Job Discussion Forums

[Omeo]

Are there any scholarships or grants available for these certification courses? I mean, they don't look very expensive and I could probably handle it by myself if I have to, but I figure it's still worth asking if there are ways to offset the cost. I'm looking at training courses abroad; what if I did a part-time course and tutored in the area in my spare time? Just curious.

[Chris_Crossley]

I would say "no, there aren't" - certainly I know of no scholarships or grants for full-time TEFL/TESL courses, because they are too short and scholarships would normally be awarded for programmes lasting at least one academic year as for, say, graduate school programmes leading to master's degrees.

However, it is just possible that a government education provider like an adult college of education, community college, etc, might provide a TEFL or TESL course on a part-time basis (say, one full working day per week or two evenings per week) where they allow people who are unwaged (i.e., on welfare) to participate on the course for free, although they might want you to pay the difference between the full fee and a pro-rata fee depending upon when you found full-time employment that would allow you to pay some money to the college (for example, if you get a job midway through the part-time course, you may be expected to pay half the course fee). This was the case at my local adult education college in the county of Kent in southeast England where I did my part-time course four years ago.

On the other hand, why even bother to dip into your savings in order to fork out the money yourself in the first place? There are plenty of schools around the world offering subsidized (yes, subsidized) short, 4 or 5-week full-time courses leading to a TEFL/TESL certificate and even possibly to a job placement afterwards, too.

Only pay for such a course yourself if you are desperate!

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

[Gregor]

I know two possibilities, for people who want to do this but can't afford, or don't want to pay for, the course.

One, and it's predictable that I'd bring it up, is EF in Brighton (or is it Manchester? Both?). They will deliver a TEFL certifdicate course and they'll reimburse a lot of it - I think it's something like 80% - if you then go to teach at an EF in either China or Indonesia. It's not CELTA or Trinity London TESOL, but it's as good a certificate as any other independent program (it's based on the Trinity).
You can get more details from them:
http://www.englishfirst.com/teacherinfo/recruitment/default.asp

Two, and this is something I would do if I needed a TEFL cert, is TEFL International. I don't have any details, but here's the job ad:
http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/index.cgi?read=10163
This is flippin' AWESOME if it is what I think it is.

[ls650]

An Australian woman I used to work with took the EF TEFL Certificate through EF Sydney. I was under the impression that the course was an 'official' Trinity Certificate, offered through EF.

The course was free - if she completed a one-year contract with either EF China or EF Indonesia...

She thought highly of the course. I observed her teaching a couple of times, and she is a superb teacher. She taught for 18 months in Indo, and is now teaching privately in Japan.

[Gregor]

I'm actually in a position to find out if anyone wants to know. About the EF deal, I mean.
I'd be surprised if the Trinity certificate through EF is free or even subsidized.
What they do is run a Trinity course. If you want to pay for the outside examiners to come in and examine you, you get the Trinity cert. Otherwise you get the exact same course but an EF TEFL cert. Because they have to pay the Trinity people, I doubt that they'd give away the certificate for free. The in-house one is a different story, but since they have to pay the trainers, too, I thought that all they did was subsidize a lot (but not 100%) of the course.
I don't know for sure, though. But, as I'm a DoS in an EF China until the end of February, I can find out for you. If you want.

[Cdaniels]

Beware of programs which offer "training" for very low prices. They are likely to be worthless. There should be some money available for MA-TESOL degree programs, but this requires much more of a commitment of time.

[Omeo]

Yeah, could you find out about whether or not the course is subsidized, Greg? I don't mind teaking in China for a year if it'll pay for my certificate.

[Gregor]

Hey Omeo,
I've got an email out to my contacts in Shanghai. I'll post the results here as soon as I get them back (probably later today or tomorrow).
Cdaniels, you're right, as far as it goes. Financial aid in the traditional sense doesn't exist with a flip little certificate course like a TEFL.
BUT! The demand for trained teachers is so high in some parts of the world, and the course is relatively so cheap to deliver, and the course, for all that, is so effective in training teachers, that a company like EF (who actually does deliver a Trinity College, London-approved certificate AND diploma course) can afford to subsidize the training for its teachers to a large extent. I'm pretty sure that Is650 is mistaken about the 100% free thing, but there are about 72 EF franchise schools in China, and every single one of them is short staffed as an almost normal state of business. They will pay for teachers to come to their schools.
And for the teacher, it is a good deal, even if he or she takes the EF cert. and not pay extra for the Trinity exams. It's exactly the same course.

[Gregor]

I told you I'd get the details about the EF course, so here you are:

[Omeo]

The idea of getting free certification in exchange for teaching sounds good, but I'm concerned that any certification I get through these free courses won't impress people in other countries. If I get certified in Thailand, will that impress the people in China? There's also the issue of job placement. I'd like to get my training from a place that'll help me find my jobs. What do you think?

[tedkarma]

You pay for what you get - one way or the other.

The problem with programs that offer "Free Certification" programs is that the hook of volunteering or working in a very poorly paid program means that you do PAY for it. One program has you working for almost 1/2 what you would earn anywhere else - and in fact you end up paying almost double - while you work for subsistence wages.

[stillnosheep]

Do a proper CELTA or Trinity. They are recognised industry wide. On completion of an EF course your certificate is recognised only by EF.

Whether or not the training recieved is "equivalent" to anything else is irrelevant unless you wish to tie yourself down to your certificate only being recognised by one company whose reputation is very low in East Asian EFL circles (non-payment of wages, breaking of contracts, threatening staff with violence etc).

Hell I could give train you and give you a piece of paper for free if you allow yourself subsequently to be ripped off by me. And so could anyone else.

With an internationally accepted certificate you can find your own job.