda Markiewicz, Declan Cooley and Basia have moved on to British Council in Krakow. These are the most experienced and competent tutors in the business. Not only was the course incredibly informative and helpful for teacher development, but the tutors were always there to be supportive and offer insight from years on the job.

The dates for BC Cambridge CELTA are:

21 June - 16 July
26 July - 20 Aug
23 Aug - 17 Sep
20 Sep - 15 Oct
20 Oct - 19 Nov
22 Nov - 17 Dec

The good news is, from what I've read British Council's facilities are 10x better than IH's ever were, their accommodations are much more taken care of, and the admin is more responsive. So basically, anything you've ever read that was negative about IH Krakow has been changed, but all the positives (the tutors) remain the same. Not to mention that BC has the best location in Krakow (in the main square).

I can't recommend these tutors enough. I personally didn't realize when I signed up for the course how the entire program relied on the stability of excellent tutors. But in hindsight I can inform you that 95% of your CELTA experience is who your tutors are. The price is right, the location is fabulous, and the people are so thoughtful and fun. These are tutors who could make learning about phonemes and "guided discovery" enjoyable! Everyone I knew from other centres talked about the stresses of a CELTA course, but I can honestly say I had a terrific time and was heartbroken to see it end!

P.S. Cost of living in Krakow is dirt cheap! It's such a relief.

Thread attached on merging:
CELTA KRAKOW NOW AT BRITISH COUNCIL

Dear all,

For anyone wishing to do the CELTA course in Krakow please note that it is now being run by the same Tutors from IH; Magda, Basia and Declan, but over in the British Council on Rynek Glowny, Krakow. I attended the July course and it was absolutely brilliant, really hardwork, but I also found the intensity to be a great motivation in its self. I was really surprised by the facilities provided there; interactive whiteboards and plenty of computers for us trainees to work on. Also, the accommodation was really good and only a 20 min walk away, I believe when it was over in IH the accommodation was awful :(

Magda, Basia and Declan put 110% into trying to achieve the best out of every trainee and it was great to be so thoroughly and systematically taught, it really is amazing what you can learn in such a short space of time! I would highly recommend anyone thinking of teaching to first do a CELTA course as it really does give you some basic skills and a chance to brush up on your weak points before doing it for real.

Thanks,

Aliloveskrakow

totally agree - an excellent course, great tuturs, hard work - very intensive yet unforgettable four weeks - will always remember my CELTA in the main square - RYNEK, at BRITISH COUNCIL.

couldn't have done it withoiut the help and support of the tutors - Magda, Basia, Declan and Tommy - they are an awsome team :)

viva

"Giles Apr 20, 07, 09:44 / #3
Celta's gained from IH are well regarded..."

Unfortunately now they seem not to be worth the paper they're printed on, since they went tits-up.

Utter rubbish!