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Ruaridh321
Joined: 11 Aug 2015
Posts: 62
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 Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2015 11:08 am Post subject: The International TEFL Academy - legit? |
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Hey guys.
Just a quick question. Does anyone here have any opinions regarding the International TEFL Academy? ( http://www.internationalteflacademy.com/ )
Their website is professional (I know that doesn't mean anything) and I have actually Skyped and called with a couple of their advisers so I know that it isn't a scam or anything. I was just curious to know if it is highly regarded on here?
The red flag for me was that although the overall organisation is accredited (like their online course and their centre in Chicago), it seems as though they use other schools from different companies in other countries. A few of them (like Via Lingua) have really bad reviews.
Would be thankful to hear what you guys think.  |
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suphanburi
Joined: 20 Mar 2014
Posts: 916
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| Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2015 12:40 pm Post subject: Re: The International TEFL Academy - legit? |
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| Ruaridh321 wrote: |
Hey guys.
Just a quick question. Does anyone here have any opinions regarding the International TEFL Academy? ( http://www.internationalteflacademy.com/ )
Their website is professional (I know that doesn't mean anything) and I have actually Skyped and called with a couple of their advisers so I know that it isn't a scam or anything. I was just curious to know if it is highly regarded on here?
The red flag for me was that although the overall organisation is accredited (like their online course and their centre in Chicago), it seems as though they use other schools from different companies in other countries. A few of them (like Via Lingua) have really bad reviews.
Would be thankful to hear what you guys think. |
There is no international accreditation body so take that for what it is worth. Their accreditation was a simple matter of pay the fee, show you are a legal business and bang, you are "accredited".
It is ALWAYS a case of buyer beware when the course provider looks more like a travel agent than a training facility. This is no exception.
It is also a case that they will sell you their course with only a GED or high school diploma knowing full well that the countries they promote with perhaps the exception of Latin America ALL require you to have a degree to be legal as a TEFL teacher.
Also to note that most Americans, in spite of them promoting it, usually CAN'T work in western Europe due to visa issues. Caveat Emptor.
Now the bottom line:
If you are American, have a clean FBI check, have a degree and the ability to craft a resume you can get legal work in Asia and Latin America simply by applying.
IF you do not have a degree OR do not have a clean FBI check (also a common visa requirement for teachers) then TEFL providers who sell you a seat on their course are more into taking your money than giving you value for it since legal work (defined as having a proper visa and necessary permits) as a TEFL teacher is not likely to happen on most of the planet.
All of that said, a decent TEFL would be a benefit when you get thrown into a class of 50 kids and the simple instruction is simply to "TEACH".
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2015 12:48 pm Post subject: |
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You're still looking at courses? 
Anyway, the question really should be: Is this course provider "legit" for the country/teaching situation you're interested in? In other words, if job ad state that any TEFL cert will do, then this one likely fits the bill. However, if employers are expecting a CELTA or equivalent TEFL cert, then look elsewhere for your training, preferably at a course that doesn't tout "adventure" as a marketing ploy (nor have a whole, long-winded webpage dedicated to confusing prospective students about accreditation). Better yet, get a CELTA or SIT TESOL. |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2015 1:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Their website is professional |
Their website is full of promotional hype. To take just one obvious example, the claim that there are tens of thousands of US citizens teaching legally in private language schools in Spain is clearly pure hype. This may have been true prior to the implementation of Schengen zone laws: that was quite a few years ago now. 
And as has already been pointed out, there is no international accreditation body for EFL. |
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Ruaridh321
Joined: 11 Aug 2015
Posts: 62
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| Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2015 1:39 pm Post subject: |
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| nomad soul wrote: |
You're still looking at courses?
Anyway, the question really should be: Is this course provider "legit" for the country/teaching situation you're interested in? In other words, if job ad state that any TEFL cert will do, then this one likely fits the bill. However, if employers are expecting a CELTA or equivalent TEFL cert, then look elsewhere for your training, preferably at a course that doesn't tout "adventure" as a marketing ploy (nor have a whole, long-winded webpage dedicated to confusing prospective students about accreditation). Better yet, get a CELTA or SIT TESOL. |
I've actually more or less decided on a CELTA course in Poland (yay) but I just wanted to double check the International TEFL Academy on here as I already put a deposit with them so was not ready to rule them out completely (although I most likely now will). |
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