Job Discussion Forums

[3plus1]

Hi all,

I'm thinking about getting myself a TEFL qualification, and as I'm sure you know from experience, it's really confusing!

As a student, I'm on a budget, which doesn't help. I've been looking at all the TEFL courses that give you widely recognised certificates like CELTA or Trinity (as opposed to in-house certificates) with as many hours of teaching practice as possible. Since a good traditional TEFL doesn't come cheap, I thought I'd ask your opinions of the i-to-i TEFL programs instead! The most expensive course is only about �400 and combines distance and face-to-face learning. You only get "2 short lessons" as practice, which seems a bit inadequate for a proper TEFL. But hey, what do I know, I'm new at all this...

Generally speaking, are employers likely to treat this kind of certification as useless (not enough time invested) or would it be acceptable? (I'm looking for work in Italy.)

Opinions on i-to-i would be great and I'd also love to hear any personal recommendations of reasonably priced TEFL courses, held either in the UK or in Italy. By reasonable, I mean under �900 for UK courses, a bit more for ones held in Italy. If no one's keen on i-to-i, I think I'll have to bite the bullet, find more money, and pay for a 4 week intensive course somewhere...

Thanks for your input:)

Cheers,
S x

[tedkarma]

There are too many things to consider to really cover it all in one short post. So . . . as a former teacher trainer (for a TEFL Cert course) - I wrote a couple long web pages of all the considerations you might want to look at.
It's at:
http://phuketdelight.com/TEFL.htm
Factors to consider start about one screen down from opening screen - run a long ways then continue on a second page.

If you look at Thailand to do your course - you should be able to come in for the budget you have suggested (TnT's program is only 650 UK pounds) and get the real deal - meaning at least 100 hours of classroom instruction and a minimum of 6-8 hours of observed teaching practice. The courses are intensive - don't plan to party much.
I also make a program recommendation - and state the reasons why at:
http://phuketdelight.com/TEFL%20Recommendation.htm

But I also give you links to another major (and reputable) player in Thailand. Though they are more expensive.

One last comment though - if you don't get at least 6-8 hours of observed teaching practice - you won't be able to maximize what you have learned - and many places won't consider it a "real" TEFL Cert.

[3plus1]

Hmm, hadn't even considered Thailand! I'll definitely look into it though, so thanks for that suggestion. Oh dear, another name adds itself to the ever growing list! I'll have to consider visas and flights, but it sounds interesting.

Any recommendations from other users are equally welcome. With so many TEFL training companies out there, it does really help.

Cheers,
S x

[tedkarma]

One of many reasons I recommend a specific course is because they will help you sort out all the visa stuff. Should be no problem. And actually easier from the UK than anywhere else (I think).

[Sekhmet]

Firstly, I would suggest doing a search on i-to-i - there are a lot of unhappy bunnies (myself included) who have posted about them!!

For finding the right course for you, make sure you choose somewhere you're interested in staying if you're on a tight budget. Thats what I did - came to Egypt, did the TEFL International course, made some contacts, went home for a months, and came back to a really good job. If you decide you like a place, you don't even need to go home in between!! I know lots of people here who have done the course, fallen in love with the country, and stayed.