Job Discussion Forums

[carrizales]

Hi, I'm a recent college graduate, with my BA in History. A professor recommended teaching english abroad, which is something that really interested me. I was looking to take a good four-week course, but I can't seem to find anything in Florida. I'm looking to enroll as soon as possible. I have read that the CELTA was the best program, but it's only offered in 4 or 5 locations in the entire US, the closest beign in Texas. I was looking around the board, and seen a lot of people talking about traveling for ceritification programs. So I just wanted to get some suggestions for you all, is it common to have to travel for gain your certificate? Does anyone know of anything offered here in Florida? Also, whats the general cost for such a program?

Also, online courses are not generally respected, right? or any courses that are under 100 hours?

[spiral78]

Yes, it's common to travel abroad for a cert. No, online courses and those of less than 100 hours are below the standard in most regions of the world.

Where do you think you would like to go? The economy is more or less weak worldwide these days....but there are still jobs, in most cases.

There are lots of very good reasons to take a course in the country where you want to start working, if at all possible.

Training in-country offers you a great chance to get your feet wet in the country/culture
while you still have a support system � they usually arrange for your housing during the course, airport pickup, and local orientation. Your practice teaching students will really be representative of those you�ll be working with when you start. You can be sure that your certification will be recognized by local employers, and a training centre can give you invaluable contacts and advice regarding reputable local employers.

[Chancellor]

[Chancellor]

[spiral78]

It is, however, time for you and others to join the rest of us in the 21st century and get over this notion that course work must be completed on-site or it isn't course work!

Nope. We are talking about basic certification courses.

I am not against distance coursework in other situations. I did my MA by distance (Birmingham, England), and feel that the value of a research-based MA is invaluable. The distinction is that I had experience (both past an concurrent with my MA study) to relate theory to.

This OP, among others, is talking about INITIAL, BASIC certification. I do not believel there is any substitute for the initial course being taken on site.

Anyway, I'm writing from a region in the world (Europe) where jobs are NOT obtained from abroad in general. If one wants a job in this region, one must take the Chance (pun intended, apologies) of coming here without something lined up in advance in any case. It's not just Europe.

In such cases, taking a course in country is, quite honestly, what 90% of newbies do.

How can a newbie know whether he/she wants to make a career of TEFL or just wants a year or two abroad - until he/she has some experience???

My point stands - the best way in to the field, in MOST (not 100%) of cases, is to take an on-site course in the country where one wants to start teaching.

[spiral78]

Further, Chancellor, the only opps for long-term career are NOT NECESSARILY state teacher certification.

I had that in 1880-80. I started my EFL career in 1998. I now have an MA TESL/TEFL and have been teaching at the university level for 7 years all told. My long-lost US state certification PLAYS NO PART in my career, or in getting any job I've ever had, since 1980.

[Chancellor]

[Chancellor]

[spiral78]

If you want to make a career of it or want to do it in your home country, go on and get state teacher certification in TESOL

Chancellor, I think you're pushing a long, expensive, and highly committed route (pursuing teacher certification) to people who only aim for now to get their feet wet in the job.

Then again, I can see the day when this discussion will be irrelevant because these other countries will require us all to get government teacher certification in our home countries.

This makes me wonder how many countries you've taught in. Of the five where I have (three at university level) this is clearly NOT a coming trend Further, as you point out, teaching certifications are only useful if one wants to teach children. Many, many of us don't. I have a viable career in TEFL/TESL, which I could pursue in my home country if I wished, but it has NOTHING to do with state teacher certification. Many regular posters on the forum have similar qualifications to mine - and don't have state certifications. It's one route - but certainly not necessarily the best or only one.

On the subject of on-line basic courses:

Things like methodology, grammar and morphology can be taught just as easily online; one can just as easily write a lesson plan on one's computer as one can in a classroom.

I have worked on two newbie-level teacher training courses, and currently train teachers from this and other international universities in learner-centred methodologies. I work both on entry-level introductory programs and programs for career teachers.

A basic certification course is not just about the technicalities of a classroom, like the grammar and methodology you mention. Other aspects of a language learning classroom are less mechanical and more subjective - but vitally important.

For example: the AFFECTIVE atmosphere of a classroom is something that we can analyze and discuss - when there is an actual classroom involved.

Another important item that can't be clearly demonstrated or observed outside a classroom is ways to grade teacher language and use student-student communication to move things along.

Online entry-level courses by definition must concentrate on the mechanics of a classroom - but by definition omit considerations of the very important subjective aspects of communication that are vital to successful classrooms.

Newbie level courses obviously can't go into anything in detail, but successful newbie teachers SHOULD be able to leave at the end of the month with some clue about ALL the basics - and quite a lot of what goes on in successful classrooms CANNOT be experienced via a computer screen. Therefore, a newbie without supervised teaching experience in a training situation DOES NOT have the whole 'basic' package needed to work with students.

[naturegirl321]

[spiral78]

Yeah, really. I did my two-year stint in the 3rd and 4th grades - not for me long-term!

And the qualification and experience have had absolutely zero benefit in terms of my career these days.

[fladude]

[spiral78]

fladude, clearly you've found a good option here. I'll still hold that an on-site training course for teaching English as a second/foreign language is invaluable for newbies in the field - but if I were you, I'd also opt for both.

Though, again, my own certification has been utterly useless in my career as a TESL/TEFL teacher at the university level and of adult learners.

[fladude]

[spiral78]

Your openness is refreshing. Teaching and learning languages is not really very much the same as teaching and learning other subjects. Some of the worst teachers I've had to work with over the years have been those with significant experience teaching in some other field (those retired 3rd. grade teachers trying to teach languages to adults being the worst ).

Specialized training is invaluable.