Job Discussion Forums

[SinaloaPaisa]

Going to do a 120 hr online tefl.

Came across this one. Good price.

Anyone done or know if this company / program is legit ie accredited and accepted for a VN work permit?

Says on their website they are accredited by Accreditat

http://www.enjoytefl.com/

[mark_in_saigon]

The questions of legitimacy and accreditation on these certs are quite fungible in Vietnam. There is a school in HCMC that was using an American name (Amercian TEFL Institute), and that so called institute said they had no partner schools in VN. Then, a year or so later, the same so called institute allowed this same so called school to use their so called accreditation. Point being, the more you dig in this stuff, the messier it all looks. The entire TEFL thing may be more about money than actually learning much, though some organizations are better than others, you may actually learn something in some of them. You may find it does not help you much, depending on what you actually end up doing. There are so called schools that accept these online certs, just as you could probably even go somewhere and buy a fake and get that accepted as well (not saying it is my suggestion, just saying all this stuff happens). As cheap as that cert is, do not expect it to generate much excitement, but perhaps some operators will accept it. If you do choose to go with such a questionable cert, then your overall presentation and other qualifications will become even more important to getting you something like decent work (whatever that is).

Going the other route and paying up the real money and putting in the real time for a more respected certification brings other sets of problems and questions, which have been covered in great detail here in the past. It's all so messy.

[SinaloaPaisa]

[mark_in_saigon]

There are schools that will not be impressed with your choice of a cert. And there are schools that will say it does not meet their requirements. Whether or not this impacts your work, and to what extent, depends on various factors. But seems to me, for folks who only intend to do this a year or two, the online cert may be good enough. Long term teachers will be appalled at this advice, but hey, when you really consider the nature of schools and the expat base here now, you have to be realistic. As time goes on, this whole deal is becoming more and more about money and less and less about quality, and people who are trying to teach need to realize that, and factor it into their own decisions.

It takes a year or two anyway to work your way into the better jobs. As most people cycle in and out in a year or so, the online cert may indeed be good enough for that profile. The longer you intend to do this and the higher up the ladder you hope to climb, the more value you get out of the better certs. And this is not to say that what you learn may be the true value, instead, the fact that you actually have it is what matters. Then with the grading system of the CELTA, it could be worth even more. Not that the grade you get is what you deserve, but that is a totally different question.

Your overall portfolio of skills and qualifications matters a lot, as well as the presentation you make when interviewing and teaching.

[nomad soul]

SinaloaPaisa:

Back in 2015, you posted a similar topic and indicated you were interested in teaching EFL for just one year in VN before heading elsewhere to teach math. If that's still the case, then get a generic/online TEFL cert.

[1st Sgt Welsh]

I'm assuming you are already eligible to work legally in Vietnam (i.e. degree, clean criminal record, medically OK) and just lack a teaching certification. In which case, my advice is to get the CELTA and have it done with. Chances are, even at the cheaper Vietnamese language schools, you will have students whose families are making considerable financial sacrifices in order for someone to attend and better themselves and the level of training that you will receive with a 90 quid Internet certificate, with no observable teaching component, will be pretty negligible. I'm not saying the CELTA will make you a 'teaching God', it won't. However, it will give you the 'tool kit' to get over that 'first-year hump' and, if not be a great teacher, at least be a competent one until you get more experience.

Besides, online certs aren't going to cut it even at schools that are large employers and welcome entry-level teachers with open arms (e.g. ILA). The schools that will take you with an online certificate will be very 'low-hanging fruit' and, chances are, your experiences and pay in Vietnam will not be anywhere near as positive as they otherwise could be. I know you may be thinking short-term and that's fine, but, plans change and if you have got the CELTA then you will always have it and have something to fall back on. Anyway, that's just my two cents. Good luck to you SinaloaPaisa with whatever you decide.

[SinaloaPaisa]

[1st Sgt Welsh]

[SinaloaPaisa]

[1st Sgt Welsh]

Thanks for that SinaloaPaisa, but, Australia, or at least my state in Australia, has different requirements. With a bit more study though I could change teaching areas and, due to teacher shortages in STEM subjects, this is actually being encouraged.

[TRH]