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Picking the right Teacher Certificates

 
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abush16



Joined: 15 Oct 2012
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 1:52 pm    Post subject: Picking the right Teacher Certificates Reply with quote

Hi guys,

The usual story, finished my Bachelor degree, went to Korea to teach English and now realised I would love to head to a warmer climate so picked Vietnam as a nice place to work. However, I am finding it difficult to find information on this specific topic and the information I have found (postings etc) seems to contradict itself.

So, I am looking to do either an online TEFL or a one month CELTA course. I want to do the online TEFL as I do not want to fork out $1600 to do the CELTA. Will this online TEFL course get me a suitable job in Vietnam (35 hours a week, $17 an hour), or do I need to bite the bullet and pay for CELTA? I may be scorned for this by 'qualified teachers' but I am probably what you would call a 'backpacking' teacher, as in I only want a year contract.

So to recap, I have a degree, one year of English teaching experience in Korea and a potential online TEFL course. Is this enough to get a well paying job?

Thanks,

Alex
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just noel



Joined: 17 Jul 2006
Posts: 168

PostPosted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 2:26 pm    Post subject: Re: Picking the right Teacher Certificates Reply with quote

abush16 wrote:
So, I am looking to do either an online TEFL or a one month CELTA course. I want to do the online TEFL as I do not want to fork out $1600 to do the CELTA.


Do the celta.

Never do an online course. They are garbage.

Before you start talking about wages, first see if you even like teaching and are good at it.

Then....you can focus on wages and income.
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deadlift



Joined: 08 Jun 2010
Posts: 267

PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 3:03 am    Post subject: Re: Picking the right Teacher Certificates Reply with quote

abush16 wrote:
Will this online TEFL course get me a suitable job in Vietnam (35 hours a week, $17 an hour), or do I need to bite the bullet and pay for CELTA? I may be scorned for this by 'qualified teachers' but I am probably what you would call a 'backpacking' teacher, as in I only want a year contract.

Thanks,

Alex


An online cert will probably cut it for what you've specified. But, if at any point you want to move to better paying and more professional gigs, you'll be competing with those that have the CELTA or an equivalent.
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skarper



Joined: 12 Oct 2006
Posts: 477

PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 3:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

CELTA or nothing.

Trinity Certs are oficially an equivalent and slightly better preparation for teaching. CELTAs are better known especially in Asia. I think either is worthwhile but expensive and quite difficult.

If you have the money, the time and motivation - do a CELTA or a Trinity Cert. All the online courses are scams. Some are worse than others but all are worthless.
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I'm With Stupid



Joined: 03 Sep 2010
Posts: 432

PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 7:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd agree with what others have said. If you're not going to pay for a CELTA, then don't waste your money.

When I did the CELTA, ILA offered a $750 signing bonus to CELTA graduates who signed on for a year with them, so I effectively only paid $650. But obviously you still need the full cost up front, and there's always the possibility that they won't offer you a job. And they also pay the same bonus to all overseas recruits, so you don't technically have to do it with them to get that money. I think they still have the same deals in place.
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mark_in_saigon



Joined: 20 Sep 2009
Posts: 837

PostPosted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 1:57 pm    Post subject: do a search Reply with quote

this subject has been discussed many times, and there is a huge amount of info on it already posted. There is also a dedicated ILA thread in the stickies, which has a lot of info on the subject with reference to ILA specifically. Just search for TEFL or CELTA and you will easily find it. If you post on an existing thread, all the other folks reading this will then see all this existing detail, and you will too.
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vabeckele



Joined: 19 Nov 2010
Posts: 439

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 1:51 am    Post subject: Vietnam Reply with quote

You could just come on over and land a job paying 30 dollars an hour...net and leave the rest of 'em earning 15 dollars an hour with the incredible teaching certificate.

