|
Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
rocknrolla19
Joined: 11 Jun 2010
Posts: 5
Location: Wilmington, North Carolina
|
 Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:10 pm Post subject: serious newbie here looking for advice |
 |
|
Hello, My name is Jason. I'm 25 years old and I desperately want to be an ESL teacher. I'm in school now, pursuing a degree in education. I will be moving to China to live with my girl friend in August. I'm having difficult time choosing the rite TEFL course. I can't afford the full monty, so an online course will be best for me. I have looked around and TEFL bootcamp seems really good at the moment. My girl friend tells me all I need to teach is that TEFL certificate. She teaches at the same school I'm about to teach at. So my question is:
What is everyone thoughts on TEFL bootcamp.com?
Has anyone completed their TEFL certification with this program?
any advice would be appreciated, Thank You!
Jason |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
|
| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:30 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Without even looking at the site, a place with a name like that doesn't sound all that serious.
And, if you are the serious one (as your subject line says), you'll stop using Internet-ese like "rite" instead of right.
| Quote: |
| My girl friend tells me all I need to teach is that TEFL certificate. |
Sorry, but she doesn't know what she's talking about, if she means any long-term career outside of that one school. Get a proper degree and a CELTA or Trinity cert.
| Quote: |
| I desperately want to be an ESL teacher |
Why "desperate"? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
rocknrolla19
Joined: 11 Jun 2010
Posts: 5
Location: Wilmington, North Carolina
|
| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Ok thanks for the advice. Please forgive me for my lack of spelling at the moment. Don't let my name fool you. After all, it's just a nick name. How can you know if I'm serious about teaching just by looking at my nick name? I'm completely serious about this. I said desperatly, because I know in my heart this is what I want to do with my life. I'm working real hard here to make this dream come true. I'm sorry if I offended you. So, I'm guessing, TEFL BOOTCAMP is a bad idea? I know about Trinity and CELTA, but I can't afford them at this present time. I just wanted to know if this TEFL Bootcamp would be a good stepping stone for me because of my budget? One TEFL certificate is better than none! I'm not going to China with no certification. That woudn't be right.
Thanks again, Jason |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tttompatz
Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 3:41 am Post subject: |
|
|
| rocknrolla19 wrote: |
Ok thanks for the advice. Please forgive me for my lack of spelling at the moment. Don't let my name fool you. After all, it's just a nick name. How can you know if I'm serious about teaching just by looking at my nick name? I'm completely serious about this. I said desperatly, because I know in my heart this is what I want to do with my life. I'm working real hard here to make this dream come true. I'm sorry if I offended you. So, I'm guessing, TEFL BOOTCAMP is a bad idea? I know about Trinity and CELTA, but I can't afford them at this present time. I just wanted to know if this TEFL Bootcamp would be a good stepping stone for me because of my budget? One TEFL certificate is better than none! I'm not going to China with no certification. That woudn't be right.
Thanks again, Jason |
IF you have completed your B.Ed then any flavor of TEFL course will give you some basics in ESL (beyond your education degree) and the "observed teaching" is just more of what you have already done.
If you have NOT completed your B.Ed, get it done then get a job. The offers will be better, the options will be wider and hassles will be fewer after you have a degree.
. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 7:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
| rocknrolla19 wrote: |
| Ok thanks for the advice. Please forgive me for my lack of spelling at the moment. Don't let my name fool you. After all, it's just a nick name. How can you know if I'm serious about teaching just by looking at my nick name? |
I never even glanced at your nickname. I just went by the title of this post:
"serious newbie here looking for advice"
| Quote: |
| I'm completely serious about this. I said desperatly, because I know in my heart this is what I want to do with my life. I'm working real hard here to make this dream come true. |
Desperate often means a person has a short timeline to achieve something, or that there is some other sense of urgency. That's why I asked, not whether you have a strong commitment (which is good, by the way). You don't seem to have meant urgent.
| Quote: |
| I'm sorry if I offended you. |
You didn't.
| Quote: |
| So, I'm guessing, TEFL BOOTCAMP is a bad idea? |
A look at some of the pages on the site gives me the feeling like they are selling Amway products. You have to decide for yourself if you want a low-priced option like this (and how it will look with such a name on your resume), or whether you are willing to pay for quality. Personally, I'd never take these guys up on their "offer".
| Quote: |
| One TEFL certificate is better than none! |
That's you talking, not employers. If such a certification program gives you the training you want/need, ok. If employers don't recognize it (or even need it, as in Japan), that's another thing. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
astralfrog
Joined: 05 Jun 2010
Posts: 24
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 8:31 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Glenski wrote: |
And, if you are the serious one (as your subject line says), you'll stop using Internet-ese like "rite" instead of right.
|
To be fair, this is the "newbie" forum. The last time I checkie "newbie", "newb", or "newbski" aren't even real words. Give the kid a break. What's next, he gets criticised (stop it) for his screenname: Your screen name choice of 'rocknrolla19' is wrong. May I suggest "Rock and Roller Number Nineteen"? The point of language is to communicate an idea. If you understood him, then the goal was accomplished. Our job isn't to drive home the strict rules of the Queen's English. Our job is help people communicate. It's unfortunate that some people have a overindulgent urge to be right all the time. New languages develop from alterations. If the kid wants to say "rite" ... it's all-rit3 by me.
