Job Discussion Forums

Mrguay84 · Joined: 03 Dec 2009 Posts: 125

I posted this in the Europe forum, but think it's probably better served here. So here's goes.......

I want to teach ESL in Europe (and maybe even Asia) so I need to know which TEFL/TESOL courses/certificates are recognised in the majority of Countries around the World. As I can only afford to do this once, I don't want to make a mistake.

Also, has anyone had any problems with the TEFL certification they acquired (in regards to getting a job, if so why?).

Does a teaching Adult cert make it harder to get a job in a school? etc.

Thanks a lot in advance.

Happy New Year!

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

The standard for most European countries is 120+hours on-site, including supervised teaching practice with actual students (not peer trainees). This precludes online certificates.

CELTA, SIT, and Trinity are the name brands. There are some generic certs that also meet the standard.

It can be useful to take a course in the country where you want to start working. It can give you a useful bridge into a country and culture. Most training centres arrange for your housing during the course, and offer some local orientation. They can also give you invaluable contacts regarding reputable local employers.

Most jobs in Europe are not found from abroad in any case, so you will need to plan to pay the start up costs, such as flights and accomodation, etc for a few months until your first paycheck comes in anyway.

Finally, you may want to check which European countries you can work in legally. If you are from the UK, all are open to you. North American, Australian, or other citizenship effectively limits you to to the 'new' EU member countries, including Czech Rep, Poland, Slovakia, etc. The country-specific boards offer lots of info regarding legalities on a country by country basis.

barabbas · Joined: 22 Aug 2009 Posts: 58

The CELTA has the most kudos of the intro. certs, pretty much everywhere from what I know, though it would be nice to know of any exceptions!

Mrguay84 · Joined: 03 Dec 2009 Posts: 125

Thanks for the replies. So It's probably going to have to be CELTA or Trinity. As far as I am aware it's not really any more expensive to do those than it is to do any other intensive TEFL. Though it does limit my options on destinations somewhat.

Mrguay84 · Joined: 03 Dec 2009 Posts: 125

Hey. I hope everyone is having fun this year. Over a month has passed........too fast, too fast I may add. So It's getting nearer to 'decision time'. I have several options but just want to try and clarify whether CELTA is actually considered 'better' than Trinity Cert by any schools or particular Countries. As it seems CELTA has a better name, but then, would this hinder any future jobsearch? I'm not sure..............
Thanks.

Mrguay84 · Joined: 03 Dec 2009 Posts: 125

Having browsed jobs for the past couple of months, the better ones seem to always specifically state CELTA (not even CELTA or Trinity TESOL).

So it looks like it's CELTA or bust!!!!

FunGus · Joined: 10 Jun 2008 Posts: 34

I think you've made the best decision in deciding to do the CELTA. Though we can argue about the relative merits of each program, really the CELTA is the most widely recognized and asked for.

Where are you going to do the training? I did my DELTA training at IH Prague--from my experience the tutors there are a solid bunch.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

This is a question that has been getting asked a lot on this forum. I don't know why you have not found a suitable reply from a search.

As for Japan, it really doesn't matter which cert you get. For entry level jobs, many/most employers don't even ask for one let alone know what the difference is.

Now you haven't told us anything more about yourself, so we an only assume you are minimally qualified, therefore a candidate only for entry level work...