Job Discussion Forums

[iweber]

I am signed up for a 100 hour online TEFL course and of course should have read most of these posts earlier but it's too late now. There is a 20 hour requirement for me to work with ESL students in person. Is this a help? If not, I can probably ask to transfer to the 100 hour in-person course.

[nickpellatt]

If you can transfer, you probably should. The fact one of the components is 'online' will turn off some employers. Besides that, you do miss out on the classroom experience etc ... my tutors often taught our classes in the same way they would deliver an ESL lesson...you would learn a lot more I guess.

For specific information on your course, you would need to provide the na,e of the course provider. Without that, it would be hard to offer specific advice on the course you mention.

The key part of the recognised course is observed teaching practice with feedback, in real ESL classes. I think I have seen courses before where a placement is arranged in an ESL class ... but this may lack the structure of recognised courses, and may not include feedback etc.

[Justin Trullinger]

I'll second what nick said-

If there's a practicum, which it looks like there is, that may help. Then again, it does depend a lot on how the practicum is handled.

Hard to know without knowing the details of the course. Feel free to post a link amd we'll check it out.

In a very general way (since we don't have enough info) it seems to me that the course you're currently enrolled on isn't going to turn heads.

But it's not just about how many hours, or distance vs present. There are a lot of factors- it may be that the onsite course from the same provider won't turn heads either.


Best,
Justin

[iweber]

It is TEFL Institute and I am in Chicago. I checked them out on BBB (Better Business Bureau) and found nothing bad. I think they have an A-. I live by the office and it seems legit. TEFLinstitute.com I believe is their link. Let me know your feelings. I've done a lot of homework on it but really haven't seen too many issues to make me think they are nothing but legit.

[Justin Trullinger]

THis one? http://www.teflinstitute.com/index.php

I've never had any dealings with the TEFL Institute, but have heard very mixed things. You might check out:

http://my.opera.com/garydenness/blog/show.dml/1508263

I repeat that I haven't dealt with them, but I know Gary's writing (the blogger linked above) and tend to think that where there's smoke, there's usually fire. Or something.

The BBB seems to have A minused them based on an absence of negatives. Since I can't seem to find, on the TEFL Institute website, their foundation dates, an absence of complaints to teh BBB doesn't really mean much. They may not have been around long, or may have been trading under another name.

Their online courses look like pretty much bottom of the barrel, but then this is true of most distance entry level certs. THeir onsite course might well be better, but in the eyes of employers, if you get that one, it will still be tarnished by their website that tells about all their sub-standard options.

They claim MA or PhD qualified instructors on some courses, and are fairly silent about trainer qualifications on other courses. Either way, they don't name them, which makes you wonder...

It really isn't a practicum that the online course offers...it's observation. SOunds like you observing others- not the same thing at all.

And a center in Chicago that advertises that graduates can work in Europe...most Americans can't. Unless they are VERY highly qualified, which isn't what a grad from TEFL Institute could be said to be. Yet the webpage highlights the joys of living and working in all sorts of European countries without mentioning that most of them aren't open to cert holding Americans, unless they want to work short term and illegally. Misleading, in my opinion.

So...this is just an "at a glance." I'm not considering cert programs, so won't do any in depth research. But at a glance, there are a LOT of reasons I wouldn't go for this one if I were in the market.

By the way, there's sometimes an SIT TESOL certificate offered in the Chicago area- that one I can vouch for. (Was an instructor there, one time.)


Best,
Justin

[Chancellor]

[iweber]

Nick, Justin, and Chance,

Thanks for the responses. I did change it to the onsite option. Regardless of the rep, I'm pretty much stuck and had to pay a little bit more but seems better than going the online route regardless. After talking to a recruiter, she did set me straight on working in Europe and that there are jobs in areas but you break even at best.

Justin, thanks for your digging. It's kind of a shoulda, woulda, coulda thing now that I've already devoted a chunk of change to TI but hopefully it will work out regardless.

IDW

[Justin Trullinger]

Good luck with the onsite course! It sounds like it really may be the best option at this point. Let us know how it goes.

Regarding Europe: It isn't so much a question of barely breaking even, though this is part of the reality of entry level teaching in a lot of Europe.

The fact is that this outfit says, on their website:

"As a TEFL certified teacher you can teach English in Europe".

They then go on to offer a lot of information about teaching and living in various places in Europe.

Most of those places, like France, Belgium, the UK, and so on you have NO CHANCE of getting legal work as an American. And you have to assume that Americans are their target audience there in Chicago.

Implying that you can go work in Belgium, for example, with a "typical contract of 10-12 months" is simply dishonest. As an American, you can't. It's really that simple. If you go over and try, you're likely to lose a lot of $$, leaving long before you planned to, or get a ban on European entry for overstaying your visa.


Best,
Justin

[spiral78]

Justin, thanks for putting that message so clearly. I try all the time, but it's tough when we are bucking both the hopes and dreams of non-EU newbie teachers and ALSO the misleading adverts of some of the training centres.

Those newbies who decide to come on over and try anyway - well, that's up to them. But to tease them into coming over with unrealistic expectations is just unfair.

[Justin Trullinger]

I've never cared for EU laws on any of this, but they are what they are. If a citizen of an EU country wants to come to the US and work, they can only do so according to our laws. The reverse is true- and the laws are unfavourable for Americans unless they are highly trained, highly skilled, or have some justification (such as marriage) for EU residency.

There was a time, of course, when one could just work illegally, but the laws are tighter every day, and it just doesn't look like a good thing to try.

I may be getting bitter in my old age, but it seems like some of the best money in this field is made by folks who offer teacher training. Well and good, to a point, but it also seems like a lot of centers up their revenues by upping the volume; logical business practice. They do it by presenting TEFL overseas in awfully unrealistic ways, though.

As someone who is constantly running into teachers overseas who struggle to deal with a reality that doesn't meet their expectations, I frankly resent it.


Best,
Justin

[naturegirl321]

[spiral78]

They can work in Europe, just probably not legally

NG, again, illegal work in Europe is highly risky these days. The laws changed over a year ago, and someone who has overstayed a visa is very likely to be caught and penalised at any point he/she tries to leave Europe. This applies to the entire Schengen zone.

Legally, if they have a passport, or are married, etc.

Any old passport? Any kind of marriage? C'mon. This isn't helpful to anyone.

[Justin Trullinger]

I'm sure it's still possible to work illegally in some places in the EU, but the opportunities are much less than they once were, and the consequences are both more serious and more likely.

There was a time when nothing much happened to an American who overstayed a visa in the EU. Those times are over- and if travel is your thing, you do not want a reentry ban.

There was also a time when entry dates were rarely checked when leaving the EU. Again, that time is over.

If you only want to stay three months, no problems. BUt if you're thinking longer term..they are gonna notice this when you leave. And unless you're very luck, you'll be banned from reentry for a time. I can't remember- is it five years? Ten?

Just doesn't seem like a smart risk.


Best,
Justin

[spiral78]

Yes, of course, there are still some unscrupulous employers who will hire someone without papers, and one is unlikely to get caught in the act of teaching illegally

But the passports of non-EU travellers really are subject to far greater scrutiny these days and the ban is up to 10 years. I know a couple of people who overstayed their 90 days in Poland and only got a 3-year ban, but there's no agreed upon standard across the region.

[naturegirl321]