Job Discussion Forums

eae7 · Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Flagstaff, AZ

Which organization is the most reputable to get certified with, TEFL international, ITC, CELTA?

I am looking at all of them, does anyone have any opinions or advice on which organization I should go with?"

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Whew, that'll start a firestorm here!

I think it depends more on where you would like to teach. CELTA is probably the best choice for Europe, with TEFL Int for the Americas or Asia. My opinion.

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

IMHO there are only short-term TEFL courses with any name recognition, CELTA and Trinity, with CELTA somewhat better known. Anything else is a 'generic TEFL certificate'. That can make a lot of difference in Europe, but not so much in the rest of the world. Occasionally you'll see a post advertised as "CELTA required", but for the most part the rest of the world outside Europe doesn't really care what the brand name of your certificate is.

tedkarma · Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 1:49 pm Post subject:

At least in this part of the world (Asia) - bread and butter jobs tend to be with kids. Particularly for new teachers. CELTA is for adults (the "A" in CELTA). Consider a TEFL Cert from a reputable program.

Kids and adults: A whole different ball game.

Ask around - as you are doing - but I would also recommend sending e-mail to the programs and asking questions. You'll get a good idea as some won't even bother to respond. Go with someone who answers your questions and helps you through the process.

rlr · Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 1

Are there any particular places that you all recommend for said certifications over others?

You're bombarded by any number of sites whenever you take a look at the job board, so I'm just curious as to which schools (not necessarily online) are considered reputable.

(I am a Latin teacher, certificed K-12 for my state, with a BA in Anth/Classics, and a Masters in Education. I am most interested in Europe, but honestly not opposed to looking at anything!)
-R

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

rlr, you say you are from 'a state' so I'm presuming you're American. That means that (barring your having citizenship in some EU member country) you are basically only eligible for jobs in Central/Eastern Europe. With your credentials, you can probably get jobs there without certification, but you'd be better serving your students (adult second language learners are a somewhat different animal than any K-12 experience/training focuses on) if you obtain some basic certification in the field. At minimum, a 30-day, on-site course with supervised teaching practice. Many of these are offered in country, which is an advantage in many ways.

However, with an MA, you should probably look at the international schools for the countries where you want to go. This route might get you into the EU zone legally. Private language schools won't (in most cases) be able to offer you any legal working papers within Western Europe.

I apologize for the vague post (am laboring under the influence of heavy jet lag at the moment) but if you are more specific about your goals, I'm sure someone will be able to offer you more specific information.