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What is the BEST english teaching qualification?

 
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ac17



Joined: 28 Aug 2010
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:21 am    Post subject: What is the BEST english teaching qualification? Reply with quote

I have been teaaching english abroad for one year in Japan. I wish to come return to Australia and continue teaching english. I have a BA but no other teaching qualifications. I have been looking online for jobs but it is unclear of what I need, although I've checked out the NEAS website. What do others who have been in my position recommend?

Should I get a CELTA, a TESOL, a TESOL + CERT IV, GRAD DIP. What are the differences between job opportunity, duration and costs? What is the most highly recognised qualification to get (besides a masters) that entitles me to work with good companies in Australia and overseas? Should I study through a TAFE or a college that offers the course?

Your recommendations will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
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PelemPelem



Joined: 16 Aug 2009
Posts: 18

PostPosted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 2:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

To teach adults in an Australian government TAFE or other private language institution, the minimum you need is a degree and a Cert IV in TESOL or equivalent; or a degree and a CELTA or equivalent. If you intend to teach the refugee and migrant programs you will eventually also need to get a Cert IV in Training and Assessment (TAA04). I know people who do not have the latter qualification and who are teaching these programs, but they are encouraged to acquire it. In some cases the training institutions are paying for the teacher to obtain the qualification.

As you already have a degree, at a minimum, you will also need to get a CELTA (one month but costs around $2600) or a Cert IV (usually one semester at university with university costs � approx $1800 depending on whether you can pay upfront and get a 25% discount). You could delay paying the university HECS fees until you have employment.

IH in Sydney and La Trobe University in Melbourne offer the Cambridge CELTA course. There are probably others; Cambridge have a list of places which teach their program on their website. Cert IV TESOL is offered in many universities and private institutions. I know the University of Canberra offers it.

My personal recommendations? I�ve completed a Cambridge course, and a Master of TESOL, the first four units of which formed the Cert IV TESOL at the university where I was enrolled. I�m glad I did both.

The CELTA got me into the teaching profession quickly with some �teaching tools� to get me by in my first few months before I really started learning what teaching meant. I think you probably already know what teaching is about due to your current teaching experiences.

The Cert IV university course offers the beginnings of the opportunity to study how students learn; how other teachers have theorized and tested their hypotheses of teaching and learning; review the results that were achieved; and the opportunity to formally define and test your own ideas about teaching, i.e. taking teaching to a slightly more professional level. I loved this aspect of the course, because I was teaching and studying at the same time; I could test ideas out in the classroom as I was reading about them in the course. However, the integration of theory and practice may not be as prominent in the Cert IV courses of some universities as others.

Best wishes for your move back to Australia.
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Insubordination



Joined: 07 Nov 2007
Posts: 394
Location: Sydney

PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 2:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I used to work in migrant English and the CELTA was not accepted. Maybe that's not the case now.

I also second that you get the Cert IV TAA. It doesn't take long to do and you'd be surprised how often it puts you at an advantage over other candidates. However, you can find work in most private colleges without it.
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ac17



Joined: 28 Aug 2010
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 8:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great thankyou both for your reply. I appreciate that you spent time sharing your experience and giving clear advice. It has helped me to narrow down what I should do next.
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bje



Joined: 19 Jun 2005
Posts: 527

PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 8:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Insubordination wrote:

I also second that you get the Cert IV TAA. It doesn't take long to do and you'd be surprised how often it puts you at an advantage over other candidates. However, you can find work in most private colleges without it.

When I took a look at the contents of the Cert IV several years ago it struck me as a hideous mess. Would someone with an MATESOL, CELTA and DELTA still be obliged to wade through it in order to apply for casual AMES or TAFE work?
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tbrewster



Joined: 21 Oct 2010
Posts: 6

PostPosted: Mon Oct 25, 2010 1:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have never had issues with my TESOL certification.
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Def



Joined: 09 Sep 2007
Posts: 58
Location: London

PostPosted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 8:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Er... bit of a while back this, but thought I'd add this:

If you're Australian, then the Grad DipEd is the best thing to do. It's a one year course, it qualifies you to teach in Australian primary or high-schools (depending on which you specialise in), and qualifies you to teach in schools overseas.

Getting some TESOL qualifications is great and such for a relatively short-term aim, but if you have the capacity to get a university qualification that will open up thousands of schools to you, and provide you with a lifelong career path... then I don't really see how it's a question, heh.

You can specialise in English and ESL in a Grad DipEd, and I can assure you (from experience and observation) that saying you have a year-long, 'actual' teaching qualification, with months of observed pracs ... vs. a 100 hours course with 6 hours (or whatever other horrifically minimal amount of time is stipulated) of viewed prac time ... is definitely more of a door-opener to teaching positions overseas.

Course, that's based on the assumption that you actually enjoy teaching, and want to make a career out of it. If not, I guess it doesn't much matter.
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rainbowprof



Joined: 18 Feb 2012
Posts: 133
Location: Penang

PostPosted: Sat Apr 07, 2012 1:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

But an M.Ed is more suitable for tertiary teaching and is recognized as such nationally and internationally.
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