Job Discussion Forums

[bradwelljackson]

I'm seeking to get trained as a TEFL teacher and I wold like to know which teacher training school in the world has the best reputation.

[tttompatz]

[Qaaolchoura]

Are you talking about the certs?

Whenever I hear someone name the "big three" it seems to be CELTA (British), Trinity (British), and SIT (American). Whenever someone talks about only two, they leave off the last of those. I chalk that up to British snobbery, though since I haven't taken all three I can't be sure. Maybe the Brits really are the only ones who can teach teachers. (Incidentally a previous thread established that the British Council, which is funded by the British taxpayer, only hires those who did the CELTA or Trinity. However where private companies are concerned, this doesn't seem to be an issue.)

You see a lot of "CELTA or equivalent" stuff in job ads, which I take to mean "120 hour onsite teaching course with observed practice using real students." I assume in those cases the CELTA is simply the most memorable brand name. (You also see a lot of "CELTA, Trinity or equivalent" or "CELTA, Trinity, SIT or equivalent" type ads, and they all seem to amount to the same thing.)

I suppose bottom line is if neither money nor location is an issue, take the CELTA, since it's the one every employer will know by name. If either if those is an issue, take the closest 120+ hour onsite course with at least six hours of observed teaching practice, unless you really want to work for the British Council, in which case take the nearest CELTA or Trinity course.

~Q

[Xie Lin]

[sparks]

CELTA, no contest. I have SIT and it has never been a problem and is a fine certificate, as is Trinity. As far as the most requested and most recognizable though, it's CELTA all the way.

[coledavis]

[Qaaolchoura]