Job Discussion Forums

Nyingje · Joined: 06 Sep 2010 Posts: 3 Location: Colorado, USA

Hello! I am wondering if anyone here has any experience with the American TESOL international Inc.'s China Program in Yangshuo? (website: http://www.tesolintl.com/ChinaProgram.html )

I am wanting to teach English in China and don't have a TESOL cert. yet, which is partly what made this particular program attractive. I also really like the idea of starting in Yangshuo (a place I've been wanting to visit for a while) for the certificate and then having the option to move to another part of the country for work. I do have 2 years of ESL tutoring experience and a BA with a concentration in Linguistics but would really appreciate the training of a certification course.

The fee for the China program is around $1200 which includes a 150 hr TESOL certification class, accommodations during the course, and job placement and visa support.
Is this a legitimate program? Is there another program that you would recommend?

Thanks!

Big Poppa Pump · Joined: 28 May 2010 Posts: 167

On their accreditation page they list several organizations. One in particular, which I find highly amusing, USETTA.

USETTA.org

still under construction..

Now keep in mind.. there really isn't much in the way of accreditation of TEFL certificates. There is brand name recognition. There is such a thing as reputation.

I've never heard anything about this organization, so I couldn't tell you anything about them other than they seem to claim to be accredited by a .org that is still under construction with a URL purchased in October of 2010.

xi.gua · Joined: 15 Jul 2010 Posts: 170

That program is in connection with Buckland Group which is operated out of Yangshuo. I can name many people in the pictures on that site, hell, I was even at some of those exact lectures in the pictures. 2 of them work for Bucklands office and two of them have been teachers with Buckland. The people who appear to be conducting the lectures are Ping (Chinese girl studied in America) and Patrick. From the pictures, it appears to be Bucklands standard training course for new teachers that sign with them. Anyone who has worked for Buckland went through this. They basically teach you lesson planning, what to expect, how to deal with problems, etc.

My advice.......having a TEFL or some other cert. is nice but if it were me, I would do it through an actual organization in the west rather than pay $1200 to a company in China that may or may not have qualified instructors.

RiverMystic · Joined: 13 Jan 2009 Posts: 1986

Just bumping this up rather than starting a new thread. Is the TESOL program at Bucklands in Yangshuo the same effective certification as an official TESOL in the west or anywhere else? Also, has anyone done the course in Yangshuo? If so, is it any good?

Shroob · Joined: 02 Aug 2010 Posts: 1339

BlueBlood · Joined: 31 Aug 2013 Posts: 261

(others with more experience on this subject--probably most of you--please feel free to correct me)

There is no "officially recognized program."

Some programs require two full weeks of real classroom, in person training, and cost $1,500+ USD.

Some programs cost $149, and are entirely online (there's one advertised at the top of this very page as I type, in fact). Other online courses cost significantly more, and offer more training hours. Is such an "advanced" certificate really more valuable than a "basic" one? I have my doubts.

Obviously, the in-person, real training program would be vastly superior to the online ones. But would it actually help you find a better job/contract then the second? I have no idea and have my doubts, frankly.

Now, learning to be the best ESL teacher you can be, vs. resume fodder, are two entirely different matters, of course.

Do Chinese schools, FT recruiters even care if you have any such certification at all? Looks like the honest answer is no. I've met FT's that candidly told me they don't even have a bachelor's degree. So take it for what it's worth.

In conclusion, at this point I'll either get the basic online certification, or skip it altogether. I have a master's degree and ESL teaching experience--so I'm not committing to an expensive, real, in-person class that ultimately may make no difference at all for my teaching career.

Again, others feel free to chime in here. I'd actually like to hear other views on this nebulous subject.