Job Discussion Forums

[Pauleddy]

Agree. I don't know either. Do they give a CELTA-approved course?

[sheikxhoni]

Earlier Pauleddy said that locally grown TEFLs promising the beach that are heavily advertised on Dave's can be OKAY. I beg to differ. They can be terrible and you need to be very careful. A course for $900 or so that doesn't teach you anything except stick drawings is worth less than a CELTA for $1,600. I know what I am talking about because I took that one. Go to ECC (or International House) for the CELTA. Go there for a TEFL too because, if they teach the CELTA, their TEFEL must be better than most. The Trinity is available in Chaing Mai at the American University Alumnui Assoication - and probably in BKK too. I had a good experience working for Text and Talk but did not take their TEFL course. These "schools" act as employment agents for jobs and the "ticket" is often to take their course. That is okay as long as you understand it. If you are going to be a teacher you should also enjoy the challenge of being a student and not try to take a cheap, pointless shortcut to get a certififcate that won't mean a thing after your first job. Those are my comments on TEFL in Thailand or any where else. Get good training for your money, not just a cheap shortcut to a job.

[Pauleddy]

The CELTA is a TEFL cert Sheikh. TEFL is a generic category. I tell people that I work in TEFL. Do you mean the TESOL as the alternative to CELTA?

The TESOL cert, if Trinity-accredited, is said to be as good as CELTA.

You are right about the sex-on-the-beach enticements. When I said "OK", I was being non-committal. I know of people who did these home-grown courses, and then went on to be fine teachers in Thailand...but then the course wasn't recognised in Korea or England. It is crazy to pay 900usd for one of these courses when you could have a Cambridge CELTA for 1200usd, or whatever it is.

Most jobs in Thailand are not near the beach. They are in schools or language academies in towns or cities. Most of us have a day out at the beach now and again. The nearest beaches to Bangkok are three hours on a bus, and these are not "great beaches". South Thailand has better beaches, and these are 12 hours by bus, 20 hours by train, or get a plane.

Thais are shy and modest. Thai people will normally bathe in t-shirts and shorts or cut jeans. Nudity is forbidden in Thailand. Sometimes, western girls will go topless at discreet places like Samet Island, but Thai girls will NEVER be naked or topless. This is the first big shock for western boys expecting a sex paradise. The other big shock is that you will always pay in some way. After only a day, your new lover will expect you to pay meals, drinks, hotels etc and may eventually ask for "help" for her (or his) family. As a westerner, you are always regarded as richer, even if you are only 20.

Anyone wanting the TEFL course shd look at the big boys CELTAs like EEC and IH. I am biased towards IH, 'cos I did mine at IH London 18 years ago. It was excellent, and they were known to "fail" people (all the good places do, sometimes). I agree with Sheikh. The non-accredited courses are not worth it.

Eddy

[Mr. Kalgukshi]

The thread is now locked due to the fact that some members chose to attack other members or not stay on topic. Inappropriate postings have been deleted and a former member is no longer with us.