Site Search:
 
Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today!
Teach English Abroad and Get Paid to see the World!
Job Discussion Forums Forum Index Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Documenting my Experience with TEFL Worldwide Prague
Goto page 1, 2  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Czech Republic
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
jasonXkeller



Joined: 26 Dec 2009
Posts: 14
Location: Redlands, California USA

PostPosted: Mon Feb 22, 2010 11:27 pm    Post subject: Documenting my Experience with TEFL Worldwide Prague Reply with quote

My wife and I have paid our deposits and are scheduled to attend the August course with TEFL Worldwide in Prague. When I first started researching schools I was a bit concerned about TWWP. It turns out that I know three people personally, who have attended and were very pleased with their experience. This was enough for me to proceed with them, as all other information was more distant.

I noted that all who tried to support TEFL Wordwide were quickly chastised as trolls, so I thought I would take some preemptive action. Many people use this forum while planning and do not return once they have found work or a TEFL school. I will continue to log in here, documenting my entire process with TEFL Worldwide, Czech Republic, Prague, and any schools I interview with or work for. Stay posted for updates.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
jasonXkeller



Joined: 26 Dec 2009
Posts: 14
Location: Redlands, California USA

PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Though we are still 5 months out from our course, I thought I would share some of our experience so far. First, the application process was fairly comprehensive, requiring a resume/CV and two essays. One could infer from this, that that they intend to accept only candidates who are otherwise qualified to teach, rather than accepting all comers who have the cash.

Most notable about our experience thus far is the ease, with which, we were able to switch our class date from July to August. On a separate thread, Spiral suggested this change because LG Schools are closed in August. This, combined with the course would mean that two thirds of our 90 day tourist visa would be expended while unable to apply for work. Moving to the August course still allows us to be ready for the hiring season in September, but also offers some flexibility in processing our visa paperwork.

When I presented this issue to TWWP, they responded within two days, changing our course date and waiving the approximate 100 euro fee (50 for each of us) that would normally be associated with transferring your deposit to another session. This is definitely in their favor.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 7:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

On the issue of TWWP, I can say that I am familiar with some of the staff and the program itself. While every course has the occasional glitch and it's impossible to please every single customer every time, the course has a generally good rep and has had for enough years now to be considered tried and true.

I suspect that the earlier chastening of people posting about their experiences with training centres was primarily carried out by one long-term poster who may have sometimes seen other courses as competition to his own.

That era thankfully seems to be over forever. We can post freely these days, so long as the posts are useful and relevant. Hurrah!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
anglicaninpraha



Joined: 12 Feb 2010
Posts: 16
Location: Praha

PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 2:18 pm    Post subject: Re: Documenting my Experience with TEFL Worldwide Prague Reply with quote

jasonXkeller wrote:
When I first started researching schools I was a bit concerned about TWWP. It turns out that I know three people personally, who have attended and were very pleased with their experience.


I would be concerned too with those statistics.
When interviewing for teachers we usually take TEFL WORLDWIDE ( http://www.teflworldwideprague.com ) teachers with a huge pinch of salt.
I think this is a school which accepts as many as they can, and they usually do.
The end result is almost always (from what I have heard and experienced), a group of teachers at the end of the month of training who had a 'great laugh' but who had little quality training. Especially the teaching practice aspect which is I'm afraid lacking at TWWP.
If you have 30 or 40 students on a course you can't expect to maintain the level of teacher training needed for the current Prague market.
I'm sure you will enjoy your course and have a laugh but don't expect too many schools to take your certificate too seriously at the end of it I'm afraid.
This is NOT CELTA and neither is it its equivalent with such huge course numbers.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 5:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've never heard of a course running with more than 18. Some policy change? I would have to agree that more than 20 trainees on a course would significantly limit the training experience.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
smithryansmith



Joined: 27 Dec 2008
Posts: 75

PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 5:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Um, Spiral. the previous poster here seems to be spouting some faily dubious statistics in this post and a few others. I sincerely doubt that any training centres in prague have over 20 trainees, especially at this time of year. In the winter most courses will not have more than 10. and summer courses might get 18 but as you said I have never heard of a course in prague with over 18 (at least in the last several years especially)

It sounds like we might have someone after the competition again Rolling Eyes
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jasonXkeller



Joined: 26 Dec 2009
Posts: 14
Location: Redlands, California USA

PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 6:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My apologies to Anglican. I know that comes off a bit too harsh, but my patience is worn ragged with misinformation and marketing agendas. You may be completely correct. Either way, I'm sorry for being harsh.

I've seen several recent class photos. Never more than twenty. I know that doesn't speak directly to the quality of instruction, but it doesn't speak well for your claims either.

I don't mean to stand in such firm defense of a school I have yet to attend and I certainly don't mean any personal offense, but when strangers tell me it's bad and friends tell me it's good, it becomes difficult to trust the strangers. This is the EXACT reason that I will be documenting my experience. You can't trust ANYONE to give you information without pushing their own agenda.

That being said, I will take a journalistic approach to this. I will present the comprehensive facts of my experience. Good, Bad and Ugly. If I have trouble finding work, I will document that (along with my resume to ensure I'm not applying for jobs I am not qualified for). I will document the practical application portion as well. In the mean time, I don't need any more "opinions" about the school. I'm doing it no matter what, so they don't matter.

Again, sorry if that comes across as rude.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
smithryansmith



Joined: 27 Dec 2008
Posts: 75

PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 1:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

well done Jason.

As you have probably noticed, Mr Anglican clearly has an "agenda" that includes trying (poorly) to discredit the centre. You are always better off listening to your friends opinions and using your own instincts.

you put him in his place right properly.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
anglicaninpraha



Joined: 12 Feb 2010
Posts: 16
Location: Praha

PostPosted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 9:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

jasonXkeller wrote:
My apologies to Anglican. I know that comes off a bit too harsh, but my patience is worn ragged with misinformation and marketing agendas. You may be completely correct. Either way, I'm sorry for being harsh.


