| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Fergie
Joined: 10 Feb 2015
Posts: 34
Location: The Middle Kingdom
|
 Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 6:25 am Post subject: |
 |
|
| What company teaches the TEFL course hosted by SAFEA twice a year and do you guys know if the certificate is truly recognized and accepted outside of China? Did any of you take this course? I am trying to avoid the online crap courses. Feedback? Thanks. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 6:49 am Post subject: |
|
|
| natsume wrote: |
For what I've increasingly felt is an inextricable reason, my "generic" TEFL certificate had only 4 hours of supervised/observed/assessed teaching practice with real students in a classroom setting.
It is from UC Berkeley, which is probably a plus, but this irks me whenever I hear the industry standard with the magic number of "6 hours" thrown around.
My MA offers a 3-unit internship for those without experience. I have plenty of experience, and I will be teaching EAP writing courses during the MA, but I still wonder if I should push for this. Any thoughts? |
Your UC Berkeley TEFL cert was likely designed more for California teachers and not for those heading abroad where there's a different industry standard. Yet, the ESOL practicum for both my MAT and the TEFL cert offered by my US university requires a minimum 6 hours of supervised teaching practice. I actually ended up doing twice that amount at 12 hours.
Frankly, you're probably okay if you skip the 3-credit internship. However, if you completed your TEFL cert after you began teaching, or your teaching experience to date has been in English conversation or with kids, I suggest you do the internship, specifically in a university-level teaching environment. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 7:02 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Fergie wrote: |
| What company teaches the TEFL course hosted by SAFEA twice a year and do you guys know if the certificate is truly recognized and accepted outside of China? |
Seriously, just do a simple Internet search for safea tefl cert. You can look at the course content to see if it meets the standard for TEFL positions outside of China (which it doesn't). Easy breezy. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 7:28 am Post subject: |
|
|
So, I googled SAFEA since the OP apparently couldn't be bothered. I suspect it would NOT be widely accepted outside of China - so far as I can tell, it is specifically focused on effective teaching methods for China - this would be largely untransferable to students from different teaching/learning traditions for reasons related to culture, motivation, and expectations.
The course apparently includes only 7 days on-site combined with a bunch of do-it-yourself online stuff (at least from the one site I bothered to skim).
Frankly, in Europe or some of North America, any teacher with only experience in Asia will have a hard time finding a job regardless of what cert s/he has got. As noted above, what works well in Asia is unlikely to work well elsewhere. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Alien abductee
Joined: 08 Jun 2014
Posts: 527
Location: Kuala Lumpur
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 7:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
Yeah, we know. Those of you who work in Europe are soooooo much better than the rest of us.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 10:26 am Post subject: |
|
|
No, just different. I would crash and burn in Asia, and I know it. It's just a different skill set. Way less entertainment and way more meat.
Anyway, if you doubt the conventional wisdom on this, there's one sure test; come over and try it out. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Alien abductee
Joined: 08 Jun 2014
Posts: 527
Location: Kuala Lumpur
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 10:48 am Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks for the offer, but I don't really want to take a cut in pay, plus I've spent plenty of time in Europe already, Asia is just far more interesting to me  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 10:55 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Ah, sorry for the misunderstanding. I'm not at liberty to make any offers this year. And not all of us are on subsistence pay, I can assure you. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
esl_prof
Joined: 30 Nov 2013
Posts: 2006
Location: peyi kote solèy frèt
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 12:56 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| spiral78 wrote: |
| So, I googled SAFEA since the OP apparently couldn't be bothered. |
I'm beginning to wonder if s/he'll even have time to read my list of schools that are legit and fraudulent if and when I ever get it compiled.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
natsume
Joined: 24 Apr 2006
Posts: 409
Location: Chongqing, China
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 8:42 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| nomad soul wrote: |
| natsume wrote: |
For what I've increasingly felt is an inextricable reason, my "generic" TEFL certificate had only 4 hours of supervised/observed/assessed teaching practice with real students in a classroom setting.
It is from UC Berkeley, which is probably a plus, but this irks me whenever I hear the industry standard with the magic number of "6 hours" thrown around.
My MA offers a 3-unit internship for those without experience. I have plenty of experience, and I will be teaching EAP writing courses during the MA, but I still wonder if I should push for this. Any thoughts? |
Your UC Berkeley TEFL cert was likely designed more for California teachers and not for those heading abroad where there's a different industry standard. Yet, the ESOL practicum for both my MAT and the TEFL cert offered by my US university requires a minimum 6 hours of supervised teaching practice. I actually ended up doing twice that amount at 12 hours.
Frankly, you're probably okay if you skip the 3-credit internship. However, if you completed your TEFL cert after you began teaching, or your teaching experience to date has been in English conversation or with kids, I suggest you do the internship, specifically in a university-level teaching environment. |
My 7 years experience is all post-cert, I would only be doing the internship as a resume builder. I'm getting variety as an ESL teacher here in the states that I didn't get in Japan, and the switch to EAP for the next two years will round out my skill set. My goal is to stay in university settings. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2015 4:25 am Post subject: |
|
|
| natsume wrote: |
| My 7 years experience is all post-cert, I would only be doing the internship as a resume builder. I'm getting variety as an ESL teacher here in the states that I didn't get in Japan, and the switch to EAP for the next two years will round out my skill set. My goal is to stay in university settings. |
Seems you'd already made up your mind about the internship. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2015 7:59 am Post subject: |
|
|
| spiral78 wrote: |
No, just different. I would crash and burn in Asia, and I know it. It's just a different skill set. Way less entertainment and way more meat.
Anyway, if you doubt the conventional wisdom on this, there's one sure test; come over and try it out. |
Oh, I dunno, Spiral. Too subtle there, I feel. Will not register. I'll have a go : )
It is actually the case that teachers in Europe are better. They have to be. They are expected to teach, and teach well. It isn't just the skillset that's different, it is the very nature ofthe job. In Europe, teaching aids real learning. From what I know about the Far East, which is mercifully limited, teaching there is more akin to clowning around in a classroom for 'learners' who will never get beyond beginner level anyway. To even call both contexts EFL classrooms is a misnomer... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
wangdaning
Joined: 22 Jan 2008
Posts: 3154
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2015 10:21 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Sashadroogie wrote: |
| spiral78 wrote: |
No, just different. I would crash and burn in Asia, and I know it. It's just a different skill set. Way less entertainment and way more meat.
Anyway, if you doubt the conventional wisdom on this, there's one sure test; come over and try it out. |
Oh, I dunno, Spiral. Too subtle there, I feel. Will not register. I'll have a go : )
It is actually the case that teachers in Europe are better. They have to be. They are expected to teach, and teach well. It isn't just the skillset that's different, it is the very nature ofthe job. In Europe, teaching aids real learning. From what I know about the Far East, which is mercifully limited, teaching there is more akin to clowning around in a classroom for 'learners' who will never get beyond beginner level anyway. To even call both contexts EFL classrooms is a misnomer... |
Wow, never taught here but can express such contempt for us that do teach here. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2015 10:51 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Have worked with an endless parade of edutainer types who did 'teach' there. The contempt was as inevitable as their subsequent classroom failure and dismissal. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Alien abductee
Joined: 08 Jun 2014
Posts: 527
Location: Kuala Lumpur
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2015 11:06 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Did the condescending attitude come with the 10,000 post certificate? Or does that just come naturally? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
