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TEFL Institute Online Classes
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Xie Lin



Joined: 21 Oct 2011
Posts: 731

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 1:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:


Book for Costa Rica



Well. . .maybe. But take a hard look at the course first. While I heartily recommend SIT TESOL as an initial training course, there have been some reservations about this particular provider in the fairly recent past, perhaps two years ago. As I recall, concerns were mostly about the organizational abilities of the administrator/trainer. Could all be resolved by now, don't know. Just assess carefully; talk to the people in Vermont about recent evaluations; ask for contact info for recent trainees.

Oh, and the fee is no longer $1,200, and has not been for years. It is $1,950. You'll still see the $1,200 quoted because Mary has not updated the internet listings in quite a while.

.
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gitana2013



Joined: 17 Feb 2013
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 8:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I worked for the TEFL Institute, and was not impressed with the program. I do like the idea of having both an online course and an on-site component, and the course book is actually pretty good, covering the basics of TESOL. However, the course book is not even included in the price of the course, so most of the students in my course didn�t even have the book. Yes, a supervised teaching component is possible, but not required. That requirement can be fulfilled by merely observing someone else�s classes, which is not the same as teaching.
If you want more information about the company, you should check out its previous name, Global Education Corporation.


If you want to get a certificate as easily and cheaply as possible, I don�t think it matters where you go. If you want to get the best possible foundation in TESOL, I highly recommend getting a CELTA. The only �horror stories� I�ve heard about the CELTA is that it is not easy, which, in my mind, is actually a good thing. Every teacher that I�ve worked with who has a CELTA has been knowledgeable about teaching, best practices, lesson planning, etc. I think the best thing about the CELTA is the consistency of the course (as far as the material and methods covered) and the accountability. There is a required supervised teaching component, and the supervising teachers must have either their DELTA or MA. The lesser certificates aren�t nearly as consistent. I�ve worked with people who received certification from the same company but had different instructors. In one case, the teacher said the course covered the books and was a great program, but the other teacher said the instructor didn�t even cover any of the material. The CELTA is more expensive, but I think it's worth it.
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coledavis



Joined: 21 Jun 2003
Posts: 1838

PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 8:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

"As to CELTA vs any other reputable course provider - do you prefer California oranges or Florida oranges for your morning juice? "
This is Tttompatz' opinion. However, if you are looking at worldwide recognition by employers (the only to check this: have a good look at the requirements cited in advertisements), you will find that CELTA and Trinity are cited, if any TEFL qualifications are cited.

It really depends. If you want a qualification that (a) will help you to teach and (b) will be recognised whichever country you apply to, or any specific employer, then do the CELTA or Trinity certificate. If you know you only want to work in particular countries, then check out the advertisements and act accordingly. Although some of the courses may not be of much practical use.
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DaDragon



Joined: 14 Sep 2012
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 8:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The TEFL Institute has a branch in Chicago right? There's another one called the International TEFL Academy. Has anyone hear heard of it? How do they compare?
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gitana2013



Joined: 17 Feb 2013
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 7:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Check out reviews of company on glassdoor.
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gitana2013



Joined: 17 Feb 2013
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 5:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you want to hear more about my experience working for the TEFL Institute, check out:

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=101319

As far as what it's like for student/customers, there are a few new negative postings on Yelp

http://www.yelp.com/biz/tefl-institute-chicago-2?sort_by=date_desc

and a very detailed negative review on teflcoursereview.com

http://www.teflcoursereview.com/tefl-institute/
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gitana2013



Joined: 17 Feb 2013
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 4:47 pm    Post subject: TEFL Institute lost its accreditation Reply with quote

Notice on Accreditat's website:


"Note that we no longer accredit the TEFL Institute, 1906 W Irving Park Rd., Chicago, IL 60613, USA or its Partners or Franchises."

http://www.accreditat.com/clients.html
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Xie Lin



Joined: 21 Oct 2011
Posts: 731

PostPosted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:


"As to CELTA vs any other reputable course provider - do you prefer California oranges or Florida oranges for your morning juice? "



The key word here is "reputable"--CELTA vs. any other reputable course provider. I don't know many who would put TEFL Institute in that particular category.

.
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fat_chris



Joined: 10 Sep 2003
Posts: 3198
Location: Beijing

PostPosted: Sat Dec 14, 2013 10:29 am    Post subject: Re: TEFL Institute lost its accreditation Reply with quote

gitana2013 wrote:
Notice on Accreditat's website:


"Note that we no longer accredit the TEFL Institute, 1906 W Irving Park Rd., Chicago, IL 60613, USA or its Partners or Franchises."

http://www.accreditat.com/clients.html


Oh!

Warm regards,
fat_chris
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zayantemike



Joined: 24 Aug 2013
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 7:55 am    Post subject: AVOID TEFL INSTITUE (Chicago) AT ALL COSTS! Fraud & Lie Reply with quote

Students AND teachers would be well-advised to completely avoid TEFL Institute. A careful perusal of on-line reviews here and on other sites will reveal profound dissatisfaction and a sense of betrayal with TEFL Institute s ethics and business practices. Students are often charged for courses that are never delivered and find refunds are impossible to obtain. TEFL, its website allegations notwithstanding, is NOT ACCREDITED (visit www.accreditat.com to read how TEFL Institute has been FIRED) and students obtaining a Certificate (if they are lucky) from TEFL Institute s incredibly disorganized and unresponsive Chicago Office will find their Certificate to be virtually worthless in obtaining meaningful employment.

I worked as an Instructor for TEFL Institute and found their practices to be erratic, dishonest, and unethical. Students universally complained about no response from HQ to enquiries, complaints, etc. On-line work disappeared into a black hole. Only one-half of my students received Certificates until I intervened strongly (six hours plus invested) to extract their completion Certificates from Chicago Office. I was never paid for my work, the CEO s profane and hysterical protestations notwithstanding. Staff turnover is breathtaking and remaining staffers complain privately of bounced checks and an abusive work atmosphere where the CEO, MOD EDIT, uses intimidation and brute force to extract results.

The TEFL Institute s website is riddled with lies, program offerings that simply don t exist, and promises the Institute is in no position to fulfill.

Students and teachers should avoid this disreputable outfit at all cost. Do not allow yourself to be sucked into an organization that recently sold office furniture to pay phone bills in a fruitless attempt to avoid a sure bankruptcy, the second in six years for the CEO. You will regret ever contacting TEFL Institute.
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