Job Discussion Forums

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

I am sure there is another thread about this but I tried searching and had no luck.

is there any particular site(s) viewed as the best for getting your tefl certification? they all seem pretty similar but i wasn't sure. i found one site that has a 100 hour course, but another that is based in Chicago where it is 120 hours with 20 of the hours being student teaching/observation at a local ESL classroom. even if it doesn't make me look better on a resume I think the 20 hours of student teaching would make me feel better on my first day of teaching in Santiago.....

thanks Smile

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

anyone?

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

Supervised teaching practice with feedback from experienced teacher trainers, with REAL STUDENTS (not peer trainees) is the key element of training programs.

Beware any online certification without this element.

Standard, basic courses are usually 120 hours on site, and include at least six hours of teaching practice as described above. In many regions, online certs are not considered sufficient, as they lack teaching practice. However, if you've found a program including this element, it may be ok.

I would contact a few potential employers in the region where you want to go and ask them what cert will be considered acceptable.

sojourner · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 7:10 am Post subject:

Lunkey,

I agree with Spiral78. It would be much better for you to consider doing a course in which a trainee has the opportunity of teaching real students (not fellow-trainees !) for several hours. Such courses would include the well-known CELTA programme, as well as the Trinity College Certificate. Admitedly, such courses are pretty pricey, but you might be able to do such training - at a lower price - somewhere in South America.

If attending classes for 4 weeks -as is the case with CELTA - is completely out of the question for you, you might want to consider enrolling in Jeff Mohamed's online course. Apart from running this course, Jeff is also a CELTA trainer. Thus, it would probably be one of the best online ESL/EFL teacher training programmes available. Jeff's website is: http://www.english-international.com/director.html . If you decide to enrol in such a course, you should also consider getting some practical experience, such as being a volunteer tutor at a local English language class in a community centre for recent immigrants.

You might also want to get hold of some pertinent books, such as those by Jeremy Harmer (often recommended by CELTA trainers) or Jim Scrivener .

Good luck !

Peter

eddiek1syou · Joined: 08 May 2008 Posts: 23 Location: Out there

Just FYI: Apparently many of the physical certificates you receive from doing an online class are no different from the cert you receive from doing it in person. My question is, how do they even know if you did the course online or in person, and how many of them would even care to ask?

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

Depends on where you want to teach. In many regions, school directors are well aware of the names of the bigger on-line providers.

Further, it is commonly a specific interview question in the case that the director does not recognize the name of the course provider on your certification.

The back side of many certs notes the specifications of the course, also. I have a 'generic' entry-level cert (now over 10 years old) which specifies 120 hours and including 6 hours of supervised teaching practice along with other details on the back.

Think about this: would you want your first-ever lesson to be a demo lesson you have to teach in front of your prospective employer?

Manaus · Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 52 Location: Orlando, FL

What if we already have teaching experience? I have a certificate as an ESL teacher, but it is only of value in Brazil.
I have a Florida teaching certificate and years of teaching experience. In this case, would an on-line TESOL course be sufficient?

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

Again, it depends where...
Teaching language is quite a different animal to teaching core subjects. I can say this with some authority as I started my teaching career in US elementary schools, and have worked with other cross-over teachers.

Why is your teaching cert only of value in Brazil? Was it not based in general methodology and approaches?

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 7:06 pm Post subject:

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Try tefldaddy.com
www.english-international.com

kingmalka · Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 3:42 pm Post subject:

I've been teaching in China for 1 year without a TEFL cert. If I want to go to Buenos Aires, would you guys even recommend getting one? For me, it's a matter of prices. Taking a 4-week real life course for $1,200 while not making any money is too detrimental, especially versus doing a $200 online course. I think my employer would be more concerned with my 1-year of TESL experience than where and when I got my cert.

Thoughts?

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

I think that you shoudl go to BsAs and see if you can work and then study a course part time. Or see if your employer will help pay for a course.