Review of Southern Cross
When we decided to include TEFL certification at Southern Cross, we intended from the beginning to become a world class teacher training centre and a global leader in course quality. That is why we look different to the other courses you have seen in your research of TEFL certification courses.
We offer CELTA, underwritten by the University of Cambridge, because it is both the most prestigious and the most widely recognised TEFL certification in the world. No other pre-service certification can better enhance your global employability.
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Types of Courses
CELTA Courses
Locations of Courses
Ecuador
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10 Customer Reviews of Southern Cross
Review by Melisa Crites, May 11, 2011
My experience of the CELTA course at Kamala was beyond anything I expected. The location is abosolutely breathtaking to say the least. Being able to watch the sunset from your classroom is much more than ideal. Also the weather was impecable while we were there as well. The food again was delicious! Javier was a great cook and there was lots of variety. Also there was always more than enough for us to eat at any given time. The course itself I would do over again if I could. My university degree was in Linguistics so this was completely up my alley. Also having the practical experience in the course was a major bonus. Even the assignments are extremely valuable. The trainers were beyond amazing. I owe so much to Cathy and Vicky for teaching me everything I know. I could not have asked for better trainers, they are as quality as you can get. Value for money was on par, I thought it was a fair price. Again Kamala was amazing, the accomodations were great! I really engjoyed having a rustic cabana. Another note the workers at Kamala deserve most of the recognition, they made the location and course. Without them it would not have been the same. Ronny and Chefla were at our beg and call anywhere, anytime. I would reccommend this course to anyone and I actually already have!
Melissa Crites.
Review by Matthew, May 11, 2011
I had the pleasure of doing my CELTA with Southern Cross last year in August. Firstly, I highly recommend getting your CELTA as everyone I’ve interviewed with has said that it is the best qualification you can have.
If you decide to do the CELTA I recommend this course for sure, unless you can’t hack it in a close-to-nature environment.
About my experience with Southern Cross, I really did enjoy it and get a lot out of it. The course is run in a resort compound close to a small beach party town. The rustic nature rubbed a few of the older and/or luxury minded the wrong way but I wouldn’t have changed it for anything. Each student got their own personal cabin and we had delicious meals prepared every day. There were bugs and occasional animals to be sure but for me that just added to the charm.
Owing to the beach-front and somewhat remote location, which is awesome, there were a few power outages and the high humidity sometimes jammed the printer making last minute planning all the more intense. And it was intense, even though this particular course is stretched an extra week (5 total), it wasn’t easy and some people had issues adapting to the workload. The trainers were excellent and great about getting you to where you needed to be, whether with the stick or the carrot!
I really appreciated their guidance and still keep in contact with them, especially when I have a question or student that I just can’t handle.
As a bonus, if you decide to stay in Ecuador Southern Cross may help you find a job, like they did for me.
Review by Savannah Keith, May 12, 2011
As long as you’re not too needy and can handle little hiccups like the copier or your hot water going out for a day, this place is a dream. The people at the hotel and the hotel itself are beautiful and wonderful. They add so much character and fun to the experience. The tutors are phenomenal! I was really pleased with my learning experience. Everyone goes out of their way to make sure you have a fantastic experience. I highly recommend it.
Review by Alice, May 13, 2011
Loved it! Could not think of a better place in the world to take the CELTA.
Cathy and Vicky were the most encouraging tutors one could ask for, and really brought out the best in us trainees because of this. Their passion for teaching English is contagious.
I would recommend this to any adventurous souls who are familiar with conditions in developing countries and are happy to adapt accordingly. You might not always have internet or even electricity (though most times you should!), but you have a gorgeous beach to run along in the mornings and can go to class barefoot if you want… What more could one ask for?
Review by Jim, September 3, 2011
I read another reviewer’s comments about messages being deleted from Dave Sperling’s ESL Cafe…yes, the people at Southern Cross are quite vigilant in monitoring Dave and other sites. Criticism of their *operation* doesn’t remain on the internet for long. Some glowing reviews appear on this site…I can’t help but wonder who actually wrote them.
I’ll go down the list of review topics:
1.) Overall Rating: When I received the course certificare, I tore it up and mailed the pieces back to Southern Cross. This (rather expensive) act expresses my general opinion of John Warren and Company.
