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jasonklass
Joined: 11 Jan 2008
Posts: 6
Location: Denver, Colorado
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 Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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Those are all good points Justin and that's why it's important for people to contact us so we can advise what the requirements are in different locations. If you want to go to Costa Rica for 6 months and can't invest in a CELTA, then TEFL Online is a good option. If you want to be a career teacher in the EU, then we will recommend a CELTA. People have different situations and need different options, but they also need to know what the requirements are in different countries and we try to help them find the best option to meet their goals.
The fact remains that we have had thousands of people take our online course and get good jobs. |
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Justin Trullinger
Joined: 28 Jan 2005
Posts: 3110
Location: Seoul, South Korea and Myanmar for a bit
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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| it's important for people to contact us so we can advise what the requirements are in different locations. |
Agreed, and strongly. And it must get on your nerves as much as it does mine that many people don't. But all we can do is what we can do.
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| If you want to be a career teacher in the EU, then we will recommend a CELTA. |
Really? I'd recommend some kind of degree. A CELTA is only entry level, and isn't going to get you much more than entry level, paid by the hour taught, running around town work in most of the EU. But I agree that it's a start.
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| The fact remains that we have had thousands of people take our online course and get good jobs. |
Understood and appreciated. And I respect the fact that you seem to be aware of the ups and downs of what you're offering.
But within the markets where I have experience, I would still put this warning to all who are considering an online cert: Within the markets I know, the places that will hire with an online cert will also hire with no cert.
I have no doubt that many online cert grads have found good jobs. But that is also true of non-certified teachers in many areas. In my areas of experience, the same jobs are open to both. The online cert doesn't get you much.
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People have different situations and need different options, but they also need to know what the requirements are in different countries and we try to help them find the best option to meet their goals.
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On this, we agree strongly. But I guess my opinion, just an opinion, is that students most places are making an effort to pay for classes, and teachers need to make an effort to be ready to teach them. An intensive onsite course is little enough for this, and less, in my opinion, is not enough.
To me, this means that, when I get to decide, nobody is going to be having their first classroom experience with paying students, in a situation where my reputation is on the line.
All the best,
Justin |
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Chancellor
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 1337
Location: Ji'an, China - if you're willing to send me cigars, I accept donations :)
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| Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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| But not everyone can take four or five weeks off from work to take an onsite course. Given that distance learning is becoming more common (even state universities in the United States are offering distance learning degree programs that have the same content as the onsite degree programs but sometimes compressed into a tighter schedule than the onsite programs), one would think that the course content is more important than whether it was done onsite or online. However, it's obvious that you can't do teaching practice online; so one should really consider a course that also offers an onsite teaching practicum with real ESL/EFL students. It's time for schools to come into the 21st century. |
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Justin Trullinger
Joined: 28 Jan 2005
Posts: 3110
Location: Seoul, South Korea and Myanmar for a bit
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| Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 8:14 pm Post subject: |
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Agreed Chancellor.
I'm not at all opposed to distance learning. (I wish I were better at it, as I'm struggling with my masters. But I'm not opposed.)
I agree with you that course content is the big thing, and a mostly distance course that offered some significant form of teaching practice would be great with me.
In addition to course content and practice teaching, I feel that many, though not all, distance cert programs fall down on the qualifications of their trainers. (I've seen one that advertised for people with a cert qualification OR one year experience teaching.) This is fairly easy to check, and would be a good place in evaluating a program, distance or otherwise.
Best,
Justin |
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Chancellor
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 1337
Location: Ji'an, China - if you're willing to send me cigars, I accept donations :)
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| Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 8:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Justin Trullinger wrote: |
Agreed Chancellor.
I'm not at all opposed to distance learning. (I wish I were better at it, as I'm struggling with my masters. But I'm not opposed.) |
It's not necessarily easy. Some college courses I took online (form a regionally-accredited university) were on an eight-week schedule while the same courses on campus were done over an entire semester.
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| I agree with you that course content is the big thing, and a mostly distance course that offered some significant form of teaching practice would be great with me. |
This one will, with a Canadian university degree, get you certification with the Canadian government: http://www.ontesol.com/Welcome.asp?modo=2
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| In addition to course content and practice teaching, I feel that many, though not all, distance cert programs fall down on the qualifications of their trainers. (I've seen one that advertised for people with a cert qualification OR one year experience teaching.) This is fairly easy to check, and would be a good place in evaluating a program, distance or otherwise. |
I agree that those teaching people how to teach English should have quite a bit of actual experience teaching English themselves. Then again, Barack Hussein Obama taught constitutional law (as an adjunct professor) without ever having practiced constitutional law. |
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Justin Trullinger
Joined: 28 Jan 2005
Posts: 3110
Location: Seoul, South Korea and Myanmar for a bit
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| Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 9:30 pm Post subject: |
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One could, if one were interested, argue that constitutional law is primarily a body of knowledge, and as such may be more amenable to being taught by an informed non-practitioner...or not. For all I care. 
My experience with law schools (don't ask, please) is that in any case, constitutional law for most is an ignored elective. Relates to few areas of modern legal practice.
In any case, I feel that training teachers calls for much more experience and training than mere "presidenting."
Best,
Justin |
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Chancellor
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 1337
Location: Ji'an, China - if you're willing to send me cigars, I accept donations :)
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| Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 3:36 am Post subject: |
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| Justin Trullinger wrote: |
| One could, if one were interested, argue that constitutional law is primarily a body of knowledge, and as such may be more amenable to being taught by an informed non-practitioner...or not. For all I care. |
It just seems to me that someone teaching a particular subject should have real experience/expertise in that subject.
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| My experience with law schools (don't ask, please) is that in any case, constitutional law for most is an ignored elective. Relates to few areas of modern legal practice. |
Sounds like a good reason to get rid of it.
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| In any case, I feel that training teachers calls for much more experience and training than mere "presidenting." |
Agreed, though my point earlier was that teaching any subject - whether teaching prospective teachers or teaching constitutional law or teaching underwater basket weaving - calls for having experience/expertise in that particular subject. |
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