| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
haopengyou
Joined: 02 Mar 2009
Posts: 197
|
 Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 2:32 am Post subject: My TEFL program - good or not? |
 |
|
I am also finished with the courses to get my TEFL certification from UCLA. The courses were very good but did not require any classroom teaching at all. If you want to see the program you can go here: https://www.uclaextension.edu/r/ProgramDetails.aspx?reg=TT013
UCLA= University of California at Los Angeles.
I have read of criticisms of other cert programs. What kinds of criticisms am I likely to get from this one? The courses were pretty rigorous and were full 12 weeks long each, requiring 3-6 hours of work each week.
Would it be advisable to try to find a 1 unit internship to go with this on my transcript? I could probably find a volunteer teaching position locally to fulfill this requirement. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
mlomker
Joined: 24 Mar 2005
Posts: 378
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 2:45 am Post subject: Re: My TEFL program - good or not? |
|
|
| It seems to me that the biggest problem with non-CELTA programs is that prospective employers might not have ever heard of them. I find it unlikely that anyone familiar with the US would not have heard of UCLA. Your choice of schools would definitely seem to be to your advantage. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
| At less than the basic 100 hours on site, and without supervised teaching practice, it's likely not to be well-received in many regions, I'm afraid, regardless of the fact that UCLA is indubitably a real university. I'm actually surprised that they offer something so sub-standard. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
haopengyou
Joined: 02 Mar 2009
Posts: 197
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:53 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Well, it is an online program but the 6 required courses need about 300 hours of work to complete so, in a way, it is more rigorous than the CELTA programs I have seen. It is not, however, as practical as the CELTA. But your comments are good to know. I will try to get an internship through the school to fill in the void. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 9:57 am Post subject: |
|
|
There's an obvious reason why I teach language rather than maths  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Chancellor
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 1337
Location: Ji'an, China - if you're willing to send me cigars, I accept donations :)
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:45 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| spiral78 wrote: |
| At less than the basic 100 hours on site, and without supervised teaching practice, it's likely not to be well-received in many regions, I'm afraid, regardless of the fact that UCLA is indubitably a real university. I'm actually surprised that they offer something so sub-standard. |
This is UCLA we're talking about here. I can just about guarantee that there are people in most major countries (and even some not-so-major ones) that have heard of the well-known UCLA. It's practically a household name like "Harvard" or "Yale" or "Stanford" and is one of the top universities in the US.
The series of courses (it's not just one course like the TEFL certification courses we're all used to) has the academic rigor of a university program. From the website: "The Sequential Program in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) provides our students with the major competencies necessary to specialize in EFL (English as a Foreign Language) instruction outside of the United States. All courses emphasize the practical applications of EFL teaching techniques and are alternately offered on weekends, evenings, and online to accommodate working adults."
But since it doesn't include teaching practice, I would recommend that the original poster arrange for some supervised teaching or that internship mentioned in that original post, working something out with the department at UCLA that provides ESL instruction (for non-English speakers) or working something out with another University of California campus that has a TESL degree program. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Chancellor
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 1337
Location: Ji'an, China - if you're willing to send me cigars, I accept donations :)
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:48 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| haopengyou wrote: |
| Well, it is an online program but the 6 required courses need about 300 hours of work to complete so, in a way, it is more rigorous than the CELTA programs I have seen. It is not, however, as practical as the CELTA. But your comments are good to know. I will try to get an internship through the school to fill in the void. |
From reading the website, it's also an on-campus program. You can do the courses online but you can also do them on-campus during the day or in the evenings or on weekends. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