2.) Course Content: Prepare yourself for a journey back to the audiolingual fad of the 1970s, though it is given a different name and window dressing. Berlitz veterans and anyone who has taken a 100-series Ed Psych course will recognize this immediately.
3.) Practice Teaching: Trainees will be given a chance to interface with the local people. This is the only enjoyable part of the course.
4.) Quality of Feedback: By the time you receive ‘feedback’, you’ve paid your money. Count on bizarre, confusing, passive-aggressive nonsense from charlatans, none of whom have ever held a government-issued teaching license in their home countries, nor spent a single day in a state classroom. All accreditation comes from the Cambridge Cash Cow.
5.) Lesson Plan Guidance: See #4.
6.) Instructor Competency: See #4.
7.) Job Placement: If you’ve ever visited TEFL.com or Dave’s ESL, then you’ve already had your job placement service. In fact, you’re ahead of the game. I think that Southern Cross may have stopped touting their ‘job placement’ assistance because it was such a flimsy sham.
8.) Facilities/Resources: There was a skilled cook at Southern Cross. I take back my comment about the practicums being the only enjoyable part of the course, because the food was great.
If you take this course, bring permethrin soap and shampoo. Put a rubber or plastic sheet over the mats/mattresses before going to sleep. I hate DEET-based repellent as much as anyone, but I recommend it.
Yes, Southern Cross has computer issues, internet issues, water issues, power issues, etc., etc….but if the course itself had been worthwhile, these would have been small matters.
Southern Cross has also had safety issues. I suggest that women ask some very pointed questions of Jaem before transferring the course fee and getting on the plane to Guayaquil.
The beach at Kamala was a nice place to sit and reflect upon the fact that I should have taken the IH course at Chiang Mai.
Review by Doug, November 2, 2012
I don’t know what Jim is talking about, and I since I had a wonderful experience at Southern Cross I feel I owe it to them (and to you, to make sure you get a balanced view of the program) to weigh in here and give you my two cents.
First, the CELTA happens to still be the most respected ES/FL teaching degree in the industry, so it is quite absurd to call it an audio-lingual fad. Everything they teach at Southern Cross is the same fundamental theory that you will find at any CELTA center… very basic and mainstream teaching principles like how to expose students to language, teach it, have them practice it, deal with error correction, etc. I don’t see how anyone could disagree with the need to do these things, or the very intuitive and open-minded approach that is taught for dealing with them.
In terms of the program itself and feedback/guidance, etc., the trainers were incredibly dedicated and competent, and I couldn’t possibly have asked for anyone better.
I had an amazing time at Kamala (although FYI they’re moving the program to a new nearby facility… I don’t know what that will be like, but I can only assume it will be even better), learned a whole lot, and would recommend this course to anyone who doesn’t mind taking the program in a rustic resort instead of a city.
Review by FERGUS DE ROOY, March 29, 2013
Having just finished the CELTA course in Montañita at Casa Cacique, I feel a bit bereft. I still want to be doing it. It was such a positive experience.
The quality of the teaching from the trainers was of the highest quality. I have been in teaching in one form or another for over 20 years and I felt I had loads to learn from these guys.
The living conditions on campus were terrific. Spacious cabins, great food and friendly staff. I was ready for it to be a bit rough, it was the opposite.
I think a big advantage of doing a CELTA while living on campus is that you can completely focus on the study. It gets intense at times,so it is great not to worry about commuting, cooking etc. You can just concentrate on getting the most out of the course.
Montañita is a great little town. Lots of bars and the beach is a genuine surf beach.
Best of all was the other trainees. Maybe because you need to be a bit adventurous to come to South America, the group were all great fun, open and lively.Spending five weeks with this lot was a pleasure and I was sorry to say goodbye.
I know i am being suspiciously positive here, surely it cant have been all so wonderful? I can honestly say it was. Thoroughly recommended. I would rate it highly in all areas.
Review by Dr Angela Geary, March 31, 2013
The new Casa Cacique location at Montanita for the Southern Cross CELTA course gave a great impression on arrival! It’s a superb, bespoke facility complete with comfortable well equipped Cabanas, lovely swimming pool and hammocks for all. After five weeks of travel in Ecuador encountering very variable facilities the high pressure, hot water shower in my Cabana were much appreciated! Considerable thought has gone into the location and set up of the site and it functioned very well as a facility suited for the rigours of a CELTA course. The programme is fully catered and it was so helpful to be able to completely focus on the coursework and not have to worry about preparing or buying meals myself. The chefs went out of their way to keep us all well fed and with ample supplies of coffee and tea. I am a veggie, with some special diatary needs and I was impressed by how much care was taken to make sure I had suitable meals.
