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Oxford Seminars TESOL/TESL/TEFL Certification
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bansheebeat



Joined: 02 Oct 2013
Posts: 86

PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 4:57 pm    Post subject: Oxford Seminars TESOL/TESL/TEFL Certification Reply with quote

Is this legit? Is it held in as high regard as a CELTA?
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Xie Lin



Joined: 21 Oct 2011
Posts: 731

PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 5:18 pm    Post subject: Re: Oxford Seminars TESOL/TESL/TEFL Certification Reply with quote

bansheebeat wrote:

Is it held in as high regard as a CELTA?


No. A little better than worthless perhaps, but not by much.

.
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bansheebeat



Joined: 02 Oct 2013
Posts: 86

PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 5:22 pm    Post subject: Re: Oxford Seminars TESOL/TESL/TEFL Certification Reply with quote

Xie Lin wrote:
bansheebeat wrote:

Is it held in as high regard as a CELTA?


No. A little better than worthless perhaps, but not by much.

.


Gotcha, thanks for the answer! My plan is to take a CELTA (or Trinity), but I stumbled across the Oxford Seminar thing while researching and found it was offered where I currently live so I figured it was worth looking into.
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spiral78



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

PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 5:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Doesn't include practice teaching with real students; only peer trainees. The onsite element of the course is more about 'how to get a job abroad' than about 'how to teach effectively.' Avoid if you are heading somewhere a cert is required to compete effectively on the job market.
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coledavis



Joined: 21 Jun 2003
Posts: 1838

PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 9:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

CELTA and Trinity are the best recognised and thus from the point of view of applying for a job are the best options. Other 4 week courses with both observations of experienced teachers and observations of your own practice are worth considering.

Weekend courses and other apparent money-savers do not provide you with even the basic skills. Remember: even when you have completed your CELTA/Trinity, you are just about ready to start and will still need to develop as a teacher.
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bansheebeat



Joined: 02 Oct 2013
Posts: 86

PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 9:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In that case does anyone care to weigh in regarding CELTA vs. Trininty? I'm hoping to go to Thailand and take the Trinity or the CELTA at ECC or IH. Is there a distinct difference between the two?
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Big Worm



Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 171

PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 2:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you're gonna do one, just do a celta. Most recognized/industry standard. No questions, no hassles.
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coledavis



Joined: 21 Jun 2003
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 6:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Agreed; most people have heard of the CELTA. As far as I am aware, the main advantage of the Trinity is a greater aural focus; whether or not you will appreciate it is a matter of taste. You may want to examine the syllabus for each course.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 7:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Agreed; most people have heard of the CELTA. As far as I am aware, the main advantage of the Trinity is a greater aural focus; whether or not you will appreciate it is a matter of taste.

Or the choice as to which cert course to take comes down to budget, training center facilities, location, etc.
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spiral78



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

PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 8:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Among employers who actually know something about cert courses, Trinity is absolutely fine, as is SIT TESOL. The problem is that all employers aren't aware that there are solid courses other than CELTA and who can't be bothered to investigate.
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coledavis



Joined: 21 Jun 2003
Posts: 1838

PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 8:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, I would agree with both of the last points. If you can save money by saving on rent etc, then that is an important factor. In terms of quality, many employers will be happy with any reputable and thorough training; it is only brand recognition - as some employers know a lot about the courses, others don't - where I would put CELTA first, Trinity second and SIT a rather distant third. The other point I would make is about standardisation: both you and the employers know that there is a general, monitored, standard to these courses (well, CELTA and Trinity; I presume the same about SIT, but I don't know anything it - I think it is an American set-up - which says something about its recognition).
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bansheebeat



Joined: 02 Oct 2013
Posts: 86

PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 2:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

spiral78 wrote:
Among employers who actually know something about cert courses, Trinity is absolutely fine, as is SIT TESOL. The problem is that all employers aren't aware that there are solid courses other than CELTA and who can't be bothered to investigate.


This is what I feared. The Trinity seems like a great course with good accommodations and location, but I was worried about it not carrying the same weight simply because the name.
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Xie Lin



Joined: 21 Oct 2011
Posts: 731

PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 3:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bansheebeat wrote:
spiral78 wrote:
Among employers who actually know something about cert courses, Trinity is absolutely fine, as is SIT TESOL. The problem is that all employers aren't aware that there are solid courses other than CELTA and who can't be bothered to investigate.


This is what I feared. The Trinity seems like a great course with good accommodations and location, but I was worried about it not carrying the same weight simply because the name.


Not to worry! Bansheebeat, you'll be fine with a Trinity cert. The problem mentioned in Spiral's post applies much more to non-brand-name courses such as Jack's Super Duper TEFL Course, or Mimi's House of Surf and TEFL. (Joking--of course there are small independent providers who offer professional high quality programs.) Such courses should have their important elements detailed on your CV. "130 classroom hours, 10 hours supervised TP," etc.

While Coledavis is correct that CELTA enjoys the largest name recognition, with Trinity second, it has not been my experience that this translates into fewer jobs available to Trinity graduates. The vast majority of employers will accept a high quality CELTA equivalent certificate course. A Trinity certTESOL on your CV is a strong plus in securing interviews for entry-level jobs.

Also keep in mind that the name on your TEFL cert really matters for only the first job or two. After that you will have experience, recommendations, and presumably further professional development to offer, and those will matter much more.

.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 4:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bansheebeat wrote:
spiral78 wrote:
Among employers who actually know something about cert courses, Trinity is absolutely fine, as is SIT TESOL. The problem is that all employers aren't aware that there are solid courses other than CELTA and who can't be bothered to investigate.


This is what I feared. The Trinity seems like a great course with good accommodations and location, but I was worried about it not carrying the same weight simply because the name.

Keep in mind CELTA, SIT TESOL and Trinity CertTESOL are entry-level English language teaching qualifications designed to get your foot in the door. Pick the one that best suits your needs and you'll be fine. Of course, you can always indicate on your CV that the course was 120 hours and included supervised teaching practice with real students.
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coledavis



Joined: 21 Jun 2003
Posts: 1838

PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 4:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, I agree with Xie Lin. Maybe I was being too literal about the relative courses. While the point still stands technically (in terms of absolute numbers), most employers will be quite happy with either CELTA or Trinity. The big gap is, as Xie Lin indicates, between these courses (also probably the SIT) and courses whose defining characteristic is their cheapness. The cheapness is of course a false economy in that it is money burned; these courses neither cut much ice with employers nor do they prepare you properly to actually do the job.
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