Job Discussion Forums

[seamlessvoid]

How accepted will a TEFL certificate be in China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong?
I will be getting my certificate in Thailand. Some one said it may not travel well outside of Thailand? Is this true? IS this certificate really as widely accepted as advertised?

[kenkannif]

Erm which TEFL certificate mate? As most are thought of as post grad (i.e. the degree is what gets you the job generally, a TEFL cert is the icing on the cake) qualifications it shouldn't matter too much which one you hold....as long as they've taught you to teach well. CELTA and Trinity are the two big names, but most employers will accept (unless they'ee connected in some way to a particular provider) pretty much most 'proper' TEFL certs!

[seamlessvoid]

I will have my Bachelors Degree and will get the TEFL certificate from TEFL International in Thailand.
It appears that this is enough.
I read somewhere that this certificate may not be enough.
But I am not sure which sources to trust.

[kenkannif]

I'm yet to hear of a school (unless they're associated with a different course) that isn't open minded enough to accept TEFL certs that they might not have heard of, albeit with maybe a teaching demo etc.

I'm not TEFL Int's greatest fan by any stretch, but do get a bit tired of hearing the old "it's CELTA/Trinity or nothing argument"! Which IME isn't quite true, more well known for sure, possibly a tad preferred compared to other certs...But the be all or end. I think not!

[Bruce]

Seanless, TEFL International has schools all over the world. Europe, Asia, Africa, Central America, even New Zealand and the UK! Thirteen different locations worldwide. And we all cooperate to help you find a job no matter where you are.

[izzyismydog]

I am currently teaching in Taiwan, and NOBODY cares if you have a TEFL. You need a 4 year university degree from an English speaking country (or a boss who can bribe an official, or a fake online degree) and you are set.
TEFL won't even make you any more money. I have friends who have taught in China and S.Korea and it's the same deal.
Hong Kong is really hard to break into, TEFL or no. I think they'd prefer a CELTA though as they are using British English- they'd also prefer Brits, I think. We did a trip there recently to look into the job situation and it seems a bit difficult to make the kind of money you need to live there.

We are trying to get to Europe next, so we need TEFLs and are hoping to get them in Thailand... as far as I can tell, there are very few places in Asia who care if you have them.

[oxfordstu]

I'm currently teaching in S. Korea, and received my certificate from TEFL International in Phuket. They didn't even ask for my TEFL when I arrived here, nor will they ever. All they asked for was my degree, and I had already been teaching a week when they finally asked me for that! Kind of annoys me, though. I wish that they had asked for my TEFL to make my training there worth it.

[kamlesh]

I've seen the odd job advertisement where a "College Diploma" is one of the requirements. This must be a reference to the American Colleges. What's the difference between an American College and a University? I'm South African, and hold a journalism diploma from a Technikon, so I'm wondering whether my Technikon Diploma would be viewed just as favourably as the American College Diploma (assuming that the latter is accepted). Thanks.

[PKB]

In America we use the terms college and university interchangeably. A "college diploma" would normally refer to a degree issued by a four year university program.

[tedkarma]

Having taught EFL in four countries across 13-14 years, I'd have to say that the degree was the first requirement for good jobs - but then that's the type of jobs I've always applied for - college or university or teacher training or . . .

BUT! I have to say that as EFL has become a more competitive area of employment - your certificate will help get your foot in the door. Though I have two master's degrees, I can think of two jobs that were facilitated by having TEFL training. It made a difference when they were culling the herd and deciding which five people or so to interview.

Some people, who might think it made no difference, might not be aware that - even though it may never have been asked for - it might have been why they made the cut. My comments about the two jobs (above) were based not on obvious statements by the employer/interviewer, but rather by more subtle things that came out later. They too never asked to see the certificate, but its presence on the resume helped. And I had it - just in case it was asked for.

Don't forget that when you don't hear from a prospective employer - you never really know why. And, often, when you are hired - you don't really know why either.

All I can suggest is - why not stack the cards in your favor?

And, there is nothing wrong with learning a little bit more about your career - and improving your ability to deliver a quality service.

Which one will carry best - I don't think it matters too much. I have done a couple interviews where the certification was discussed - and I don't think the employer particularly liked the one(s) I had - but yet I was hired. Why? They liked me and the way I presented myself. The cert did get me in the door - so was critical. That they didn't particularly care for the one I had - didn't prove important.

In spite of what I just said - get yourself a good cert - it will improve the quality of the work you do and your job satisfaction.

[yaco]

Have you contradicted yourself Tedkarma ?

You state that having a TEFL certificate has assisted you in finding 2 jobs.

Then later you state that the employer never asked to see your certificates but it looked good on your resume.

Possibly everyone can include a TEFL Certificate/Diploma etc on their resume.

[kenkannif]

I think he covers that here mate:

[tedkarma]

[yaco]

I accept your reasons.

[PKB]

Yay!