…and 2 days, I submitted my Cambridge Delta Module 3 assignments.
I remember the feeling of relief when I finally pressed send, marking the end of 9 months of hard work, stress, and (somewhere in there!) learning. I still had the Module 1 exam to go, which happened 6 months later, but it felt like the worst was over.
At the time, I found my Delta course to be very challenging, and I wasn’t convinced I’d really learnt anything from it. With the benefit of 10 years of hindsight, I know that I actually learnt a lot:
- The usefulness of methodology books, and the readability of many (though not all!) of them – in turn, this has opened up huge amounts of information to me
- The difference between testing and teaching listening – largely thanks to John Field’s Listening in the Language Classroom [Amazon affiliate link, BEBC], this has become a particular area of interest, and over time I’ve improved my ability to develop learners’ listening skills
- Why assessment can go wrong (lack of validity, reliability, etc.) – this helped us to improve testing and assessment at IH Bydgoszcz
- How to do needs analysis, at least a little – I still needed to do more reading, but it gave me the foundations
- A better understanding of how materials in (well-designed) coursebooks fit together
- …and probably much more!
What I also realised was that the high levels of stress that I experienced while doing my course, and which I know many others also experience, are really not necessary. There is no reason why working towards Delta (or another diploma-level qualificationlike DipTESOL) needs to be a traumatic experience, leading to tears, illness, and (for some) a desire to leave the profession. That’s why when I went freelance, the first thing I did was to create much more relaxed Delta courses.
My aim with Take Your Time Delta is to give Delta trainees the time and space to absorb what they’re learning, and to experiment with it during the course. I want to create a human course, where stress is minimised and there is support from the tutor and the course participants through live sessions and really getting to know the people on the course. I want a course which recognises that life happens and some weeks are going to be busier than others, so when it’s not possible to keep up with the homework for a week or two it’s not the end of the world. I want a course where you can pay on the plan that works for you: in one go, in two payments, or in monthly instalments. And ultimately I want a course which means that trainees feel confident that when they walk into the Module 1 exam or submit their Module 3 assignment, they’re definitely going to pass because they’re fully prepared and know that they’re able to meet all of the requirements.
If that sounds good to you, course days and times are now available for September 2023 to May 2024 courses for Delta Module 1, Module 3 ELT-Specialism, and Module 3 ELT-Management. I’m looking forward to helping you complete your Delta qualification!
Sandy Millin 