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americantesol
Joined: 23 Apr 2006
Posts: 9
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 Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 9:55 pm Post subject: |
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http://www.aaiep.us
Totally legitimate organization that has supported Volunteer ESL inside the USA for years. |
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americantesol
Joined: 23 Apr 2006
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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http://www.aaiep.us
Totally legitimate organization that has supported Volunteer ESL inside the USA for years. |
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Henry_Cowell
Joined: 27 May 2005
Posts: 3352
Location: Berkeley
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| Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 9:57 pm Post subject: |
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Just as I thought: It's not standards-based and does not meet the same recognized standards as established certifications such as CELTA, Trinity, and others.
It's simply a newcomer/wanabee trying to bolster its PR here. But I think it has the wrong PR agent in "americantesol," who is rather unconvincing and unimpressive.  |
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americantesol
Joined: 23 Apr 2006
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 10:00 pm Post subject: |
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The In class course is very intensive, and ATI supports our graduates long after they gain there certificate.
We offer Lesson Plans to teach English grammar and vocabulary to children. ESL training techniques and our Advanced ESL Program will cover the Business English and ESL activities, English sessions, esl ebooks, adaptiveness, behavior studies of kids and professionals. |
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Henry_Cowell
Joined: 27 May 2005
Posts: 3352
Location: Berkeley
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| Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 10:04 pm Post subject: |
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www.aaiep.com is one of the most poorly written and constructed websites I've seen in a long time.
And who exactly is "Mike Wascom, Ph.D."? If he is the director, I pray for AAIEP's survival. His written English is terrible:
"By enrolling in a courses that are accredited by the AAIEP, the student can be sure that he or she:... "
And what is "spreading the development of a one world language"???  |
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Henry_Cowell
Joined: 27 May 2005
Posts: 3352
Location: Berkeley
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| Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 10:06 pm Post subject: |
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| americantesol wrote: |
| ... ATI supports our graduates long after they gain there certificate.... |
Uh-oh. Is this "Mike Wascom, Ph.D. " writing as "americantesol"? Amusing. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 10:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Henry_Cowell wrote: |
| americantesol wrote: |
| ... ATI supports our graduates long after they gain there certificate.... |
Uh-oh. Is this "Mike Wascom, Ph.D. " writing as "americantesol"? Amusing. |
A 4-member executive committee with links to graduate and undergraduate schools. Of course there are no names, no mention of their teaching position or qualifications? We dont even know where mr Walscom's degree comes from. The University of Church of Scientology?
A PhD who can't even spell. Now thats a first. |
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Henry_Cowell
Joined: 27 May 2005
Posts: 3352
Location: Berkeley
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| Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 11:04 pm Post subject: |
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| americantesol wrote: |
| American TESOL Institute began in Baton Rouge, La, USA in 2002, when a team of education experts came together to create a unique TESOL program based on research from Asia, into how students of ESL learn. |
Yes, basing your program on how "Asian" students learn is perfectly suitable for "Spain" and "Greece" and "the country of your choice."
You do know that "ESL" is not what students in Asia generally learn, don't you?
| americantesol wrote: |
| The standards for ESL teachers in China ... |
Again, there are precious few teachers of "ESL" in China. Please tell me that you are NOT the creator of ATI content and curriculum. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 11:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| The standards for ESL teachers in China are becoming standardized through the State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs. With the booming economy, they have standards for teachers now, and will soon be able to compete with countries like Taiwan and South Korea. |
Any private person can hang out a shingle in China and call themselves a language school and hire a foreigner to 'teach' English. Same in Korea. Most school owners are not educators but are interested in making a quick buck for themselves.
Aside from the fact that English is a Foreign language in China there are virtually NO standards in China, and anyone with a passport can get a job in China. Standards are such that they pay wages of $400 a month to 'teachers' in provincial parts of the country, teaching classes with 30-40 students in them.
The economy is only booming in places like Shanghai and Beijing and is mainly in the areas of construction, IT and manufacturing.
Compete with South Korea? Thats not saying very much. You do say on your website that places like Japan have different criteria, which can cryptically mean that even with a TESL certificate there are no guarantees of landing a job. |
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JimDunlop2
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 2286
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 12:08 am Post subject: |
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Sounds like one of those online diploma mills posing as real universities that try to get around the accreditation issue by saying they are self-accredited or they site some crazy system no one's ever heard of.
Fact 1. There is no standard, accredited TESOL program (as other have pointed out).
Fact 2. The ONLY schools in North America authorized to claim to be accredited are the ones who belong to an accepted accreditation body. Read here:
http://www.usastudyguide.com/accreditation.htm
Fact 3: Just because you attend an accredited school doesn't mean your course of study leads anywhere (like to an authorized degree or diploma).
Fact 4. A TESOL degree doesn't authorize you to do squat.... To be recognized as a "teacher" anywhere you need a teaching license for that area. A TESOL degree (even a CELTA for that matter) does not entitle you to even take a licensing test.
