CELTA update 2

Just finished week 2 - lots more stress and activity but everything is going fine. We both passed the week 2 assessment on written assignments (but both us had to resubmit our written papers) and with our teaching practice, and so have now moved into the next stage of the course. Teaching has become more natural now, and we are getting into the swing of teaching different lessons - reading, writing, listening and speaking. We have learned how to drill and teach correct pronunciation - all interesting but very challenging to learn, understand, begin using and be assessed on using within a day or two. Parts of this week were quite overwhelming - such as the 2 hours lesson that covered all the phonemes in the English language (the individual sounds - not letters - about 36 I think) - their symbols, how each of the sounds, and how to drill/teach each one. So now we are assessing language at this level!!!
So, it has been quite challenging, but there have been some great parts too. We are enjoying the students very much and meeting people from all over the world. We have graphic designers, businessmen, and doctors learning English from us!!! The teaching model is very much communication based - and so it is interesting in how we are taught to teach - our talking time as teachers is meant to be very limited and the students are set up by us in different ways to talk as much as possible.
Anyway, that's all we've been doing. Nothing else!! Another assignment and lesson planning this weekend, plus possibly some more grammar revision (transitive verbs and superlatives anyone?!).... but we're fine - tired, overwhelmed, but fine (and having a little fun too).

......
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined." (Thoreau)