Neni problem.
I was just adding my opinion and obviously my opinion goes against the grain of some of the more vocal contributors on this forum.
I shan't make the mistake of expressing my opinion, based on personal experience, again so freely and so readily.
I hope you enjoy your course and all the best to you.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
TinSardine



Joined: 13 Feb 2010
Posts: 14
Location: Prague

PostPosted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I really appreciate your effort documenting your experience. Keep it going!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jnotthorn



Joined: 26 Feb 2010
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 9:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not entirely sure what all this is about, but it sounds rather strange.
When i went to TWWP (in the summer, at it's busiest) there were 23 students and 2 teachers. We split into groups of 12 and 13, not 30 to 40 students in one class.
As to the laughable course, i think one needs to do the course to see that 120 hours of actual teachers training and 8 to 10 hours of practical teaching( not teaching to your peers) with(real) Czech students from elementary to upper intermediate really doesn't qualify this course as being laughable.
Having had the great fortune to have chosen this course, i was totally prepared for the reality of teaching out in the big wide world. It's hard work and the TWWP course prepares you for that.
I have more work than i can possibly take on, my evaluations from the schools i work for are 90+ and my students rating is even higher. I put this down entirely to the fact that i was trained by one of the very best schools around.
My suggestion is to try this course and then comment because i suspect you will have a slightly more positive story to tell, having completed this course! Enjoy Cool
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
ecocks



Joined: 06 Nov 2007
Posts: 899
Location: Gdansk, Poland

PostPosted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 8:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Agree with the above post.

I graduated the TWWP program about 4 years ago and had no real trouble finding work in my chosen country (graduated at start of summer and deliberately took it easy settling into Europe until September) and pursuing my personal and wor goals. I have classmates who have taught/ar teaching in Japan, Korea, Czech Republic and Portugal.

The owners and teachers were extremely professional and neither encouraged or tolerated a lackadaisical approach although they provided humor along with the structural mechanics of TEFL teaching. The facilities are very good and I often wished I could teach in similar facilities afterward. Library of materials were more than adequate and the ideas they gave, along with the discipline of lesson planning will stand you in good stead.

Is it a CELTA? No. And yes, there were a couple of jacked up schools that refuse to hire anyone with out one. Then again, I met some of their ex-teachers and encountered their former students throughout the competitive schools and private signups. I'm comfortable with not working at places like those. Do the curriculum and you will find work, you will enjoy yourself and you will have a wonderful time learning the ropes.

Enjoy!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail AIM Address Yahoo Messenger
ajbrook



Joined: 24 Feb 2010
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 2:31 pm    Post subject: TEFL Worldwide Prague = Quality Reply with quote

I received my TEFL certification from TEFL Worldwide Prague just about six months ago. The four weeks that I spent at TEFL were excellent. I learned SO much and was really challenged to become the best teacher I could possibly be. I had two trainers, Terry and Trish, both of whom were professional, educated, and experts in the EFL world. There were 20 people in my class and I never once felt that the number interfered with our learning experience; we received about 10 hours of observed teaching practice. I would recommend TEFL Worldwide Prague to absolutely anyone. I was so happy with my experience. I left TEFL with the confidence it takes to be successful in the classroom. I have now teaching for a great language school in Prague for five months.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mr tree



Joined: 09 Oct 2007
Posts: 98
Location: Prague, CzR

PostPosted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 8:14 am    Post subject: Re: TEFL Worldwide Prague = Quality Reply with quote

ajbrook wrote:
I have now teaching for a great language school in Prague for five months.


ignoring the obvious grammatical mistake (typo Wink ), may we ask who this "great" language school is? and why? info like this would be great!

btw in my position, i received a job application from a TEFL Worldwide graduate yesterday with a very flimsy lesson plan. but that's my only possible contribution to this thread, so i'll be off!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
ajbrook



Joined: 24 Feb 2010
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 4:04 pm    Post subject: TEFL Worldwide Prague Reply with quote

I apologize for the typo. I believe that TEFL Worldwide Prague is an excellent school for these reasons:

- Great alumni support. Now that I have been teaching for awhile, I can always contact Terry or the office if I have questions. Also, once I decide to move on from Prague and relocate, I know that I can always use the school as a resource.

- The course is intense. It pushes you and challenges you. My trainers (Terry and Trisha) set the bar high and had high expectations. The hard work was rewarded when I received my certificate. Many language schools around Prague are familiar with the high quality of TEFL training that happens at TWWP. Thanks to that, I was able to find a job immediately after my course ended.

- Teaching practice. At TWWP, you get around 8 hours of teaching practice. Not only do you teach classes of all levels, but you also teach one-to-one. You spend 3 hours with a student on an individual level. This experience has helped me so much; I now primarily teach one-to-one.

- Quality trainers. I luckily have had a lot of great teachers in my life, but my eyes were opened when I came to TWWP. I had never had teachers quite like Terry and Trish. They are AMAZING! Not only was it fun but it was also extremely informative. They are intentional with every lesson. Everything is well thought out, applicable and professional. I learned more in the four weeks at TWWP than I did in my four years at university. We also had Jess, who served as a lesson observer along with Terry and Trish. Jess was very perceptive and worked hard to make us better teachers. I was always thankful for their feedback... the three of them combined helped me to become a confident teacher.

Like I have said before, my experience at TEFL Worldwide Prague was very positive. I would recommend this school to anyone wanting to learn how to teach English as a foreign language. Best of luck!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Czech Republic All times are GMT
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.

Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group

Teaching Jobs in China
Teaching Jobs in China