Fact 5. A TESOL degree may get you a job in some countries but in Japan it doesn't count for much.
TESOL is maybe a good idea if you want to know how to teach (e.g. where to start) but that's about it. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 12:12 am Post subject: |
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| Jim, we are not talking about a degree here, but a 5-day online diploma with 5-10 hours of volunteer teaching . BIG difference. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 1:38 am Post subject: |
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They're trying to imply TESOL in the sense of TESOL.org. TESOL in the US can cover the same areas as TESL Ontario (in fact it is an affiliate of TESL Canada). TESL Ontario certificates take a year to complete at a university or college, which means the instructors have PHDs in the subject that they teach. Five days is one business week. It's not a whole lot.
| TESOL teacher training information wrote: |
Common Certificates
Those who decide not to begin their teaching career with a master's degree can choose from several other options. Neither the CELTA nor an independent TEFL certificate alone is sufficient qualification to teach in most institutions in the United States, though the practical training required as part of the certification process greatly enhances teaching skills.
TEFL Certificate
In general, the minimum qualification to teach EFL in private language schools overseas and in some private language schools in the United States is a TEFL certificate. Usually, TEFL certificate courses in the United States and Canada are highly intensive, running full time over the course of 2-6 weeks. These courses focus on practical training and also teach different language methodologies. Because of the scope of information that must be covered, a 4- to 6-week intensive course is likely to be more valuable than a shorter version. Most respected TEFL courses offer 100+ classroom hrs and have a practical training component. Many institutions are accredited by varying state organizations, and many of these TEFL courses are excellent. Teacher trainers may vary greatly in qualifications. Look for a program with qualified trainers, such as teachers who have a master's degree in ESL and extensive overseas experience.
Cambridge UCLES CELTA
The Cambridge UCLES CELTA (formerly known as the Cambridge RSA CELTA) is administered by England's University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate. This certificate program is available through language institutes and British Council offices throughout the world. In the United States, the CELTA program is available in major cities on the east and west coasts.
The CELTA course is a standardized program that regulates the selection of candidates and ensures that trainees are given quality instruction and are objectively graded. The teacher trainers who conduct these courses have themselves undergone rigorous training and are required to have substantial, varied, and current teaching experience. Programs may vary in the availability of full- or part-time options (ranging from 4 weeks to 3 months), placement services, and cost.
SIT TESOL Certificate
The School for International training TESOL certificate course is a 130-hour course that includes workshops, lesson planning and practice teaching. The course covers the basics of classroom practice starting with a look at learning and how learners� needs inform teaching. Designed by faculty at SIT the course emphasizes experiential learning, reflective practice and learning in community. The course moves through a series of modules that cover how to teach reading, writing, listening, speaking, pronunciation, grammar and clutter at the beginning and intermediate levels. The course is available at a variety of US and overseas locations and is taught by SIT-trained trainers with extensive EFL classroom experience. A CELTA co-validated version of the course leading to dual certificates is currently available in Boston.
Trinity Certificate in TESOL
Like the CELTA program, Trinity courses are available around the world, and each adheres to a standard syllabus. The certificate is run by Trinity College in London, and offers intensive courses. Program options vary and may include a distance module and also a specialized course in teaching young learners, called CertTeryl.
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So five days is not lot at all. It's far less than what would be expected.
The same source then has a section for distance learning, which says,
| TESOL teacher training information wrote: |
Distance Learning Options
Both degree programs and certification courses in TESOL are offered by distance. This educational format is well suited for those who are already in the field or teaching English abroad and want to pursue a degree while continuing to teach. A good TEFL certificate program should focus on practical training, making distance education less favorable in the eyes of employers, unless you incorporate the distance courses with practical teaching experience. Programs geared toward experienced teachers, such as the RSA Diploma (open to those with a CELTA and 2 years of teaching experience) and MA and PhD programs from accredited institutions, are viable options for distance learning. We recommend that you contact the schools to obtain contact information for the accrediting body.
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(note: the blue part in the quotation box is the link)
Personally, I would not take their 5day on-line couse for $900 because I would get far more information by spending $900 on photocopies of journal articles from a university library and buying books on teaching methodologies and theory from a decent bookstore. They aren't going to arrange your volunteer teaching, so since it's up to you anyway, you won't have a worse chance of getting a volunteer position just yourself than if you are doing an online certificate that the people looking for volunteers have never heard of.
I suggest that the OP look at the PDF files linked at the bottom of the page I linked above. The Position Statement on the Quality of Teachers gives a pretty good synopsis of what should be required within training courses. |
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Henry_Cowell
Joined: 27 May 2005
Posts: 3352
Location: Berkeley
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| Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 4:58 pm Post subject: |
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| I don't think we'll be hearing from "americantesol" (or about "ATI") again. |
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wangtesol
Joined: 24 May 2005
Posts: 280
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| Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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Doesn't Dave's have a policy against recruiters? So wouldn't americantesol's posts be violating that rule?
Get that garbage off of here. |
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