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bradwelljackson
Joined: 29 Aug 2004
Posts: 75
Location: Shakhty, Russia
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 Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 4:56 am Post subject: What is the latest meaning of "TEFL certificate"? |
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| Is the term "TEFL certificate" now standardized to mean a specific thing, or can a "TEFL certificate" mean anything from a weekend 12 hour course to a college degree in linguistics? |
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jtea
Joined: 22 Apr 2014
Posts: 69
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| Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 5:12 am Post subject: |
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From my understanding, it still means that you need to be certified specifically in a TESL/TEFL course. A lot of places have a requirement on how many hours you need in order to qualify...the average is 100-120 hours.
A college degree in linguistics wouldn't qualify, that would be your qualification for a bachelors degree. You might be able to get away with a weekend 12 hour course but from my experience, any good institution/school/company have the 100-120 hour requirement. If you have something from a weekend 12 hour course, you can probably only use that to boost your self for a job that doesn't really require you to be certified.
I've even started seeing TESL courses on groupon, not even sure how far that will take you but I would never recommend those to anyone. If you're serious about the job, take it seriously. You get what you pay for. |
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bradwelljackson
Joined: 29 Aug 2004
Posts: 75
Location: Shakhty, Russia
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| Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 5:55 am Post subject: |
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| Thank you for such a thorough answer. Greatly appreciated. |
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Shroob
Joined: 02 Aug 2010
Posts: 1339
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| Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 6:20 am Post subject: |
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| To me, 'TEFL certificate' could be anything from a piece of paper you printed off yourself to a 12 hour online course. Generally low quality. I have to admit that when I see 'TEFL certificate', I think someone's been ripped off. Those who have reputable certs generally put their name e.g. Trinity's CertTESOL or the CELTA. Or they put something like X Cert (120 hours). |
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MuscatGary
Joined: 03 Jun 2013
Posts: 1364
Location: Flying around the ME...
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| Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 7:34 am Post subject: |
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| It all depends on where you want to work and how long you think you want to tefl for. If you just fancy a couple of years travelling and taking the low pay jobs in the soft countries then a weekend certificate or even online would probably get you in the door. If you want to do this for longer and get into the higher paid jobs then it has to be a recognised qualification such as CELTA or Trinity TESOL. |
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bradwelljackson
Joined: 29 Aug 2004
Posts: 75
Location: Shakhty, Russia
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| Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 6:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Shroob - I like this answer - you're getting into exactly what a "TEFL" certificate really means nowadays. Do the rest of you here think that "TEFL certificate" nowadays has come to mean something of lower quality than a CELTA or equivalent? |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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| bradwelljackson wrote: |
| Do the rest of you here think that "TEFL certificate" nowadays has come to mean something of lower quality than a CELTA or equivalent? |
"TEFL certificate" is simply a designation of completion of some form of English language teacher training. It's very general, just as someone saying they have a degree but without mentioning the degree major and level (i.e., associate's, bachelor's, master's, or doctorate). It's the content/objectives, context, structure, course delivery, course length, qualifications of trainers/tutors, level of oversight (or lack of), and so on, that are key and distinguish the programs from each other. Therefore, a TEFL/TESOL cert can be a cheapo online or quickie weekend course up to a 6-course qualification through a university graduate-level program.
The CELTA, Trinity CertTESOL, and SIT TESOL are branded entry-level teaching qualifications that are known worldwide; they each have solid roots, institutional backing, and of course, status, due to their established presence in the field. The CELTA and Trinity Cert have been around for decades way before there was anything called a TEFL cert. Similarly, SIT TESOL points to origins from the US Peace Corps' MA International program which started in 1987.
For those newbies contemplating teacher training, obviously, any of the three branded TEFL certificates are the smart way to go. However, as other posters will point out, there are vanilla TEFL cert courses---decent imitations of the brands---which mirror them in content, especially in providing supervised teaching practice with real students. These certs are likely to be accepted by employers worldwide if they meet the job qualifications (as posted). In this case, the cert holder should also indicate the course length, course delivery, and the inclusion of a supervised practical component on his/her CV. Otherwise, potential employers will question the quality of the training. |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 5:18 am Post subject: |
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| bradwelljackson wrote: |
| Do the rest of you here think that "TEFL certificate" nowadays has come to mean something of lower quality than a CELTA or equivalent? |
I think if someone has a known and respected cert, they would just say the name. If not, they'd be more likely to say only "TEFL certificate". For example, if someone has a CELTA, they'll say "I have a CELTA" (to colleagues, employers, etc.), not just "I have a TEFL certificate". |
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coledavis
Joined: 21 Jun 2003
Posts: 1838
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| Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 5:51 pm Post subject: |
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Agreeing with the last point, plus qualifying:
'TEFL' is generic.
There are variety of brand names.
CELTA and Trinity TESOL are the ones with the widest recognition (partly because they are regulated, partly because they're the ones most employees know).
There are some other courses such as SITT which are recommended in some countries, but don't have the international recognition of the CELTA or Trinity.
If you must take a TEFL certificate that is not one of the brand names, then at least make sure that it has similar hours of observing experienced teachers and being observed yourself.
Weekend courses do not do the trick (you won't be anywhere near ready to teach, whatever the advertisers claim). Online courses similarly are not of much help and will not be recognised by employers. |
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