Job Discussion Forums

CherylAnneClara · Joined: 09 Jan 2010 Posts: 17

Which toefl training should I take?

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

TOEFL is a test for non-native speakers of English. What level is your English? What is your native language?

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 9:25 pm Post subject:

I'll bet that we're running into that age-old confusion.

TOEFL is the Test Of English as a Foreign Language, produced by the ETS. There's only one, and it's an exam used to evaluate a foreign speaker's ability to use English, primarily intended for academic circumstances like college study.

Did you by chance mean TEFL? TEFL is an acronym refering to Teaching English as a Foreign Langauge, and usually refers to a teaching qualification. It's not a trademark, though, so any course can use this acronym.

Other certificates use the acronyms TESOL, CELTA, and others.

Are there specific courses that you are considering? There are so many on the market, rather than just asking which, post links to the ones you're considering and we'll have a look and see what we can tell you.

If you just leave it open, you'll just get opinions. In my opinion, the best course is the SIT TESOL Certificate. Very Happy

Of course, my bias could be because I'm an SIT cert trainer.

Best,
Justin

CherylAnneClara · Joined: 09 Jan 2010 Posts: 17

Thanks for the help! Sorry to be so confusing, but I am confused.
I am going to China to teach ESL this fall, and want to be as prepared as possible. I'll be teaching university students. As far as I know they will have some experience speaking, reading, and writing English, but I have no idea how much.
What makes SIT tefl better than the others?

Cheryl

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 3:49 am Post subject:

You're pretty literal minded. I sort of posted that as an example of how, if you post general questions, you'll just get general opinions.

Obviously, I prefer the SIT course because I'm a part of it. Wink

It's a good chance to share some info about teacher training in general, though-

A good course is taught by instructors with qualifications you can check. (SHould be post grad, and experienced teachers.)

A good course should be face to face.

A good course should have real teaching practice. Otherwise, you get into the classroom...well- you can see.

A good course should be accredited by a real organisation- University, qualifications board, or something similar.

If you're considering, or looking for, something in particular, let us know what- happy to have a look.

Best,
Justin

CherylAnneClara · Joined: 09 Jan 2010 Posts: 17

Hi Justin,
a few questions about SIT.
What does SIT stand for?
How long does a course take?
How many different courses are there?
What, exactly will I learn?
You mention face to face - how does this work? Are there classes in Colorado Springs?
Is there a site you can lead me to which will give me some info and background on this program?

Thanks

Cheryl

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

SIT is one of the brand-name courses. The other two are CELTA and Trinity. The standard course is 120+/- hours, on site. Online and weekend courses aren't generally considered enough by reputable employers in many places.

A good course included some introduction to the basics in approach/method in the field of language teaching. You should actually do practice teaching with real students, and get feedback from experienced teacher trainers.

Consider taking a course in the country where you want to work (the US, obviously, if you're not planning to go abroad).

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 6:36 pm Post subject:

What does SIT stand for?

The School for International Training. It's a university in Vermont.

How long does a course take?

Usually a four week intensive- can be offered extensively in up to six months. Roughly 130 of classroom instruction.

What, exactly will I learn?

Um....I can't really get the whole curriculum in this post. You'd learn a lot. The overall course objective is along the lines of "by the end of the course, certificate recipients must be able to plan, deliver, and reflect on or evaluate EFL classes."

You mention face to face - how does this work?

I used "face to face" to mean "not a distance course." Meaning that you actually go to a center and spend time in real classrooms, studying, planning, and teaching.

I don't know if there are courses in Colorado Springs. But you can check out the program, as well as locations and schedules, here:

Obviously, to make this happen, there's considerable content in language awareness, classroom management, language acquisition, classroom techniques, strategies for learning, for listening, for reading...it's a lot.

http://www.sit.edu/graduate/5191.htm

Best,
Justin