An easy 10 minute walk from the Casa Cacique site, Montanita is a very popular tourist destination on the Ecuadorian coast. The lively nightlife and outstanding beach offers plenty of scope for relaxing at the weekends. I prefer some peaceful relaxation time, so it is nice that the site is located far enough from town to be quite a tranquil place. Something to be aware of is that the mosquitoes are a bit fierce on the coast – do bring some effective repellant and cover up exposed skin in the evenings!
So, the Southern Cross CELTA…Well, the “intensive” bit is certainly true! However, its five week timetable does make it more doable and with more time to develop skills, in my opinion, than similar four week programmes. Do be prepared to work consistently hard for the duration – but I did find that there was still time for sunsets on the beach and some weekend excursions. A hugely rewarding aspect of the course was the local students that came to our teaching practice sessions. They were so appreciative and great to work with. Their enthusiasm and engagement really helped me to be confident to explore new teaching practice methods and experiment with materials.
The quality of the teaching by the CELTA trainers was excellent throughout. While a lot of thought and planning has clearly gone into designing programme, the delivery of the course by the trainers is such a critical aspect. I felt that this consistently exceeded my expectations, both in terms of teaching quality and supportiveness. It is a demanding course, but the CELTA really did a thorough job for preparing me to teach effectively in the real world and with ample theory input and high quality feedback to provide a strong basis for developing my teaching skills on the course and independently thereafter. I had previously researched a number of CELTA and TESOL courses, including several UK based programmes, and I am very happy with my decision to do the Southern Cross CELTA. I’m my view, it is designed and delivered to a high international standard of quality.
While I will be returning to the UK for a while, all the trainees on my programme seeking work were placed into positions throughout Ecuador soon after the course. The CELTA seems to be a very sought after qualification by most reputable employers and it is clearly a great market in South America and worldwide at the moment for EFL teachers. I’m now looking forward to fulfilling my world travel plans with my CELTA qualification and to working in some very interesting places in the months and years to come.
Dr. Angela Geary
Academic and recently qualified EFL teacher.
Review by Anne Canning, April 15, 2013
There is a lot of things written on the internet saying how hard and stressful the CELTA course is.
Don’t get me wrong this course was hard work but definitely manageable! The trainers were fantastic, they provided more support than we could have asked for, the course was well structured and spread out, doing it over 5 weeks instead of the standard 4 definitely helped to take some of the pressure off. The volunteer students were fantastic, we really got attached to them! The site where the course is held is about 10 mins walk from the centre of Montanita and the beautiful beach. There are loads of bars, clubs and restaurants in Montanita, there are further quieter beaches and towns 10 mins up and down the coast easily accessible by bus. The accommodation was a very pleasant surprise, each person gets their own cabana with ensuite bathroom, double bed and importantly a Mosquito net! The swimming pool on site was an added bonus! The food they provided was really great, it was nice having someone cook for you during the course, one less thing to think about! It was a real mix of food, from Ecuadorian specialities to battered fish and chips. The staff on site went out of their way to help you, can’t thank them enough. We were assisted in finding work after the course and I’m now teaching in Quito alongside some of the great people I did the CELTA course with!
Review by Joe Taylor, April 16, 2013
The Southern Cross Celta course hugely surpassed my expectations.
The campus was perfect, the food and drinks provided were excellent and in a great location. The pool in the centre of the campus is ideal for relaxing in when you get some spare time in the middle of the week or for weekends. The site is located about 10 mins walk from the local town which is good for food and drink on the evenings if you want to get out and about, and also has a really good beach for relaxing.
The course itself was one of the best things I´ve ever done, it can get slightly intense but is manageable thanks to the trainers. They are hardworking and really dedicated to getting the maximum out of you.
Job placement post course was brilliant, I was offered jobs at the end of the course in 3 different locations throughout the country. I am currently working in the capital, Quito at a language school and really enjoying it.
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