Job Discussion Forums

scullycc1013 · Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 4

Hello all!
I have a quick question and if this has already been asked I apologize. Did most of you have a TEFL certificate before teaching abroad? My problem is with the cost and the fact that I would have to do an online only course (I am not near any center offering teaching practice) makes me not sure a certificate is worth it. I took a Methods of ESL class at my university that had a syllabus almost identical to the tefl options I have seen online, and through an immersion course, I taught in Taiwan for two weeks. If I have this on my resume and perhaps got a letter from the teachers who sponsored this program at my university would that be a reasonable substitute for a tefl certificate? How many of you were certified before leaving and how many went with only a bachelor's degree? Just wondering. Thanks.
-scullycc1013

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

The answer's going to depend on where you want to go.
In Europe, you need a cert from a course that is 30 days on-site, including at least 6 hours of supervised teaching practice to get entry level positions.

scullycc1013 · Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 4

I was planning to go back to Taiwan. I think given my past experience (limited though it may be), I should be okay but was not sure.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

I had a BA and TEFL Dip, then got USA certificate of eligibility in ESL K to 12 and now am working on a MA.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

I had a TESL certificate under my belt, but that's all.

Whether you go to Taiwan, Inner Mongolia, or anywhere else, the question is this:

What do you expect to do with your career? If it's just make a few bucks to pay off a student loan and/or expose yourself to a foreign culture for a couple of years, the certificate may not even be necessary (especially with your current training).

If you intend to make this a long-term thing, get a master's degree on top of TEFL/TESL/TESOL/etc. certification.

scullycc1013 · Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 4

I'm probably just going to go for a few years. I'm going more for the cultural experience than to make it a career. I just wasn't sure how hard it would be to get that first job without a certificate.

EverReady · Joined: 19 May 2005 Posts: 48 Location: Nobody Cares

TEFL Certificates are sort of a waste of money, as there is nothing in the course that you could not learn from a good ESL book. So the only reason to get one is if you need it in order to get hired, and that varies from country to country.

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

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Well said Guy,

a TEFL cert is usually what places have for a min requirement. They want people to have made a commitment, not just anyone teaching their students.

EverReady · Joined: 19 May 2005 Posts: 48 Location: Nobody Cares

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

Ok, but you did say...

EverReady · Joined: 19 May 2005 Posts: 48 Location: Nobody Cares

Guy, you would say that the majority of people who have taken a TEFL course are qualified to teach? I myself have taken a TEFL course, and the majority of the people in my course I would not want teaching me anything. It is not whether TEFL courses have no value, but whether the information given could not have been obtained by oneself. They are overpriced for what they offer. Practical experience is more important, and observing a couple of classes and teaching a few is not going to make you a proficient teacher. As to what naturegirl said, if the job requires you to have a TEFL certificate, then I guess you will have to take one or not take the job. I am not trying to be combative, this is just my opinion based on my experience.

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

Alright, I am being combative and coming on too strong. I'm an instructor on a TEFL course and I take offense at the implication that I am useless.

I don't know which course you took, but one example does not make for such a blanket statement.

As I said before, TEFL is a starting step, or a practical refresher. 4 weeks does not make a teacher, anymore than 10 years might. Time is not the judge of a teacher...quality and commitment are. It depends on the person and how they continue to develop themselves.

On being overpriced, well, that's a value judgment. Every course is different. You know, a large number of people who end up across the table from me in the TEFL course are there because they aren't sure on if teaching is the right career path. They often choose TEFL abroad to see if it's worth sinking many thousands of dollars into an education degree back home. For them, there was no question of the value of a TEFL course.

EverReady · Joined: 19 May 2005 Posts: 48 Location: Nobody Cares

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley