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socrteez
Joined: 23 Jan 2006
Posts: 2
Location: Detroit, Mi
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 Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 7:26 pm Post subject: Measure of humility/ plea for insite |
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| Y'all have been awesome! I greatly appreciate the knowledge and insite you have provided me. I don't want to bore you with the minute details of my hum-drum existence. I will say that I'm a 42 yr old discontented const worker from the states who is seeking a change....I'm confused in making a decision on undergoing the esl teacher training process. A recruiter is waiting on a $2500 payment from me...which would include all the necessary certificates to teach at a university level (including contractual job placement)...one of my fears is and i know this is long winded...i only have a high school education and all of this training he is speaking of is online...i haven't undertaken any achademic training since, well never..i'm intrigued with talk-n-text in thailand, as i feel i need a classroom setting. What might you recommend? What might you suggest or does anyone have experience with talk-n-text. Does anyone have or had relations with a thomas pappas from Cal-America education institute? Thanks in advance! Genuinely, Norm ps i have about $9000 to my name |
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tedkarma
Joined: 17 May 2004
Posts: 1598
Location: The World is my Oyster
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 9:18 pm Post subject: |
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| socrteez wrote: |
| A recruiter is waiting on a $2500 payment from me...which would include all the necessary certificates to teach at a university level (including contractual job placement)... |
Wait!
Hold on to your money!
I smell a rat . . .
Most people here would reccomend that you NOT use recruiters - and how is s/he going to "include all the necessary certificates to teach at a university level (including contractual job placement)..."??? If you have only a high school level education? You are not qualified to teach at a university level - and if someone provides you with certificates and maybe even "degrees" - that would be fraud. Recruiters, btw, get paid by the school where they place you - and YOU should not pay them!
Don't get involved. Keep your money in your pocket - and get some REAL Training.
There are many excellent and reputable TEFL training courses out there - Text-andTalk is one of them. Cal-American I don't know about - but perhaps someone else here will comment about for you.
When looking for a TEFL Cert course - be sure to look for one with at least 100+ hours of classroom training and - very critical - at least six hours of observed teaching practice (important for your confidence too!).
Not sure what to look for? Take a look at "How to Choose a TEFL School" at: http://phuketdelight.com/TEFL.htm
Hold on to your money - spend it at a reputable program - get yourself some real skills - not fake documents.
Last edited by tedkarma on Sat Feb 25, 2006 9:32 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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khmerhit
Joined: 31 May 2003
Posts: 1874
Location: Reverse Culture Shock Unit
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 9:25 pm Post subject: |
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DONT USE A RECRUITER!!! YOU CAN SPEND USD 2000 ON A CELTA CERT--THEY ACCEPT PEOPLE WITHOUT COLLEGE DEGREES, PROVIDED THEY PUT IN THE EFFORT AND HAVE A MODICUM OF BRAINS. THE CELTA WILL TAKE YOU ANYWHERE, BUT THE RECRUITER WILL TAKE YOU TO THE CLEANERS, AND MAYBE A SHORT-TERM GIG IN NORTHERN THAILAND WHERE YOU WILL---INEVITABLY---BE LEFT TO FEND FOR YOURSELF. DO NOT BE NAIVE. BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR MONEY, BECAUSE OTHERS WANT IT. JUST A WORD TO THE WISE IN THE WEST!!  |
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ls650
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 3484
Location: British Columbia
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 10:24 pm Post subject: |
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| tedkarma wrote: |
Hold on to your money!
I smell a rat . . . |
So do I.
Do you (the OP) have a university degree? If not, no recruiter can give you the "necessary certificates to teach at a university level" - at least not at any legitimate university. It sounds like someone is selling you snake oil. |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 10:44 pm Post subject: |
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I suspect the OP isn't using the term 'recruiter' as we here know it. Check out the website for Cal America. They are US based. I'm not endorsing it...just clearing up a potential misunderstanding.
http://www.cal-america.com/ |
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tedkarma
Joined: 17 May 2004
Posts: 1598
Location: The World is my Oyster
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 10:59 pm Post subject: |
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I can't see that Cal-America offers ANY teacher training. It is an EFL school - but that is it.
At least I couldn't find any kind of teacher training on their website.
So, perhaps not appropriate for the OP? |
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Gregor
Joined: 06 Jan 2005
Posts: 842
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 3:04 pm Post subject: |
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Guy,
Your calm and thoughtful input is always a breath of fresh air, BUT! The OP needs to know, in no uncertain terms, that he is being asked for money for...well, snake oil. OP, don't do it.
There is proper TEFL certificate training. Get a CELTA. I know I'm saying what others have said. I hope a lot more people pipe in. GET THE CELTA! It won't cost you more than these people are asking you to give (well, yeah, more, because you have to commit to the time). But CELTA is legitimate training, and you can find a job with that. What you describe sounds like a BAD SCENE.
With a CELTA, the course provider, once you've passed, can help you find a job. There are TONS of ESL teaching jobs world-wide. Do the CELTA and get a legitimate job, with legitimate, face-to-face training. You want the training, anyway - teaching is NOT as easy as some of these "recruiters" make it sound. You want some sort of background.
