Job Discussion Forums

[roaster]

Hi there, I am hoping to come to Santiago in August, however I was not sure whether to do a CELTA here in Scotland before I come, or to wait and do TEFL in Santiago on arrival? Is there any benefit in doing CELTA over a TEFL certificate and does anyone have any advice of good places to do the training, once in Santiago; online it seems the most commen I come across is Bridge Linguatec.
If i was then to do my TEFL training throughout August, what then are the chances of finding a job in September?
How is the cost of living in Chile, and is it easy to find somewhere affordable to live?
apologies for so many questions at once!

[Mari204]

Hi! I am actually enrolling for the TEFL certification course through BridgeLinguatec offered in Santiago, Chile. I chose BridgeLinguatec b/c it is an institution approved by the U.S. Department of Education and accredited by ACCET (Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training). According to all the research I have done, a CELTA is regarded as a better certification, although taking a TEFL certification is thought of to be the same & would give you the same experience as the CELTA if it is backed by an accredited institution. BridgeLinguatec provides an American accreditation for the TEFL, but ALSO provides the CELTA certification, which is accredited by the British council. I personally would have rathered certify in CELTA, but it isn't offered in Santiago, Chile... and I wanted to certify in the country where I would be working.
I have found alot of info regarding CELTA and TEFL. Refer to: http://education.guardian.co.uk. Make sure to read an article titled; "Mind your language."

I am on the same boat as you, I've just dedicated ALOT of time doing research & trying to find out as much information as I possibly can.

Any more questions, feel free to ask.

[roaster]

Hey, thanks for replying! Yup it seems that the TEFL or CELTA option is not such an issue, as long as the place is accredited. Bridge Linguatec certainly sounded good, I was drawn to them at first because of the promise of a job. I'm sure that they offer a good course, but everything I have read seems to say that the job issue is not as good as it sounds- average pay, and very few hours! I think I am going to do the CELTA back here in Scotland, because I actually have the option of doing it for a bit cheaper than the linguatec course. Plus, it seems in relation to getting a job, that it is reasonably straightforward, with some research, a nice CV and lots of leg work! Good luck though! I hope everything works out!