Job Discussion Forums

nawlinsgurl · Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 8:39 am Post subject: online TEFL courses

What is the best TEFL course to take online? By best I mean cheapest, and not so cheap to where I am ripped off. I'd like my certification to be a little more than a post-it note. Thanks!!

Jetgirly · Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 741

I am also looking into TESL courses for myself. From asking around, I have determined that employers do not look particularly favourably on online TESL courses, because they have no practical elements. Most employers (that care about TESL certification) want people to take a course that includes supervised in-class teaching practice. Or so I've heard.

I have decided to head to Europe and take a CELTA course. I believe the cost is 1395 euros. That is $2260 Canadian, or $500 cheaper than a similar (non-CELTA) course would be if I took it here. It is $1610 more than the online CELTA program I was looking at, but I figure I can make back the difference in a couple months wages by working at a better school.

The online TESL course I was looking at is from http://www.winfieldcollege.com/tesl_distance.html.

kmn5774 · Joined: 30 Jul 2004 Posts: 2

There might be an Online TESL for $265 American???

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Yeah, and it'll be worth the relative 1/10th. of what a month-long course will cost. If at all possible, show some commitment to the profession and get real training, including some supervised teaching practice. The better language schools you will want to work for know the difference in qualifications!!

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

Ledie · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 24 Location: Toronto, Canada

I have just completed the online i-to-i tefl course and received a "pass". I was graded (I have later found out) from someone who is educated, but english isn't his first language!
He even made spelling errors in his emails to me!!!

My advice is: DON'T BOTHER WITH ONLINE TEFL!

Sekhmet · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 329 Location: Alexandria, Egypt

Ledie - I'm sorry you had a bad experience with i-to-i - I had the same problem, and I'm so glad I decided to take a residential course as well!!! The i-to-i course was nice, but like you say, the organisation and logistics need some work...
nawlinsgirl - don't do it!!!!!! Take a residential course!!!!! It's not worth all the hassle you'll face further down the line to take an online course. Some of them, granted, are very professionally run, but most aren't worth the hypothetical paper they're written on...
Get a course that gives you teaching practice. At least that way you'll find out whether you want to be a teacher or not!!! I know some people who have taken courses, determined to become teachers and travel the world, who discovered the moment they first stepped in front of a group of students that they really were'nt cut out to be teachers... You really don't want to discover that at the beginning of a year-long contract in a foreign country....
Good luck!!!

Foster_520 · Joined: 30 Jul 2004 Posts: 5 Location: Prague

I have just graduated from TEFL Prague and even though the course was very intense I still managed to have a great time. They are one of the better TEFL schools in Prague doing onsite TEFL and they also do an apparantly excellent online TEFL course.
I would suggest doing an online TEFL with a school that also does the onsite one because it gives you more security and in most cases probably a more professional service.
For anyone interested their site is
www.TEFL-Prague.com
Hope this helps.