Teacher Discussion Forums

[Blue Tiger]

I was a aprt of an English Intensive Program for TEFL/TESL Teaching called New World Teachers. They had learning centers in Boston, MA, San Francisco, CA, and in Puerto Vallarta, JA, Mexico when I studied with them (October-November 1997), and they were set to expand into Thailand (with two centers) and in Czech Republic (Prague, I think). Suddenly, as I was looking up New World Teachers on the internet about a couple years ago, they had totally disappeared, their website shut down, and everything gone Can anyone tell me what happened to this good organization Further, is there anyone who graduated from any of their learning programs I studied under natalie Merhkhah and Patricia DiMaggio in this organisation, and foudn the whole experience to be totally awesome and good Did anyone else study under these two ladies in this program, or with New World Teachers at all

Any info about any of this would be of great help to me....

Thank you.

[William3]

I believe New World Teachers imploded. There was a great big long-running story about what happened to NWT and their early association/theft from Transworld Teachers on this site...five years ago.

Never found out the truth. I believe I attended the course a month before you did. They are gone. They were a little on the pricey side, as you probably remember, and for a time after I left they seemed to be planning to open schools everywhere. I guess they had big dreams.

Oh well...

[Blue Tiger]

When I left, and then checked their site about a couple of years later, they had expanded into Thailand (two sites) and the Czech Republic (Prague, I think). At any rate, though they were pricey, I sincerely enjoyed studying under them. I thought of writing to them....but i guess that's impossible now....

Too bad...

[OneLife]

hi blue tiger:

I attended the new world teachers branch in san francisco in the spring of 1999. ...like you, I was surprised to see the place close down. in the year 2001, I went back to san francisco to check up on the school, and was shock to see that the place was gone.

I still have the new world teachers lesson book binder with me to remind me of the good time I had there.

moving on.....

[huewithme]

hi there!

i am trying to get information to get certified for a teaching job abroad. while i'm currently living here in the states. there are quite a few certifications one can get, but i have not a clue where to begin.

i found some info and an address for new world teachers in the book global citizen but couldn't seem to find any info on the web about them until i found your comment.....so seeing as that they have disappeared, what has happend with your certification?

could you recommend any schools for certification and also companies that can get me started with a school overseas.

thanks!

[Gregor]

I went to NWT as well (in Puerto Vallarta, JA Mexico, and it ROCKED). The school is now defunct. This sort of thing happens. And it's sad, but not a serious problem, as far as the teaching certificate is concerned, and here's why:
For starters, a TEFL certificate (or CTESOL, or RSA/CELTA, or any number of these things) is an entry-level qualification. It's good, even necessary in many places now, to have. But it's entry level. Once you've done your first, say, year of teaching, the certificate is largely redundant. Many places will want to see it anyway, even if you have experience, as it's become a comfortable and familiar qualification for hiring (remember, we DoSes are hiring people from overseas, and sight-unseen, so the more comfortable you can make us, the better chance you have of getting a job). Also - it's becoming a requirement in some countries for hiring teachers.
If the school that issues your certificate later goes under, the chances are that no one would ever know it. If you can describe the course to the satisfaction of someone else who has done a similar course, then it's a legitimate qualification, because, at the moment, There is no governing board for issuing TEFL certificates. If you are looking for a place to get an entry level certificate and you want to be safe, do an RSA/CELTA course, or (better, in my opinion) a CTESOL from a Trinity College, London course provider. At the moment, if a school says their certificate course is the same as Trinity's, chances are it IS, only cheaper. But you never know. There are a lot of bad courses out there, so if you want to be sure that you have a legit qualification, THAT'S how you can do it.
I've heard talk that a governing body is forming, and soon they WILL have to comply with...something or someone. I don't know how they would do that, or even who "they" might be. But keep your eye on this. If someone comes up with an accreditation system for TEFL certificates and convinces enough countries to go along with them, you will have to be a LOT more careful, or else you will end up spending ONLY $300 for your certificate! That's CHEAP for a CTESOL, but it's a LOT OF MONEY to just throw away.
For the moment, Trinity College, London or RSA/CELTA (which is Cambridge University).

By the way, I was also trained by Patricia DiMaggio, back in 1996, and we're still quite good friends. It was a good course, and she was a HELL of a good trainer.

[Blue Tiger]

Patricia and Natalie were both AWESOME Teachers/Trainers for the New World Teacher's Organization, and they did a good job of helping me learn how to truly teach (asking questions of students, rather than lecturing, is FAAAAAR better ), and, yes, it is a shame that they went under. I still have my binder, as well, and both of my certs from NWT (on my resume', I state that my certs are from the University of Guadalajara, whic his with whom NWT partnered with). Yes, they were pricey, but for my experience, ever since landing the jobs I have now in Japan, the price was more than worth it, lookng back. My wife (a Korean Native) is now looking into getting a TEFL certificate from the Tokyo Campus of Temple University, and I am beginning studies on my master's Degree. At any rate, NWT, for me, as for others whom have posted here, was a truly awesome and life-changing experience.

I sure wish I knew how to get in touch with Patricia and Natalie.....I miss them both.....