Job Discussion Forums

[Captain_Fil]

I know that, here in the forums, there are hardly any fans of online ESL courses and certifications. Many of you view these as nothing but diploma mills.

But I may have found an exception to this conventional wisdom.

I was just introduced to the Bridge TEFL online courses. It seems to be getting some rave reviews.

My mother's friend and co-worker recommended this course for me. I was told he was enthusiastic in his recommendation. (I will try to contact him soon.)

Is there anyone familiar with this course? Did it open any doors for you?

Here is a link: http://www.teflonline.com/

[spiral78]

If it doesn't include supervised teaching practice with actual students, with feedback on how you've done from experienced teacher trainers, it will be considered substandard in some parts of the world (those where certification is important).

I'd hesitate to give too much credibility to your mother's co-worker unless he is working in TESL/TEFL abroad or in the US, has taken this course, and used it successfully to get a good job/s somewhere.

[Justin Trullinger]

I'd agree with Spiral78. I'm sure your mom's coworker enjoyed the course (which is good) but he can't really compare it to other courses he hasn't taken. He also can't tell you how ready he is for classroom teaching compared with grads of other courses. And, if he's still working with your mom, he may not be sure how much value this course will have in the job hunt.

The 120 hour course you posted a link to has no supervised practice teaching. That alone takes it out of the running for employers who understand and require a certificate. IF you can get a job with this cert, it's the same job you could get without it. (With no cert.)

I won't bore you with stories- but I've seen online cert grads try to work in the real teaching world. THey don't have the same advantages or readiness of graduates of a good on site cert course. How could they- by the time you've been through a "real" cert course, you've taught, been observed, and received real feedback from real teachers. It gives you a place to start.

Putting aside the limitations of distance learning only for an initial teaching qualification, I personally find the website misleading.

It says

"This course is best for you if you want the highest credentials for your resume"

Frankly, the folks at Bridge know better. This isn't a "high credential" at all.


Best,
Justin

[mimi_intheworld]

I was almost sucked in by Bridge TEFL too. A friend at work used it & went to Vietnam "through" them. Actually, that chance meeting set me on the TEFL road. But a little bit of reading here at Dave's showed me that the online course (which is the only one I could take, being as I don't live in Colorado) was both unnecessary - for me - and basically useless in the field.

They do talk a good game, though. Best I've seen. (Best at convincing unwary newbies, at least.)

[Enigma2011]

[nickpellatt]

Hmm, I would carefully read the advice given about the course, and look at how they support their statements. The simple fact is online courses are rarely recognised and employers who do accept them, would normally accept people without them too.

If you are still unsure and cant decide whose advice is worth taking note of, have a look at some job adverts in the countries you are interested in teaching in and see what they require. If the courses with observed teaching practice such as CELTA keep popping up in the adverts, then that is the option you should be taking.

Ill just add, I took two online courses (one a 'specialist' module) and then had to pay out for a recognised course later anyway as it became clear to me that what I had, wasnt enough for most employers.

[Justin Trullinger]

There's a lot of good info here. I have a couple of questions about some of it, though.

[Enigma2011]

[Higo]

For what it's worth, I'm almost done with the TEFL online through Bridge. Why did I choose this? Well, I already volunteer teaching refugees and I love it. But I know I need more education and I'm not ready (time/money) to get a Masters. I looked at this course as a way to learn the basics of teaching, improve my skills, as possibly as a tool for an overseas job. Also, I needed something that I could do on my own time. I opted for the "120 hour Master" and, yes, Justin is right, it's not like I could open a school or anything. But I will say I have learned a tremendous amount. I started on the course thinking it would be easy, probably could blow through it in a few days or a weekend. No, wrong. Lots of essays, and the grammar section was embarrassingly difficult for me! I appreciate the access to the online tutor for questions and feedback. And the lesson planning was also valuable.

I went for the 120 hour because I figured if I was already doing it online and at somewhat of a disadvantage, I might as well get the most bang for my buck. Sure you can get a better price and do a weekend-er class. But I really wanted to be able to do this where/when it fit my schedule. And I'm ok with paying for that convenience.

Yes, you absolutely need the real classroom time. For me, I already have that in my volunteering. And while I don't pull out a lesson plan of my own, I'm very aware of importance of having a plan, a back-up plan, and a clear vision of what you need to teach, how, why..and oh, and don't talk too much!

So for me, it's been a good fit. And it does appear that one could find work using Bridge for placement according their website. Meaning, you can get hired at a Bridge school abroad and most likely they would reinforce your training with something additional -- likely some in-class training.

I would have loved a month in an interesting city for in-depth CELTA training...but with a stable non-TEFL day job, it just wasn't in the cards yet. This was doable, so I did it.

[Captain_Fil]

Thanks for the advice and info, everyone.

Maybe Bridge TEFL is not ideal.

[santi84]

Captain_Fil,

The supervised teaching hours are important for you to at least gain some minimal teaching experience before stepping in a classroom. It isn't just about whether or not a certificate is accepted by an employer.

I have over 40 upper-level university credits in TESL (equivalent to a major). The experience, lesson planning, and feedback that I got for my 2 credit supervised teaching practice (10 hours) was by far more valuable than the 38 TESL credits in coursework combined.

Moving to a new country with a foreign language is hard enough, at least cut yourself a bit of a break by not walking into a classroom with zero teaching experience. It will just make your life a wee bit easier in the beginning.

[Isla Guapa]

[santi84]

[Captain_Fil]

I agree that teaching experience is very important.

But...what if I combine the Bridge TEFL online course with volunteer work?

Here in California, I could volunteer to teach English to immigrants at a church or other charitable organization.

Will that be good enough?

[naturegirl321]