Job Discussion Forums

radekpjanik · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Poland

Hey, I am going to take the TEFL course in Boland school during the time given in the topic. Anyone perhaps attending this course in that time ??

Ger · Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 334

radekpjanik · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Poland

from what I know this IS a valid credential, and actually a quite good school to do TEFL at.

foreignDevil · Joined: 23 Jun 2003 Posts: 580

radekpjanik · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Poland

Hmmm....that is actually not a good news, especially given the fact that they offered job placement help in Mainland China after the course completion. the more i read on the forum the more various the opinions get:) . i don't know what to think anymore.

woza17 · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 602 Location: china

I was in Suzhou for the May holidays and met a few foreigners who are attending the course there and are very happy. If you PM me I can put you in touch with them. Also Katie from Boland has e-mailed me looking for placements in our company and Summer Camp. I have found her very professional and really looking after the interests of the applicants.
Straight down the line person.

petergunn · Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 150

radekjpanik, don't listen to the naysayers on this forum. I know Woza17 personally and I would vouch for her, and her opinion.

dajiang · Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 663 Location: Guilin!

I did the Boland course a few years ago and I've never regretted it.
The diploma is recognised, most definitely, and the stuff you learn there is very useful and to the point.

I've just graduated from uni and I have earned myself a BA in Education, and all throughout my studies I've benefited heaps from the Boland course.

I'd recommend it to anyone. It helps to have had some classroom experience btw, and if you're an active student you can make sure you get the most out of the course.

Good luck,

Dajiang

chinaamber · Joined: 06 Jun 2006 Posts: 73 Location: Guiyang

I have not taken the course but my current job requires me to train and support new teachers. I find the teachers I supervise who have done the Boland course to be of a very high standard and really set up to teach Chinese students, far more so than CELTA trained teachers I come across which focuses on adults and does not cover specific cultural issues when teaching.

Don't get me wrong, a CELTA is great but if your goal is teaching kids in China the Boland course, in my opinion, can prepare you extremely well.

Ger · Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 334

Really?

radekpjanik · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Poland

My main reason for doing the TEFL is to teach in China. That is why I want to be 100% sure that TEFL that is offered by Boland school is really valid for the Mainland China area.

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

China.Pete · Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 547

"My main reason for doing the TEFL is to teach in China. That is why I want to be 100% sure that TEFL that is offered by Boland school is really valid for the Mainland China area." - Radekpjanik

I hope you're not missing the point of some of the above posts. You seem to be under the impression that you need a TEFL Certificate to get a teaching job in China. In fact, you do not. You don't even need to know how to TEACH to get a teaching job in China. But you should also be aware that you will be thrown into a classroom full of students, quite possibly with few if any resources like textbooks, and a TEFL Certificate will make that experience a whole lot easier. In other words, the TEFL Certificate is really about YOU.

"Yes, you should learn something about TEFL on the TEFL course for your RMB12,000 plus, but is the qualification valid and internationally recognised?" - Ger

As TEFL Certificates are not "de rigueur" in China, it doesn't really matter whether it's internationally validated and recognized or not. The exception would be those very few schools that are closely tied to a particular testing system (for example, Cambridge). This will also be true to some extent outside of China; although you can expect to find somewhat stricter validation requirements in more mature markets. Perhaps the point here is that, for the same amount of money, you might be able to get a more widely recognized certificate, though one that is possibly not as localized for the Chinese market.

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Don't bank your hopes on getting a job without qualification!

radekpjanik · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Poland

No worries Wink

I am taking the Boland school TEFL training programme, I just wanted to know whether there is anyone who is taking this as well during the time given in the topic;) but here I got many good clues what to do and what not to do Wink

thanks all;) I'm a total newbie in the realm of TEFL that's why I no nothing about it whatsoever.