Job Discussion Forums

kms365 · Joined: 28 Jun 2013 Posts: 2

I have been looking into programs and I have heard that you are much less likely to find work if you do not attend an in person program. I saw on groupon a deal for tesol certification at tesols.com and I was wondering if this program would be acceptable in some countries (I am looking into Asia/Africa mostly)

sicklyman · Joined: 02 Feb 2013 Posts: 930

to be qualified as a teacher, your qualification has to include teaching. And that teaching should be observed and commented on by someone who is qualified to train teachers so that they can actually say "Yes, you can teach" or, more importantly, "No, you cannot teach."

Yes, you can get a piece of paper that says you are an EFL teacher and you can get jobs with that. But if you actually want to learn how to teach people, an online certification cannot give you that.

So, do you want to be a teacher, or do you want to get a job where people call you a teacher?

Your call...

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

kms365 · Joined: 28 Jun 2013 Posts: 2

Thank you very much for your help

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

Very few employers will accept somebody without having taken a four week course (and some specify CELTA or Trinity TESOL specifically). Even if you succeed in getting a job, imagine what type of school would accept somebody with such a qualification and, from a practical point of view, you will not really have the experience to help you teach effectively. Summary: not recommended.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 5:15 am Post subject:

The other posters have been shown great restraint in their replies. I'm afraid I cannot, so please forgive my bluntness.

Online TEFL programmes are all scams designed to separate you from your money. You will get nothing of practical value from any such programme. The people running them usually do not have much real experience of TEFL themselves and the 'content' of their programme depends quite heavily on extracts from TEFL literature which they then palm off as their course. Why not just buy the original Harmer and Scrivener books yourself?

If you are going to do a course, do a real one, such as Celta or Trinity.

sicklyman · Joined: 02 Feb 2013 Posts: 930

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 6:46 am Post subject:

Say it again, anyway. Some truths just need repeating in order to break through the veil of ignorance.

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

In fact, I am going to approach Sashadroogie, the Hamster and few other forum experts. We're going to put together a syllabus based on the books we've collectively failed to leave in jobs that didn't come quite right and market it as 'Online top English teaching course - by the experts!' - only 30 USD per certificate, with 100% exemption from coursework by virtue of your invaluable experience of having lived.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 3:44 pm Post subject:

30 bucks! Are you mad, Cole! We can easily squeeze 300 out of anyone who'd choose to economise on their own training. I mean, our price would still be a whopping 1500 cheaper than an average Celta price.

Right, so here's the plan: Fluffy gets the snake-oil and charms ready, you put together the Topflight Electronic Syllabus for Teaching English Speech (TESTES), while I'll rustle up a few Brooklyn Bridges that we can flog them afterwards. We'll be rich! RICH! RICH!

Here's our slogan: 'We are NOT a load of cobblers!'

sicklyman · Joined: 02 Feb 2013 Posts: 930

Chancellor

tesolmaster · Joined: 08 Oct 2012 Posts: 7

I'm actually looking into a combined program to take out here in San Francisco with i-to-i. A 120 hour program.

All the pros and cons from the other posters are helpful...as is the reviews of the i-to-i program:http://www.teflcoursereview.com/i-to-i-tefl/#comments

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

This looks like a weekend course. Unless you are doing it as a 'pre-course' before CELTA/Trinity, I think this most unwise. It is not widely recognised by employers and, from my experience of somebody who took a weekend course, he was simply not prepared well enough to go into class (and that was with the age and level of his own choosing).

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

The onsite part of the course needs to include actual teaching practice with real students. If the course is asking you to plan and deliver one lesson which you'll present to peer trainees, it's considered Insufficient on the international job market.

Oh, and those 'reviews' of the I-to-I program are from their own website. Not very sure they'd put any negative ones there, logically.