Job Discussion Forums

[lizcat100]

Hi there,
I have currently enrolled in Oxford Seminars, but have yet to commit the full price. I already hold a Master's Degree in English Literature and Composition, and am mostly looking to get the TESL certification for my international resume. Will the TESL cert help my job search? Does their job placement services really help? I am a newbie at teaching abroad, and am looking for a company to guide me through this process and help me get situated with the right job.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

[tw]

[31]

If you want to have a serious career in TEFL, then go for the CELTA or Trinity.

That is right. For a serious career in the TEFL profession a 4 week course is more than enough.

[drteacher]

CELTA or Trinity are training courses that are more recognized in Europe, but as far as certification for any overseas position, then Oxford Seminars is more than adequate. CELTA is not the training course to end all training courses and if you really wanted a career in ESL then a second language acquisition course run through a university or college would be a better choice then CELTA, Trinity, or any other training course. What Oxford Seminars does is give intensive, practical, hands-on, face-to-face instruction that prepares you for overseas ESL positions at a fraction of the cost, and they have a teacher placement department that will assist graduates in finding jobs overseas.

[abyssiniangrl]

i don't believe this! a four week course and you're a teacher???
please! what could you actually learn in four weeks??

sometimes i feel like people don't take teaching seriously, and obviously, unviersities (?) have caught on to that.

[31]

Are you for real? This forum is for TEFLers.

[abyssiniangrl]

what do you mean? if you are a telfer, you don't have to take education seriously? being a teacher implies you should further your education as much as possible! a four week course is simply not enough!!! YOU can't be serious.

[lizcat100]

Wow...well, thanks to everyone who responded with advice. I guess some people get pretty worked up about these things!

I have almost certainly decided to take the course. I know it will only cover a tip of the iceberg, but that is better than nothing. Also I feel pretty confident about my knowledge of English literature and teaching writing. As previously stated, I just wanted a company that would provide some guidance dealing with the international job market.

Just a note: I feel it would be a much better forum if people were a little more constructive with their responses. "Are you for real?" etc, just seems kind of mean and unnecessary.

[drteacher]

Abyssiniangrl believes that it is the quantity and not the quality of TESL courses that determines what makes a great teacher. With this logic, lizcat100 should take the longest course available and then s/he will be a good teacher.
What makes a good teacher is solid, practical foundations and experience. Oxford Seminars courses offer the first two qualities and it is up to the individual teacher to provide the rest.
Good luck lizcat100.

[abyssiniangrl]

first of all, don't even try to tell me what I believe, you just sound like a moronic know-it-all.
point 2) if you are really interested in knowing what i think, i do believe experience is key to being a good teacher, but actually learning about advanced grammar, methodogy, and phonetics is ESSENTIAL!
now, how much of that could you learn in four weeks...sure, you can plan really fun activities, but what good is that if you can't answer student's questions?

[Hector_Lector]

Do you mean �a student�s questions� or �students�questions�?

[drteacher]

"first of all, don't even try to tell me what I believe, you just sound like a moronic know-it-all. "

I will not lower myself to your level by name-calling, however, I will defend the intensive, practical, TESL certification course provided by Oxford Seminars because it has provided me with over a decade of effective teaching throughout the Far and Middle East. With a "hands-on" practical approach utilizing the latest methodologies, and less emphasis on outdated theoretical methodologies, this course will teach you how to successfully teach phonetics, advanced grammar, and cross-cultural communication, team-teaching (collaboration), evaluative techniques, long-term planning, conflict resolution, classroom management, etc.,etc.,etc.

[abyssiniangrl]

thanks, I meant students' questions,
anyway, this guy above me is just worried about being right...he didn't even bother to read what I actually had to say...
btw, he's probably an Oxford Seminar recruiter

[Aramas]

Well, as long as you're not bitter

[drteacher]

"being a teacher implies you should further your education as much as possible! a four week course is simply not enough!!! YOU can't be serious."
" ...do believe experience is key to being a good teacher, but actually learning about advanced grammar, methodogy, and phonetics is ESSENTIAL!
now, how much of that could you learn in four weeks...sure, you can plan really fun activities, but what good is that if you can't answer student's questions?"
"this guy above me is just worried about being right...he didn't even bother to read what I actually had to say...
btw, he's probably an Oxford Seminar recruiter"

abyssiniangrl, if and when you have something substantial to say I would happily acknowledge it, however, I have quoted what you have written, and it seems that you feel that a four week course does not provide enough training for a potential teacher (I can read). I disagree, I think that a practical, intensive, short course can provide essential training for a successful ESL instructor. By the way, I am an ESL instructor with over a decade of experience and have been trained by Oxford Seminars; I am not a recruiter. "Being right" is not my priority. Dispelling misinformation is a priority. abyssiniangrl is just misinformed, sadly.