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TEFL: On Site vs. Not?

 
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pixykat222



Joined: 23 Oct 2010
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 3:45 am    Post subject: TEFL: On Site vs. Not? Reply with quote

Hey all, I've read through tons of these threads, and I can't seem to find exactly what I'm looking for. So... After 2.5 years in Korea I'm planning on trying my hand in Prague come next fall. From what I've read Aug/Sept is the best time to go, yes? BUT I want to get TEFL certified somewhere other than Prague. Is this a bad idea? I'll have a 5 month lag between my contract finishing in Korea and potentially starting one in Prague, so I'd like to complete the TEFL within that time frame. This way I'd have the full 90 days in the Schengen zone to acquire all the necessary paperwork and such (I'm American). Long story short, are offsite TEFL courses (120 hrs, +monitored teaching practice) generally accepted in Prague, or is it best to complete one there?

And secondly, I wouldn't mind being in a smaller town but still close to Prague, suggestions?

Thanks!!! Very Happy
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spiral78



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

PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 1:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Probably the ideal route is to take a course in Prague in August and then go onto the job market at its end. The reasons to take a course in the city:

1. your cert will definitely be recognised by regional employers
2. a training centre can help bridge you into the area logistically - they usually arrange for your housing during the course, airport pickup, and local orientation
3. a training centre in the city can give you invaluable advice regarding reputable local employers
4. your fellow trainees can form your first social network

If you take a course that includes supervised teaching practice with real students outside of Prague, particularly if it is an offsite course, you will need to be very sure that the teaching practice is highlighted on your CV so that local employers will know you completed a practicuum. This is the key element of on-site courses. On-site courses (CELTA or equivalent) are the standard for the region.

You cannot begin to acquire necessary paperwork until you've got a job contract, for which you'll need to be here end August/early September to line up in person.

I'd suggest that a course in Prague is the easiest route into the region, but as I've said, if you take an equivalent course elsewhere, you'd still want to show up at the end of August - you would just have about three weeks longer on your 90 day clock to line something up. Keep in mind that most contracts are Sept- June, so if you haven't found anything by the end of October, you're probably in a bit of trouble anyway.

As for smaller towns, I personally like Pisek, Plzen, and Ceske Budejovice.
Smaller than the big city, but with enough going on to be interesting, and the latter one is on the main railway Prague-Vienna, so lots of nice travel opps.

Good luck!
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pixykat222



Joined: 23 Oct 2010
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 3:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excellent, that answered my question perfectly. Thanks, Spiral! Now to figure out which school...

Thanks again! Smile
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spiral78



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

PostPosted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 1:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you're planning to take a course in Prague, so far as I am aware, all the course providers in the city are pretty decent overall. They've all been around for a while, and while every course has experienced some bumps along the way (you can never please all of the people all of the time), they all have quite decent reputations overall.

I think you'd be pretty safe with any of them, basically.
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gwynnie86



Joined: 27 Apr 2009
Posts: 159

PostPosted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 1:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

From looking around, experience and what I've heard from friends, I'd recommend either TEFL Worldwide or The Language House. I did my course with www.teflworldwideprague.com and it was great.. very challenging, but in a way that will benefit you so much when you interview for jobs. You get a good 8+ hours experience teaching real local students, so you'll feel a lot more prepared, and the staff are lovely and will continue to help you out (whether it's finding jobs, apartments or understanding visa issues) forever after finishing the course. After comparing with friends who took a different course which I can't name here, it sounds like I definitely got a better deal (with regards to what learn, quality, feedback given to you as a teacher etc). The actual experience you get with students will be very valuable when applying for jobs and just in making you feel confident when teaching.

Last edited by gwynnie86 on Mon Feb 06, 2012 1:09 pm; edited 1 time in total
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johncoan



Joined: 02 Jul 2010
Posts: 115

PostPosted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 2:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

TEFL International run a very good course too.

http://www.teflinternational.com/prague-czech-republic.html
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cks



Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 144

PostPosted: Sun Dec 04, 2011 8:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As for towns near Prague that you might want to look into-Benesov, Zbraslav, Louny, Nymburk, Kolin, Podebrad. Pruhonice, or Melnik.
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