Job Discussion Forums

lightsail · Joined: 13 May 2009 Posts: 4

Thanks for sending your resume. Our Academic Supervisor was interested in your application, but she noticed that you don�t have a TEFL or TESOL certificate.

Unfortunately, starting from last year when the Chinese government made it harder for us to provide working visas for our staff during the Olympics, our company has now made it a policy that all our teachers have received either TEFL or TESOL training.

It is OK to do either an online or on-campus course. However, make sure that the course is at least 40 hours of study. Some of our current teachers have expressed satisfaction with the online courses offered by http://www.bestefl.com <http://www.bestefl.com/>
and http://www.justtefl.com/online.shtml <http://www.justtefl.com/online.shtmlbestefl.com>
<http://www.justtefl.com/online.shtmlbestefl.com>
After enrolling in/completing such a course, please get in touch with us again.
We look forward to hearing from you

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

A request for at least 40 hours of training, which could even be online, is EXTREMELY MINIMAL. I'd be worried that the school is so dodge it will hire from the 'bottom of the barrel.'

lightsail · Joined: 13 May 2009 Posts: 4

Obviously there is a limited amount that can be gleaned from 40 hours of online training. So it remains an open question whether this is a request from a legitimate school or someone shilling for the online courses, I don't know.

That being said, some schools don�t require any certificates.

I have the greatest respect for teachers, both my mother and sister have had long careers as teachers.

However, I don't want to make ESL my career. It is currently a means to an end. I hope I will either transition into a different job more appropriate to my skill or get some kind of part time work that will include a work Visa.

Thanks for you comments.

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

Schools requiring no certification clearly need teachers quite badly...I'd be concerned whether they are reputable.

Consider: even McDonald's requires training for it's entry-level staff. If it's a job you can get with no quals at all - hmmm.

MrMrLuckyKhan · Posted: Sat May 16, 2009 4:13 am Post subject:

hmmm..... I think it may be just a ploy to get you to take (and pay for) an online course that THEY offer. I dont know anything about the school who sent you that, or anything about the sites they referred you to, but just a thought..... That would be a successful scam, right? Laughing

Mexicobound · Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 6:55 pm Post subject:

dialogger · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 419 Location: China

As a 40 hour course certificate holder can I weigh in with the comment to the posters so far 'don't be so **@#!! arrogant'.
If the hiring school is happy with an online qual let's go with that.
To OP: It's attitude that makes a great ESL teacher. This includes a genuine interest in the students, turning up on time (and sober) and the energy to front up for your 3rd or 4th lesson that day and still make it interesting and useful to students.
In my view you have received a sensible and to the point response from the hirer. Wish they were all so.
If they are evasive about visas or suggest you arrive as a tourist - then you worry.

Chancellor · Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 8:25 pm Post subject:

ladartfrog · Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 2

I don't think it is legitimate. I recieved an almost identical email, then made the mistake of signing up for that TEFL course at BESTEFL.com and it seems like a complete fluke to me. The "course document" is 200 pages of poorly written mumbo-jumbo copied and pasted from various sources, full of grammatical errors. It was allegedly written by "Mark Allbright" who has been in the business of TEFL for 20 years, and has started his own English school in China. However, I can find no information on such a person. (And for a person supposedly holding a Master's Degree in English, he can barely write like a native speaker)

Also, BESTEFL claims that it is a well-established, long-respected organization in the TEFL industry--one of the oldest. This is completely false, they are a brand-new, fly-by-night organization, and the website was just launched on April 24th 2009.

I'm currently down $158 which I'm not expecting to get back.

I could be wrong.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

MrMrLuckyKhan · Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 3:35 am Post subject: Re: BEWARE

ladartfrog · Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 2

Update:

For the sake of fairness, I did get a refund from BesTefl.com. Although I do not recommend their product, it is a legitimate website.

David

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 5:40 am Post subject:

hollysuel · Joined: 07 Oct 2007 Posts: 225 Location: Connecticut, USA