Job Discussion Forums

[Caldwell]

Hey, my girlfriend and I are thinking of going to teach in Mexico this summer, and we're looking at different certifications.

Bridge-Linguatec is offering a really cheap online TEFL certification. It looks too good to be true.

What do you think? Do schools accept it? How do I know if it is accredited or not, seeing as I have never seen any of the supposed accreditation groups before?

Thanks so much!

[naturegirl321]

Does it have 120 hours and 6 teaching students? If not, then pass.

[jackofhearts]

Naturegirl, do you mean schools want teachers to have experience teaching at least 6 students?

[MO39]

[naturegirl321]

yep, I did. Sorry about that.

[stillnosheep]

[jasonklass]

Hi everyone. My name is Jason and I work for Bridge-Linguatec. I just wanted to chime in and see if I can clarify a few of the points above.

We have had thousands of people get teaching jobs worldwide with our TEFL Online certificate. Of course, some schools would prefer that you have an onsite course, but most schools today accept online certification since online learning is becoming more and more popular.

Caldwell, whenever deciding on whether to take an onsite or an online course, it�s always a good idea to first think about where you want to teach. In some places, they prefer a CELTA over a TEFL. In others, an online certificate is all that is required. As a former TEFL trainer and job-placement advisor in Mexico, I can tell you that schools there definitely accept our TEFL Online course, so if that�s where you want to teach, then TEFL Online is a great option, especially if you don�t have the time to take a month-long onsite course.

Regarding our accreditation, we are accredited by ACCET, which is an accreditation council recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Education�making it more prestigious than other providers� accreditations which tend to be more travel oriented than educational. You can look us up under school code #960 at www.accet.org.

Caldwell, if you like, I can put you in contact with some people who have taken the TEFL Online course so you can see what their experiences were like. And if you have any other questions, feel free to email us at [email protected]. We can also give you more info. on what it�s like to teach in Mexico.

I hope this information was helpful and that you and your girlfriend have a great experience abroad!

[word_to_the_wise]

[word_to_the_wise]

[jasonklass]

Word to the Wise,
Obviously, you're a career teacher; however, many people in the U.S. want to go and teach abroad for a short period of time, then return home and begin a different career. Those people aren't going to invest in an M.A. or CELTA and take time off from work just to teach for 6 months in Mexico. So, for those people, we offer the TEFL Online--it's a good option for them and the school that hires them will train them in their own methodology anyway. As I said above, literally thousands of people have gotten jobs in good schools with our online certification and turned out to be great teachers.

For those who want to make teaching English their career and are able to invest more time and money, we offer TEFL and CELTA. Our goal is to offer different options to accomodate different goals.

I don't think it's fair to suggest that we should be avoided simply because we use the acronym "CELTA" in our email address. We do that because that address is for the "TEFL-CELTA Department". Instead, why don't you judge us by searching on any of the various TEFL watchdog groups, forums, or by asking gradutes of our programs. If you do this, you will find that our reputation is far better than any of our competitors.

[word_to_the_wise]

Jason

Good to see your reasoned response.

I can see where you're coming from, but I really do have issues with your previous quotation - only shoddy schools accept online entry level training.It may only be for 6 months or whatever that the teacher intends to do the job but that really isn't the point. The point is to give the students, whether they be in Mexico or the Arab Gulf (where I am), the best possible learning experience - and I genuinely don't believe online certification provides that.CELTA forces trainee teachers to get up there and do 10 TPs (teaching practice) while under observation.It's high pressure and even 13 years on I can still vivdly remember my first.

I'll retract my statement 'Avoid' and replace it with 'Think Carefully!'

[jasonklass]

[Justin Trullinger]

Hi Everybody-

Welcome, jasonklass, and thanks for your input, as well as your being upfront about where you're coming from. I'll PM you when I get a moment, cause I think we might have some friends in common.

I don't care for the remark that ACCET is

[jasonklass]

[Justin Trullinger]

HI again,

Sorry if my previous response was a bit curt- I was running to class.

And yes- I saw the CELTA program on your website.

Something to clarify, though: