Site Search:
 
Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today!
Teach English Abroad and Get Paid to see the World!
Job Discussion Forums Forum Index Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

TESL Degree Value vs. TESL Certification

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Newbie Forum
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
USScribe2014



Joined: 13 Apr 2017
Posts: 2
Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas

PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 12:48 am    Post subject: TESL Degree Value vs. TESL Certification Reply with quote

Hello. Although I'm a new poster here, I've known about this site and have visited on numerous occasions.

I have a question that I believe is new, not one that will make you slap your forehead or rock you to sleep, I hope. I didn't see anything exactly like it on my journeys through the archives.

My education consists of three degrees: BA English/Creative Writing, BA English (Secondary Education), and an MA in English/TESL. I also have a Teacher's License (English - 9-12) for the state in which I reside.

My question is centered on the TESL certification that is referred to so often on this site, CELTA being the most popular. With my education and experience volunteering as a TESOL tutor/instructor at a local literacy council, would you still advise me to earn this TESL certification? It's expensive--well into four figures--and I looked over the contents of the curriculum, and I've already studied all of these things. Half of my master's degree was comprised of graduate-level TESL courses. Thus, it was intense. Logic dictates not to pay $2000+ (USD) for knowledge you've already obtained and used. But of course there's always the bureaucratic "paper factor," meaning it looks good on a resume and might serve as the boost I need to get into a better job overseas.

For those who have already walked these roads, what say you? At this juncture, would TESL certification be superfluous?

Thank you for your time and assistance.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 2:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

USScribe2014 wrote:
At this juncture, would TESL certification be superfluous?

Maybe. For the better jobs overseas, it depends on:

- What you want to teach (i.e., English/language arts or ESOL). Your present quals -- especially your US English license -- would easily net you a position teaching English (not ESOL) to nationals or English L1s in a private American or IB-curriculum school abroad. That assumes you have a couple of years of full-time, relevant experience in a US school.

- Whether your MA degree program entailed an ESOL practicum (for a TEFL role). If your academic coursework included a semester of supervised teaching practice, you wouldn't need a separate TESOL cert. (This was the situation with my MAT program.) However, if you did not complete a practicum, then...

- Where in the world you want to teach EFL. You didn't mention your target country/countries, but the better schools usually don't accept volunteer experience; they want to see full-time, paid professional teaching on your CV. Other employers may not care. You'd have to ask on the country forums and check out current job ads to see if your present quals meet the requirements.
.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
currentaffairs



Joined: 22 Aug 2012
Posts: 828

PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 11:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wouldn't bother as you have lots of degrees in English. If you really wanted to cover your bases then I would say obtain the cheapest 100-hour, face-to-face TEFL cert that you can..
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
AGoodStory



Joined: 26 Feb 2010
Posts: 738

PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 4:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Welcome, USScribe! Given your current qualifications, getting a TEFL certificate would be unlikely to open any new doors. Superfluous? Yes, for most employers.

.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
USScribe2014



Joined: 13 Apr 2017
Posts: 2
Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas

PostPosted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 1:28 am    Post subject: Response Reply with quote

Thank you for all the input.

As far as the countries go, I need to do a lot of research on that topic. It's one thing to look for a job in one state or one country, but to explore employment worldwide is a different task.

I will end up making a list of places I'd like to teach. I'll explore those locations and adjust them accordingly depending on what I find out. If I discover I'm locked out because I don't have TESL certification, I'll know what I must do. It only takes one month to earn it, but as I stated earlier it's the cost that stabs me.

Thanks again.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 2:06 am    Post subject: Re: Response Reply with quote

USScribe2014 wrote:
I will end up making a list of places I'd like to teach. I'll explore those locations and adjust them accordingly depending on what I find out. If I discover I'm locked out because I don't have TESL certification, I'll know what I must do. It only takes one month to earn it, but as I stated earlier it's the cost that stabs me.

But again, be aware that your license already qualifies you to teach grades 9-12 English/ELA in international schools overseas. That makes you more marketable compared to TEFL. Give sites like Teach Away, Serious Teachers, Search Associates, and International Schools Review a look.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
suphanburi



Joined: 20 Mar 2014
Posts: 916

PostPosted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 12:57 am    Post subject: Re: Response Reply with quote

USScribe2014 wrote:
Thank you for all the input.

As far as the countries go, I need to do a lot of research on that topic. It's one thing to look for a job in one state or one country, but to explore employment worldwide is a different task.

I will end up making a list of places I'd like to teach. I'll explore those locations and adjust them accordingly depending on what I find out. If I discover I'm locked out because I don't have TESL certification, I'll know what I must do. It only takes one month to earn it, but as I stated earlier it's the cost that stabs me.

Thanks again.


State licensed teachers of English do not need a TEFL cert anywhere you will be able to get a job as a teacher.

As a state licensed teacher you should be looking at professional teacher recruiting websites rather than EFL sites. Attend a job fair from someone like search associates.

The jobs are a world apart.
For example, in Thailand, a licensed teacher recruited from abroad will receive a salary of 100-130k Thai baht plus housing, medical, airfare etc. A locally hired TEFL teacher will start off at about 35-40k Thai Baht with no benefits.
Similar situations exist in places like HK, mainland China, Korea, Taiwan (the biggest importers of foreign teachers in Asia).

.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
thrulensdark



Joined: 10 Jan 2017
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Tue Oct 24, 2017 4:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Related question: state teaching license implies teaching elementary school (k-12 in America) does it not? So the overseas jobs you guys speak of are elementary through high school as well? Would a local teaching license help you with a uni job or military--teaching for adults? Or would a masters suffice?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Tue Oct 24, 2017 5:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

thrulensdark wrote:
Related question: state teaching license implies teaching elementary school (k-12 in America) does it not? So the overseas jobs you guys speak of are elementary through high school as well? Would a local teaching license help you with a uni job or military--teaching for adults? Or would a masters suffice?

There are k-12 international schools throughout the world. In the US, k-12 refers to kindergarten through grade 12 (high school) as well, and licensure is specific to degree focus. For example, a math major would be licensed to teach secondary math, a degree in elementary education would meet the requirement for a license to teach elementary grades, a language education degree would include a license and possibly an ESL endorsement to teach ESOL or bilingual education, and so on.

As for jobs teaching adults (i.e., university, military, ESP...), you'll rarely see ads indicating a k-12 qualification. Employers and some government visa regs require a TESOL cert, which focuses on adult English language learners. (BTW, the terms TESOL, TEFL, TESL are essentially the same thing and are used interchangeably.)

A master's degree alone may or may not suffice. There's no global one-size-fits-all situation; you'd have to check the current visa requirements and job postings for your target country to see what qualifications you'd need.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
suphanburi



Joined: 20 Mar 2014
Posts: 916

PostPosted: Tue Oct 24, 2017 11:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

thrulensdark wrote:
Related question: state teaching license implies teaching elementary school (k-12 in America) does it not? So the overseas jobs you guys speak of are elementary through high school as well? Would a local teaching license help you with a uni job or military--teaching for adults? Or would a masters suffice?


A related masters will get you into a lecturer position at many unis in Asia.
The pay is usually similar to or lower than an EFL teacher but will entail fewer classes.

A certified teacher on the other hand is a regular, 40-hour work week but is also the best paying gig in Asia (2-5 times more than EFL or uni lecturer jobs with just an MA).

If you had a related PhD (applied linguistics, TEFL, etc) then the picture changes when compared to a non-related masters lecturing 1st year EFL undergrads.

.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Newbie Forum All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.

Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group

Teaching Jobs in China
Teaching Jobs in China