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tefl options

 
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hall217



Joined: 01 Jun 2011
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 11:21 pm    Post subject: tefl options Reply with quote

I lived in Costa Rica last year and absolutely loved it. Beautiful country, great people and of course the nature is amazing. When I left I vowed to go back, so here I am ready to return to teach English. My first step I assume is to get my Tefl certificate. From reading previous threads I see that the general consensus is that it is necessary to get a Tefl or Tesol certificate or very risky to not get one. The problem is that my money situation sucks. I want to be a good teacher and I don�t want to slack off or cut corners, but I need to think about money. So I guess my question is what are my best (cheapest) options to get a certificate.
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tuanis mae



Joined: 20 Dec 2009
Posts: 34
Location: costa rica

PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 3:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The cheapest option is to take an online course, but as I have written before, I really don�t think that these prepare you nearly as well as on site classes. I understand that money is an issue for you, I have been in the same situation many times in my ESL career, hell I still am. However the difference between having observed classes where the instructor critiques your lessons and gives hands on advice and helps you learn from your mistakes, is enormous compared to sitting alone in your room typing on a computer. There are several options which run around $1500. I�ve heard good things about Maximo http://www.maximonivel.com/, Tefl costa rica http://costaricatefl.com/, Intesol Costa Rica http://costaricatesol.com/ and a few comments from Pura Vida Tefl, but I can�t find their website. I have heard mixed comments about the school in Manual Antonio. I know these courses are about $500 more than online course and that�s $500 that would give you more financial security when you land, but you won�t regret it when it�s time to be up there in front of all those students, and all those expecting eyes are looking at you.
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jprimm



Joined: 03 Aug 2007
Posts: 91

PostPosted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 2:42 pm    Post subject: Tefl Reply with quote

I agree that a school with feedback is better than an online course. But an online course will give you a ticket to get into the game. Is an live school worth the $1500 to $2000 difference? I think it depends on the individual. I had done a lot of volunteer teaching so I took an online course and had no problem finding work. Also some schools, in lingua for instance, will train you in their teaching methodology.....Good Luck.
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Dell1971



Joined: 14 Mar 2011
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 9:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I took a combination online course/ onsite course in Heredia and I think it�s a great option for people that have money issues. I learned all the grammar and theory online at my own pace while I lived at home and kept working at my job. Then when I was ready I came down to Costa Rica, joined the 4 week students, and did my observed teaching for 2 weeks. The course was $600 cheaper than their normal onsite class, plus I could live at home 2 extra weeks and make money working. All in all I�d say the difference was about $2000. I get why everyone says onsite classes are the best, it would ve been nice to have my own live teacher to help me with the grammar, but $2000 is a big chunk of money, especially down here, and I learned the grammar just fine online by myself. At the end I got my observed teaching hours, the same certificate and had 2 grand in my pocket.
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hall217



Joined: 01 Jun 2011
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 10:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Dell that's exactly what I'm looking for. What is their web site? How was the program?
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Dell1971



Joined: 14 Mar 2011
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 10:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The web page is http://costaricatesol.com/ and I definitely recommend it. I absolutely loved Barva where the school is. Beautiful, quiet, little town, 5 minutes out of Heredia by a volcano. So much nicer than the craziness of San Jose. I actually ended up staying there 4 months after I finished the course cause I loved it so much. The school was great too. The trainers were very experienced and really helped me out right from the time I started doing the online part in the States and continued long after I finished the course. Definitely a good choice especially considering the price.
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tuanis mae



Joined: 20 Dec 2009
Posts: 34
Location: costa rica

PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 2:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think as long as you are getting quality observed teaching experience in the course, then where you learn the grammar part, is irrelevant. I definitely wouldn't want a teacher to miss out on the ESL experience simply because they couldn't afford the tefl course. This course sounds like a good combination of saving money and still getting the observed experience new teachers need. I've also heard really good things about this course from graduates of this program.
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dhsampso



Joined: 17 Jun 2009
Posts: 44
Location: Virginia

PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 6:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sounds like a great combination course and in a very nice atmosphere. Beats the noise and traffic of San Pedro, out side San Jose, where I took my course. I'll keep this one in mind for future TEFLers.
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jasper19



Joined: 14 Sep 2011
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 9:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have to agree with dhsampso. I also took my tefl at Maximo in San Pedro, and I feel bad writing this because I have nothing bad to say about the people or the course, but the location was terrible. I cant believe of all the million beautiful places in Costa Rica, Maximo chose a smelly, noisy, high crime/homeless area like San Pedro. They must have a reason, but as a Tefl student, I felt really disappointed. I was even more disappointed when I saw the locations of the other tefl schools in Costa Rica. Samara is a beautiful beach, Barva is a nice quaint little Tico town that I would have loved to take my course in. San Pedro is ugly, and there are a billion cars all day every day honking and spewing their fumes, and I didn't feel safe walking at night. The people were friendly and helpful and the course was good, but Im sure the people and the course is equally good in the other schools, with the added bonus of living in Barva or Samara. I didnt know anything about San Pedro or Samara or Barva before I came, so it is completely my fault that I ended up in a place I didnt like. So I recommend to anyone thinking of taking Tefl in Costa Rica or any other country for that matter, Learn, ask, research about where you are going to take your course so you are not disappointed like I was.
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