-AF |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Isla Guapa
Joined: 19 Apr 2010
Posts: 1520
Location: Mexico City o sea La Gran Manzana Mexicana
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:38 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| The point of language is to communicate an idea. If you understood him, then the goal was accomplished. |
On a website for English teachers, using "rite" for "write" communicates that the poster is not very serious about language use  ! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
natsume
Joined: 24 Apr 2006
Posts: 409
Location: Chongqing, China
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 9:23 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Wouldn't that be "rite/write" for "right"?
Oh my God, I am so overindulgent! But at least I am rite! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
rocknrolla19
Joined: 11 Jun 2010
Posts: 5
Location: Wilmington, North Carolina
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 9:27 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Thanks for all the advice. I understand Isla Guapa's point. I should have used the correct word for right. It does look bad on my part. Although, this is a NEWB forum, it is an English Teaching forum too, and it should be taken serious. I guess I will have to change my name too. As far as my decision, I'm going to take this online class and get this TEFL, so I can get my feet wet a little. I won't finish my BA in ED in time. I would just like to have something as far as some credentials, so the schools will know I'm serious about teaching. My girlfriend in China has talked to the school and already assured me that this certificate is fine for the time being. I can work, while I continue working on my BA in ED. After I receive my BA, I can pursue better paying jobs. I thank you all for the advice. It was very helpful. Good luck to everyone! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 10:01 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| astralfrog wrote: |
| Give the kid a break. |
I always hesitate when I point out a misspelling or bad grammar point on forums. We should all know and take to heart that this is not a spelling or grammar contest.
I think I gave a fair break. Hear me out.
The title said "serious", and that speaks for something important among us teachers who, yes, are here to teach our students (and perhaps even each other) to communicate, don't you think?
I believe I explained why I (politely) pointed out why the use of rite instead of right should be reconsidered. There are those on forums like this that are over-the-top language Nazis when it comes to such things, but I don't think I was anywhere near that rank and file, nor do I have an "overindulgent urge to be right all the time". What's more, I think my other remarks and advice on the thread outweigh any harshness that anyone might have felt in my pointing out a use of Internet-ese on a teachers' forum. I'm going to have to politely disagree with you, astralfrog, with this one, and just let it go as a mild learning experience for the OP.
After all, I just learned that they weren't as "desperate" as had been written, either! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Isla Guapa
Joined: 19 Apr 2010
Posts: 1520
Location: Mexico City o sea La Gran Manzana Mexicana
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 12:16 am Post subject: |
|
|
| natsume wrote: |
Wouldn't that be "rite/write" for "right"?
Oh my God, I am so overindulgent! But at least I am rite! |
And I'm a bit embarrassed  . It's those damn homonyms that tripped me up! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 8:48 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Glenski wrote: |
| Without even looking at the site, a place with a name like that doesn't sound all that serious.? |
I know the guy who runs it. He's a serious teacher and has been (or is now?) on Dave's. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
TeresaLopez
Joined: 18 Apr 2010
Posts: 601
Location: Mexico City
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 6:07 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Just out of curiousity, how will you continue to work on a degree in Education while in China. Unless things have changed a lot, you have to do (at least) a semester of student teaching to graduate. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
rocknrolla19
Joined: 11 Jun 2010
Posts: 5
Location: Wilmington, North Carolina
|
| Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:43 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Hello Teresa Lopez! Sorry it took so long to get back to you, I go to school at the University of Phoenix, but I'm far from graduating anytime soon. I'm enrolled into their online program. They have an International program, which allows anyone with internet access to continue their pursuit of their degree. They have students based all over the world. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
powerrose
Joined: 14 Apr 2003
Posts: 119
Location: Shenzhen, China
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 10:11 am Post subject: |
|
|
I would recommend a CELTA/Trinity, because if I were involved in hiring you, I wouldn't based on your University of Phoenix degree. Many people on this board say that online TEFL certs are worthless, because there's no observed classroom teaching (I agree). Your resume, to me, would scream "shortcuts" and "poorly educated".
Not to be harsh, but I'm sure you knew U of Phoenix's reputation when you started. If you took the time to do a proper, in-person certification, it would show that you are actually serious about teaching.
Assuming your getting your bachelors of ed through them, have you done your 100 hours of student teaching yet? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
