Job Discussion Forums

Elok · Joined: 12 Jan 2011 Posts: 14

I asked about this in another thread, but I think it got sort of lost in the shuffle. Does anyone here have personal experience with the ITTO's TEFL training in Guadalajara?

http://www.cactustefl.com/tefl/course.php?course_id=2873

I've read good reviews, but I'd like more info and maybe ask a question or two. Thanks in advance!

hlamb · Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Posts: 431 Location: Canada

I did ITTO in 2005. It was a good experience for me, and I learned a lot. People get out of it what they put in. For inexperienced teachers it is a good introduction to Mexico and to the world of EFL teaching. I would say that people who already have teaching experience would find it a bit basic. I found a job on my own afterwards, which is easy enough to do in certain parts of the country. Feel free to ask any questions you have.

Elok · Joined: 12 Jan 2011 Posts: 14

I only have experience as a substitute teacher, not a real one. I mostly want a good feel for how to do ESL/TEFL/other preferred acronym before I jump right in. It also won't hurt my job prospects, I assume, though I imagine it won't open doors like a CELTA or Trinity cert.

What's the workload like, how much of it is actual teaching practice, and when do they start you teaching? I guess that's mostly what I want to know; I'm new enough at this that I don't know what questions I should ask, even. (digs through NatureGirl's TEFL Tips Blog) Ah, there's a good one. What size are the classes? Do they lean more towards theory ("a gerund is...") or practice ("if the class starts throwing things at the back of your head...")?

Thanks for replying!

Dragonlady · Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 2:36 am Post subject:

robotparty · Joined: 14 May 2009 Posts: 3 Location: Brattleboro, VT

Hey Elok,

I went to ITTO in 2009 and I'd recommend it. I had some issues with it, mostly due to the coordinator. He was rude and unhelpful, but there were many complaints about him so hopefully he's gone by now. The trainers, on the other hand, were very good. I had never taught before and I felt like they gave me a good crash course. You will be very busy studying and teaching for a month, but you'll have some time to explore as well. Their job-placement was mediocre, at best. Again, that was entirely due to the coordinator. But I did get a job afterwards, and I've been teaching since.
Good luck.

Elok · Joined: 12 Jan 2011 Posts: 14

Thanks for your input!

TeresaLopez · Joined: 18 Apr 2010 Posts: 601 Location: Mexico City

I subbed for a few years in a public school system and I say I have to mostly agree. If you are there for just one day, there is little you can do, but I did mostly longer term sub assignments, for a few weeks or months, and then after a few days the class settles down and you can actually teach them.

As for ITTO, I don�t have any first hand knowlesge of the program, but I have talked to three people who have done it and they all felt the training was valuable. I interviewed one person for a job that had done the course and he seemed well-prepared as well, for what that�s worth. If you are interested in courses in Mexico City, PM me I have better knowledge of a couple of courses here than I do of ITTO, if that interests you at all.

mejms · Joined: 04 Jan 2010 Posts: 390

I did ITTO when I first arrived in Mexico in 2006. I knew a thing or two about teaching and English, so I found the course slow and not too informative. We first had a teacher, an older American fellow, who spent the class telling stories and treating us like a group of high school kids. I made a complaint about him and ITTO was receptive. They ended up merging our 12 person group with the other 12 person group, and we had a decent Mexican guy as our instructor. The course didn't help me, but I think it might have helped other people.

All in all, I benefited from two things: 1) the observed teaching practice helped me get some intitial confidence teaching in a foreign country; 2) some orientation arriving to Mexico. Neither of these two things were something exclusively good about ITTO. And when you realize how much they're charging you in pesos, plus the hostel you'll most likely stay at, you wonder if that money might not have been put to better use when you're making $800 bucks a month. Their job placement program gets you into a school, but you don't have any input. I quit the job they got me after a month.

If you've got $2,000 you can spare and are a bit overwhelmed of the idea coming to Mexico on your own and starting from scratch, ITTO will help you get your feet planted. If you're ambitious and experienced and personable, you can do it on your own.

hlamb · Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Posts: 431 Location: Canada

Elok · Joined: 12 Jan 2011 Posts: 14

Oh, it does. I like having a lot of opinions. General consensus seems to be that the job placement stinks but the program itself is worthwhile if you're totally new to TEFL.

donato · Joined: 05 May 2010 Posts: 98 Location: Mexico City, Mexico

I took the course in July 2010. There is a new guy/administrator that started the month I was there because the previous one had health problems (I think he had been there for some time). The new guy was/is in my experiences quite good with the job placement. However, I also ended up leaving my job after a month or so. But that was pretty much because I was dumb enough to start off teaching elementary kids.

The best value is as stated the observed teaching. We started doing that the third day of the first week. Everyone was helpful and I came away with it thinking it was a good program.

The only negative I would say is it doesn't have the CELTA name which may or may not matter to some. I work at IH in Mexico City now and they certainly made it clear it wasn't a CELTA- but then again they are the ones administering CELTA's.

In conclusion it was a positive experience and I would recommend it. If I had to do it over again I would maybe get a CELTA instead just for the name cred though.

gregd75 · Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 12:24 am Post subject:

International House are increasingly present in Guadalajara and they plan to offer a CELTA course a little bit later this year.

Given the choice between the ITTO course and the IH CELTA... I'd go for the CELTA- it's much more recognised!

mejms · Joined: 04 Jan 2010 Posts: 390

martyr13 · Joined: 24 Sep 2010 Posts: 5

I'll be finishing with the ITTO course in Guadalajara next week. I would describe it as a necessary evil for most of us. I can only speak for myself, but I have about 15 other classmates, and it seems that most of us are on the same page. I have pretty much no complaints about the useful part of the course (except that I have to wear a tie, because in Mexico like in the States they seem to think wearing a tie automatically makes someone look good) which includes creating lesson plans, along with real teaching experience. For someone with limited or no teaching experience it's quite useful, and more or less necessary. But, we also have 2-4 hours of lectures everyday which can be downright torturous. It's really a bunch of pseudo-intellectual grandstanding to make the course appear more legit than it is. I don't have any regrets about taking the course, but I will warn you that it's not exactly fun.