There are online teaching certificates offered by a a couple of universities that are ranked within the top 20 universities of the world, have the same modules as a celta (and perhaps some that are more relevant today), but will, quite obviously, not have the 6 hours of teaching element - One of these will cost just a tad under a grand, US.

I will agree with the posters here that most of the online certs are just for show, so be careful when choosing this route. Make sure the transcripts contain all that you need to satisfy the HR depts. of a few agencies and schools; it comes from a trusted and reputable supplier and the cert is a hundred or more hours of study time.

Unfortunately, no amount of reasoning will get you past some people that think they went to Cambridge/Oxford university itself and like to compare a 4 week teaching certificate to a degree from those very same institutes - The ones that have (been to Oxford/Cant.) are bloody good and also nice people with a lot to offer; I haven't met one in Vietnam yet.
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toiyeuthitmeo



Joined: 21 May 2010
Posts: 213

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 6:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My school hired a 27 year old with an MA from Cambridge. He was a mediocre teacher. It was quite interesting to hear him quote Sarte as he was making a word search.
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vabeckele



Joined: 19 Nov 2010
Posts: 439

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 6:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

toiyeuthitmeo wrote:
My school hired a 27 year old with an MA from Cambridge. He was a mediocre teacher. It was quite interesting to hear him quote Sarte as he was making a word search.


Yep, you can't buy a personality and a Cambridge graduate would be wasting his talent here.
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TimkinMS



Joined: 18 Oct 2005
Posts: 86

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 2:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

vabeckele wrote:
toiyeuthitmeo wrote:
My school hired a 27 year old with an MA from Cambridge. He was a mediocre teacher. It was quite interesting to hear him quote Sarte as he was making a word search.


Yep, you can't buy a personality and a Cambridge graduate would be wasting his talent here.


And a Cambridge grad at 27 would NOT be here.

This is another classic fraud.

Quoting "sarte" while making a word search.

That's a good one.

But then again, this is Saigon.
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toiyeuthitmeo



Joined: 21 May 2010
Posts: 213

PostPosted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 6:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This was not in Saigon, but a coastal town not far away. People from top-flight schools are certainly uncommon in this field and place, true, but I've worked with a few, including this fellow. He was not a terrible teacher, but clearly seemed to find it a bit out of his comfort zone, and was really only here for a jaunt before starting a PhD.

Sorry, Sartre, and yes, that bit was a joke Wink
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shamblaram



Joined: 11 Apr 2011
Posts: 54

PostPosted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 11:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

why would a cambridge grad "NOT be here"?

because?
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I'm With Stupid



Joined: 03 Sep 2010
Posts: 432

PostPosted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 6:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

TimkinMS wrote:
And a Cambridge grad at 27 would NOT be here.


He might be if he studies philosophy. Wink

Anyway, I think the nature of this job attracts a wide variety of people. I think it's correct that your average Cambridge graduate isn't likely to go for a career in ESL, but definitely as a career or study break, it's not unbelievable. I've known people who've taken a year off from medical school to teach here, and I even know someone who's a qualified doctor but decided on a career change.
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ExpatLuke



Joined: 11 Feb 2012
Posts: 744

PostPosted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 6:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You are saying a Cambridge grad wouldn't be "slumming it" in Vietnam? I think you'd be surprised. I've found that Vietnam attracts mainly 2 types of teachers.

Type 1: The under qualified, possibly recent university graduate, who wants to party all night, but needs a day job to fund their drinking and opposite gender chasing

or

Type 2: The teacher who takes their job seriously, but is also looking for a sense of adventure that you can't find in the more... "modern" locations like Korea or Japan.

Vietnam is the perfect location for both types. You certainly have your fair share of party kids, but you also have a country that is full of new experiences.
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abush16



Joined: 15 Oct 2012
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Mon Nov 12, 2012 1:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you everyone for your information. Much appreciated you guys taking your time to lend me some of your knowledge on this subject. You've given me some things to think about so I'll make a decision on the CELTA etc in the next few months.

Cheers
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