Job Discussion Forums

[GeminiTiger]

I have really mixed feelings about a TEFL/TESL certificate system. First of all, let me say that I do not hold any certificates in regards to ESL nor do I have a teaching license. However, I do have six years teaching experience and I also did take an ESL course in my senior year of university in preparation for my decision to teach abroad.

That said, some schools/jobs absolutely require a certificate. Just like some schools require a native speaker, or some other thing, they will not waver. So without a TESL certificate I have limited my options, if ever so slightly.

Looking around the web I see thousands of offers for such certificates, I also see stupid prices like 300$ USD for certificates granted IN China BY recruiting agencies!

My personal thinking is that, yes absolutely I could learn something useful from a good program, however I'm not really interested in paying a lot of money for this piece of paper.

I am basically am looking to acquire such a certificate the minimal cost to myself. Years ago, I was offered a certificate for free from a local foreigner who was part of some program and stupidly I did not follow up on it.

I would like to get some suggestions on this topic. Don't troll me.

[twilothunder]

Do a CELTA or Trinity TESOL. It will take a month of your time and will cost around �1000, but will open better opportunities and you'll soon make the extra �700 back due to the higher salaries you can command.

It also opens the door to being an IELTS examiner further down the road.

Certificates from TEFL mills really aren't worth the paper they're printed on.

[twilothunder]

*Sorry, misread that you put $300, not �300, hence my calculations are out, but my point still stands.

[choudoufu]

here ya go.....online cert starting at $150.

http://www.teflonline.net/tefl-online-courses/?gclid=CIm468ugua8CFeFV4godNmIWhw

[Lobster]

Your two real choices are a cheapo cert that requires no learning and a quality one that offers good training but costs quite a bit. If you only plan to be a dancing monkey at a second-rate place in a third-tier city for a year, go for the cheap one. If you're planning on doing something useful for a few years, drop the cash and get some real training.

note: in regard to/regarding vs. best regards.

RED

[Denim-Maniac]

As above ... do the real thing as its far better in the long term. I was recently a course tutor on a similar program within China, based very much along the CELTA lines, but without the recognisable name. Content was the same, but we have discovered it isnt really profitable for us so I cant plug it here! We probably wont be doing the course again and will let the website drift away.

The experience Vs certificate thing is an interesting one. I also had experience before I took my course, and discovered that my experience wasnt always the right kind of experience. There was a lot I was doing that was 'wrong'. This is also something I have seen from people I work with.

Common EFL methodologies arent exactly rocket science, but most elements of them probably do have to be taught and learned. I dont think they are just acquired by unmentored experience. A course should make you a better teacher, and open the door to a structured EFL classroom which uses common methods of teaching. Its up to you how far you take it after that, and it also depends on what kind of teaching environment you intend to work in. These courses do tend to teach methods commonly used with adult students in small class settings. That is the job I do, and so I can apply and use the methodologies on a daily basis. This would be less applicable if I were teaching kindy, or large classes of uni students who arent streamed by ability.