Job Discussion Forums

Schmeichs · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Posts: 7 Location: Seattle, for now

It seems everyone gets annoyed by us newbies who keep asking which TEFL courses to take to get certified, but its one of the main reasons I joined this site, to get help. Now don't worry I have done my research, I've read a majority of the past posts on this subject, and yes the general answer seems to be CELTA or Trinity, but what I didn't see a whole lot of was people actually answering where they got their OWN certificate, training. So that�s my question:

Where did all of you get your training/certificate, and please give a few details about what was good/bad about the program you took and would you recommend it to others?

Thanks!!
Very Happy

rainyseattle · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Posts: 14

I'm curious about the same thing because my husband and I are trying to decide which course to take. I think right now we have it narrowed down to New Zealand or Egypt (both TEFL Int.) but don't know much about either place. Egypt is much cheaper but I've also heard horrible stories about sanitation and disease which makes me nervous. Is there anybody who has done either of these courses? Or been to either place even?

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

I did mine through ITC in Prague. It was a great course--not one of the name brands (i.e., not CELTA/Trinity), but it was rigorous and included enough supervised practice teaching. I had several interviews and job offers before I had even finished the course. Yes, I would recommend it, BUT...

ITC's branch in Barcelona has been going through some problems recently. I'd investigate very carefully to see how connected the two branches are. If Prague's course has steered clear of the problems, then yes, it's a great course. As long as you find a reputable, internationally recognized course, you don't need one of the "name brand" ones.

d

marblez · Joined: 24 Oct 2004 Posts: 248 Location: Canada

My university offers a 30 credit certificate that is only granted after degree completion.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

www.winfieldcollege.com in Vancouver.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

I did my CELTA in Richmond, BC, Canada. It was well run and organized. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Washington Academy of Languages works in collaboration with Seattle Pacific University to offer a TESL certification program that may cover weeks to months, depending on what time of year you apply. You can choose to study for this and get credits for SPU or not.

Lynn · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 696 Location: in between

School of TESL in cooperation with Seattle University

Schmeichs · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Posts: 7 Location: Seattle, for now

For those of you who got your training in an English speaking country (ie I'm assuming your home countries) how did you get experience teaching non-english speaking learners? Did they have opportunities for you to practive teaching foreigners? That's one of the main reasons I wanted to get my TEFL abroad, so I would have the chance to teach the people of the country where I would ultimately be working. Did you find jobs before you left then? Please provide more details about the pros/cons of getting certified in your home country?

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

In my TEFL course we taught a group of ESL learners. They were selected for their level and we had a wide spread of nationalities which I think is best. I think that is better than getting a TEFL cert in Thailand and being taught how to teach Thais. Don't you want a rounder experience? Thai schools will still hire you. Regional accents is only one aspect of teaching. So teaching Japanese and French speakers English will have many similarities. Different nationalities have their own pronunciation problems when speaking English.