Job Discussion Forums

[ali_arnold]

Does one need certification to teach English as a second/foreign language to teach English abroad (say South America or Eastern Europe) if she has a Master's in English and has 8 year experience teaching writing and literature at universities in the States?

And if so, how does one distinguish the credible certification programs from the not-so-credible?

thanks,
Ali Arnold (newbie)

[Placebo]

Whereas you can teach in South America without any TEFL degree or certificate, you might want to consider obtaining such a certificate if you are heading towards East Europe. However, with the qualifications above it shouldn't be that hard to find employment. Possibly even at an university.

There is a lot of discussion about which certificates are credible and which ones are merely a piece of paper with the letters TEFL on it.

The CELTA programs are accredited by the Unioversity of Cambridge and are supposed to be the best ones.

Basically, you just have to find out by who the program is acredited.

Get a certificate it's worth the 4 weeks! But stay away from online certificates. They involve virtually no practical training and are useless.

[Ben Round de Bloc]

With your MA and 8 years of university teaching experience, you most likely could get jobs teaching EFL in many Latin American countries quite easily without a TEFL certificate. However, if you have the time and money to take a reputable TEFL training course (or add an ESL/EFL endorsement to your credentials,) I'd suggest you do so.

Teaching EFL is quite different from teaching writing and literature courses. A good TEFL course or endorsement would tune you in to what all is involved in teaching English as a second/foreign language. If your MA in English isn't a teaching/education MA, then a TEFL course or endorsement would be even more beneficial to you. With your present credentials and experience, I think I'd be more concerned about the quality and content of the course than whether or not it's known worldwide.

I think that with your education and teaching experience a course that gives a good introduction to theory, methodology, and techniques of TEFL (plus a practicum) would be more helpful than one that focuses on how to plan a lesson, manage a classroom, improve your own grammar, use games in the EFL classroom, and find a job. Just my humble opinion.

If you decide to take a TEFL course, do your homework. There are good ones out there, and there are scams.