Job Discussion Forums

blaz44 · Joined: 03 Jan 2005 Posts: 32 Location: wroclaw, poland

Has anyone taken a full university certification TESOL with their B.A. and compared it to the european equivilant? I am in the process of completing it and would like to get some feedback. I do have 1 year teaching in Poland before obtaining the qualifications. All I know is that some local teachers would like to tear you down as much as possible once they find out that you are not qualified from a university. Nevermind that you have success in a different field such as coaching.

My coaching experience gave more teaching ideas and tech than any language course could ever. I was the most interesting and entertaining teacher in the town as I brought real life situations into context which could be actually used by students.
Anyway , don't want too knock anyone .. just want to give get people out of their comfort zone and give them the courage to make the change.

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Sorry to betray my ignorance, but what is a "full university certification TESOL?"

Grrrmachine · Joined: 27 Jul 2005 Posts: 265 Location: Warsaw, Poland

I took my cert (called a CTEFL) alongside my uni degree, so it's not a Cambridge or Trinity teaching qualification, if that's what you mean. What it comes down to is the number of hours you study - mine was 4 hours a week for seven months, and included far more teaching practice than the Cambridge ones seem to offer on top of those hours.

It all depends, however. Is your uni degree relevant to TESOL? Will anyone have heard of the university name written at the top of the certificate?

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Who recognises the certificate ? THAT is the question.

Jetset · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 74

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need a rinky-dink 2 week TESOL certificate to get a job teaching english!

The lesson plans are pretty self-explanatory, and as long as you have a pulse and you can speak "reasonably" clear English, you can teach.

Schools will hire you if you present yourself well, best to do this approach though in person and not via email.