Job Discussion Forums

AlwaysExploring · Joined: 18 Oct 2007 Posts: 16

Does anyone have a favorite online tefl certification program? Is there one or more than one that you would definitely not recommend? I am looking into a few.

ghostdog · Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 3:57 pm Post subject:

Online "certification" is not certification. Without a practice component where teacher trainees work with actual students (the industry standard is at least 6 hours of practice teaching over a four-week, 100-hour course), a certificate isn't worth the paper isn't printed on and wouldn't be accepted by any reputable institute. The ones who are impressed by it probably aren't worth working for. Save your money.

Cachai · Joined: 02 Nov 2007 Posts: 16 Location: Londres

There's only two certificates in EFL worth considering. CELTA or Trinity! Recognised world-wide, they combine study of communicative method and other teaching methodologies. You also benefit from practise teaching hours. These practise teaching hours come with observations and feedback, very useful! I thoroughly recommend them. Most decent schools only accept EFL teachers with either CELTA or Trinity.

mike30 · Joined: 31 Oct 2006 Posts: 67 Location: Santiago, Chile

While CELTA and Trinity are the most widely accepted certificates, I wouldn't go as far as to say that those are the ONLY two certificates that will get you a job. Yes, there are certain organizations such as the British Council and International House that might be this stringent, but there are certainly TEFL programs that are still worthwhile. That being said, I do agree that an Online TEFL course isn't really worth your time or money and that a school that requires "certification" most likely won't accept an online program as qualification.

I took the CELTA in Phuket, Thailand with ECC and can highly recommend both the program and the experience of spending a month in Phuket...ILA Vietnam is another cheap option to get your CELTA.

Lunkey · Joined: 20 Jan 2008 Posts: 66 Location: Santiago

you can only get the Trinity cert if you are in the UK, yes? I thought Chileans preferred to speak American English?

I'm glad to find out the online cert is about as good as the paper it's printed on... or at least glad to find out before it was too late! so now i'm left wondering how i get proper certification while living/working in Chicago. My tentative plan at the moment is to move to Chile by the end of this year.

thanks
jeff

novia · Joined: 08 Jul 2005 Posts: 27 Location: Canada

In three years of working at public schools, private schools and English schools and teaching private students not one single person has asked me about my qualifications. Experience of course helps. Students can tell if you know what you are talking about. If someone asks and you have some sort of education give them that. Otherwise when in Rome....Lie. Chileans are famous con artists. If they ask just tell them you taught in universities all over the world. Most people want to practice conversation anyway.

Lunkey · Joined: 20 Jan 2008 Posts: 66 Location: Santiago

do you really need either the celta or trinity to get a decent paying job in santiago??

someone on this site told me all i need is an online tefl cert to get my foot in the door at institutes in santiago, and also i spoke with Bruce from teachingchile.com (placement agency that was recommended by someone on this site) and he said only an online cert is necessary... that could be true for the jobs they are offering but maybe those jobs aren't the best ones....

i'm looking at going for 1-2 years so maybe for my relatively short term situation an online cert is the only thing worth investing in...