Job Discussion Forums

[corporatehuman]

Okay so...seems like I am at a crossroads on my journey to becoming a certified teacher.

First off, I am completely and utterly intimidated by the amount of certification schools. I've figured out that...my options are either to try and get certified IN Santiago and then have a guaranteed job later...

Or get certified in the US, save money, and fly down to Santiago and just try to get a job.

The second one, seems like...the only way not to be manipulated by some large all-consuming big certficiation business, but it also makes me nervous.

I also speak, absolutely, no Spanish, which I will be trying to work on before I come down there...

Can I hear from anyone that has done either of those options? Which one they would choose???

Also, would coming down in August be a bad time? Or October?



Thanks for your time,

Chris

[Joeldew]

Chris,

Get certified in the US. !!! (No offence intended to others)

I got certified in Australia, taught in a few schools and will be heading to Chile in late July / August.

If the reverse was true, I may NOT be recognised in Australia.

Hope to see you in Chile sometime....

Best regards,

Joel

[Joeldew]

Chris,

Get certified in the US. !!! (No offence intended to others)

I got certified in Australia, taught in a few schools and will be heading to Chile in late July / August.

If the reverse was true, I may NOT be recognised in Australia.

Hope to see you in Chile sometime....

Best regards,

Joel

[denise]

What do you mean by "certified teacher"? A TEFL certificate (for EFL only!) or a state credential? If it's the former, it won't be recognized in the US. I wonder if that's the problem that joeldew had in Australia. To be certified as a teacher in the US, you need a credential.

I got a job online before I flew to Chile, even though several people had told me that it was really easy to find jobs upon arrival. There are tons of schools, and if you wait until you're actually there you can get a better feel for whether or not they suit you. I didn't like the ambiguity of arriving there with no concrete plans (and I already had qualifications, experience, and decent Spanish), so I disregarded the advice I received... and regretted it! I soon saw that there were better jobs to be had, and I could have had them if I hadn't signed onto something else so quickly. If you can tolerate a bit of ambiguity and you've got enough funds to support you for a couple of months (which you will need anyway, even if you get a job before you go), I'd recommend waiting until you get down there. You can find jobs easily enough, even if you do your TEFL certificate at home.

d

[corporatehuman]

Is 849 dollars for TESOL/TESL certification a lot of money too pay?? It includes six class days, each day is about 9 hours long or or so. Its run by Oxford Seminars, and so far, is the only place that is very close to where I live.


Does anyone have any experience with them? I just really, really do not want to get ripped off (as I have almost no money).


Thanks,

Chris

[denise]

That's actually pretty cheap. A month-long intensive course would cost around $1500 or and include 100+ hours of classtime.

Your course seems a bit skimpy on the hours--what does it include? Is there practice teaching?

d

[corporatehuman]

Appears to be somewhat skimpy...I think there's no actual classroom teaching. That doesn't necessarily bother me, but I'd rather pay extra money for a better education.

In the end I want to arrive in Santiago knowing that I could handle teaching the English language...does anyone know of any other US based certification programs in the Philadelphia area???

I'm having a lot of trouble wading through websites online to find them. So many want to sign me into a long contract and bring me down to Santiago...

I really want to have that classroom experience too.

- Chris

[woof]

I would also like to know about TEFL certification courses in the US, in my case in Indianapolis or Louisville. While they seem to be offered in every town in Britain they are hard to find in the US. I did run across one in CA but it cost a mint. Is there a website that would help? I imagine because it has no value in the school system it isn't offered very much. We don't seem to like training people in something that can only be used in other countries.

[Newporteddy]

I've been teaching HS and adult ESL for 14 years in CA but do not have this certificate that you all are talking about and I see advertised. Is this certificate a 'must' to teach in Chile or is my experience and college ESL coursework suffice?

[denise]