At any rate, do NOT give the people you described ANYTHING.
And thanks for asking. |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 3:56 pm Post subject: |
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Ted, you're right. There's nothing on the site to show TEFL training of any sort. IF the OP could provide some kind of weblink? And who is thomas pappas?
Here's my guess. Somebody named Thomas Pappas working at Cal America has gone independent, is offering an online TEFL certificate course, as well as help with getting a job, and is charging $2500 for the whole affair. None of that wouldn't be new to the world of TEFL, and $2500 is within a range of normalcy.
The OP has other options of course, but I simply don't want to jump on Cal America or anyone else without having some details first. This sounds similar to a GEC program (in Chicago) or Cultural Embrace (Texas). |
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Cdaniels
Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 663
Location: Dunwich, Massachusetts
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 4:00 pm Post subject: Now wait a minute... |
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While CELTA is a reputable program, gregor, it might seem a little disingenous to say- don't do such-and-such a program- do this program instead! You could recommend Trinity, for one; not to mention a number of other programs (especially if the OP is planning to go to Latin American)
By the way, Y'all is not correct. the plural of you is "youse guys."
as in "Youse guys have been awesome!" |
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socrteez
Joined: 23 Jan 2006
Posts: 2
Location: Detroit, Mi
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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| My sincere thanks for your continued insite....my research into CELTA, leads me to places such as Denver, NY and Canada (i'm in Detroit) is CELTA training something that is taught primarily in the states? I found a place in Thailand that offers such training....the ELITE TRAINING INSTITUTE at a cost of about $1500 is anyone familiar with this school? The cost of living and quality of life there intrigues me.....the cost of going to denver or canada for a month and then returning home, then seeking employment in another country, doesn't.....my business has fallen apart here and am ready to make a move on this....my trepidation is that if i don't, this may become another unrealized possibility. Kind Regards, Norm |
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denise
Joined: 23 Apr 2003
Posts: 3419
Location: finally home-ish
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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You can find CELTA (and equivalent--there are many equally valid courses!) courses just about anywhere in the world. I would recommend doing one in the country you plan to teach in. That way you can start to get acclimated, learn your way around, find somewhere to live, and start lining up job interviews--which your course should help you with--while you are still doing the course.
d |
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Cdaniels
Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 663
Location: Dunwich, Massachusetts
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 5:26 pm Post subject: Job Preparation |
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| denise wrote: |
| You can find CELTA (and equivalent--there are many equally valid courses!) courses just about anywhere in the world. I would recommend doing one in the country you plan to teach in. |
I would also recommend Keeping The Employment Opportunities in the forefront of your mind while taking a course. It's easy to get caught up in intensive courses like the CELTA, and and forget that it's a means to an end. Some of the best students hastily take the first convenient jobs available (probably exhausted after their efforts in the classroom) and they end up very unhappy. Often courses like to tell their students that graduates are very much in demand and welcome everywhere, and its easy to pick up a job. Which is more or less true, but it also pays to research and/or keep your expectation low. Very employable doesn't necessarily translate to great, comfy jobs. |
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tedkarma
Joined: 17 May 2004
Posts: 1598
Location: The World is my Oyster
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 9:23 pm Post subject: |
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| denise wrote: |
You can find CELTA (and equivalent--there are many equally valid courses!) courses just about anywhere in the world. I would recommend doing one in the country you plan to teach in. That way you can start to get acclimated, learn your way around, find somewhere to live, and start lining up job interviews--which your course should help you with--while you are still doing the course.
d |
Big Ditto on Denise.
Do it in the country, or at least region, where you want to teach. The networking possibilities are endless. You will hear and learn the best places to look for work, and just as important - the places to avoid.
And, most schools get calls from employers seeking trained teachers - before they start advertising - so you can get in the door much more easily. |
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Scott Denham
Joined: 13 Feb 2006
Posts: 8
Location: Utah, USA
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 10:18 pm Post subject: CELTA worldwide |
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http://cambridgeesol-centres.org/centres/teaching/index.do
Check there for CELTA centers anywhere you want. They're usually cheaper outside the US and UK, anyway.
Check out Trinity and just generally look for TESOL certificates in google or your search program of choice. |
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Gregor
Joined: 06 Jan 2005
Posts: 842
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
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| Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| While CELTA is a reputable program, gregor, it might seem a little disingenous to say- don't do such-and-such a program- do this program instead! You could recommend Trinity, for one; not to mention a number of other programs (especially if the OP is planning to go to Latin American) |
Agreed.
But the OP sounded like he might jump into just any old thing, and though I actually PREFER the Trinity College, London qualification (not by much, mind you - it's the same basic entry-level qualification), it's unavailable in North America as far as I know, AND if a newbie isn't up on the subtle distinctions between a TESOL certificate from any face-to-face course provider and a Trinity TESOL cert, then really the safest acronym would be the CELTA, which s available pretty much everywhere. |
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