Job Discussion Forums

[BrentBlack]

Hello,

TESOL versus CELTA. I need your help! A little bit about me- I am an American male in my mid twenties. I have a B.A. in History, and soon to finish my M.A. in Marketing. I am primarily interested in teaching in China, Thailand or Vietnam, however I am considering others, and I am open to any and all ideas. I am interested in helping others and having a new experience. I would like to make enough money to save a bit, but I do not need to save outrageous amounts. I have researched both TESOL and CELTA programs. I have to say, at first I was in the CELTA camp, but recently I have been swayed to the TESOL side (job guarantee, and it seems the transition may be a bit more comfortable via that route). Throughout all of this I have thought of doing both. What could it hurt? Do one teach for a year or so, and then do the other. If I went down that road, I would do the TESOL first. Anyhow what are your thoughts on the matter and my situation in general?

Thanks for your help it is much appreciated.

[Master Shake]

Brent,

CELTA is pretty much the 'gold standard,' especially in Europe. I don't know a lot about TESOL, but I doubt it is as widely recognized.

My CELTA course offered help with job placement when I did it two years ago, but the jobs I found myself were generally better.

There's no sense in doing both courses - you would be learning the basics twice. Better to do one, teach for 1-2 years, and then go for a higher qual, like a DELTA or MA.

TESOL or CELTA, you won't have trouble finding work in Thailand - once the political situation calms down a bit, that is.

[Justin Trullinger]

Before you get a straight answer, we need to straighten out a couple of terms.

CELTA is a brand name, and is the Cambridge entry level cert. It's well thought of, and is one of the first to appear on the market, probably the most famous.

TESOL is a common noun, only capitalized because it's an acronym. Saying "I don't know whether TESOL is good" is like considering universities and saying "I don't know if I should do degree."

So when you say "TESOL," we don't know which course you mean. From your reference to job placement and other such things, I sort of expect you mean Oxford TESOL or similar, but it's hard to be sure.

There are online overnight TESOL certificate courses courses, worth about what you'd figure. Some of the best training on the market uses this acronym too, though.

CELTA is the most famous, but Trinity TESOL and SIT TESOL are generally considered to be really good as well. CELTA is the biggest name in the lot, but graduates of any of these three programs go on to the same sorts of opportunities.

If you're thinking Oxford TESOL, though, that's a different kettle of fish.

If you'd like, post the details of the course you're considering, and someone who knows more about it can help.

Best,
Justin

[BrentBlack]

The TESOL course I am considering are through ATI (American TESOL Institute) or through Tefl International. However, after a recent phone conversation with an ATI info person, I think they are off the list. I am not interested in any type of online training. I want to do an in-class course abroad. A few people have suggested that it is good to do both programs, but those have been on other forums. Essentially, I want to making sure that if I choose TESOL via TEFL International, I wont have useless certificate if I decide to not work through them after my first year or two.

Thanks

[scintillatestar]

If you want to teach in Vietnam, get the CELTA. Most of the places that routinely hire teachers are CELTA centers. I don't think the certificate matters too much in China now, but it may in the future. A few of the places that routinely hire there (ie. EF) have started offering the CELTA in some locations. For Thailand it probably won't matter much either. The most important thing would be to have a course with at least 100 hours of instruction and six hours of observed teaching with real students.

I would get the CELTA because it is a very informative and well-respected course. You will have an advantage when applying to places like International House (CELTA centers) and there are many of these in numerous countries.

[Justin Trullinger]

Get a legitimate course. There's a LOT of info all over this board about what that means.

I probably disagree with the absolute brand loyalty a lot of folks give to the CELTA. But in my book, neither ATI nor TEFL International are anyplace close.

Best,
Justin

[BrentBlack]

Thanks Justin, but what do you mean by neither are anywhere close? It seems from the information I have garnered from their websites, their curriculum is quite similar. The only real difference I can see is that TEFL, TESL, and TESOL in general are iffy about their accredation. Furthermore, I have found comments, albiet on other boards, that suggest that CELTA may not be so important, especially, if working outside Europe:

CELTA is now an outdated form of TESOL teaching. It has no applicabiliy to Asia due to its failure to stick with PPP procedures that have been abondoned in favor of Task basd principles. CELTA is not accredited as it is a Franchise -it is promoted by the British Council - though these days the vast number of Teachers are switching away from CELTA which is really teachng wrong Principles. Professor Ellis (himself British) said yesterday in Tokyo that CELTA course had become irrelevant in Asia due to their failure to teach English within the culture. The International Accrediting Agency for TESOL has not recognized CELTA yet according t their site - many TBT TESOL coures have been inspected and passed. If you want to do a TESOL course that is recognized in Asia, check if they comply wth Task based curriculums.

Other posts have indicated taking both courses is a good idea:

The CELTA is, in my opinion, a top end TEFL certificate. It is perhaps the most widely regarded. It is, however, a very intensive course and I believe it's best to have a couple of years experience before taking it.

What a lot of people do is take a simple TEFL certificate, teach for a while and then, if they decide they want to advance to DoS positions or higher up the chain they take a CELTA.


I understand not paying twice for a basic course, but if there is a clear and noticable difference between the two, it may be worth it. I literally have no idea. One thing is clear to me, however, this is a business! I mean, there is little to no congruency accross the board, and there are so many tricks and traps, that one needs to tread lightly, and seak guidance. This is why I am asing for help.

Thanks!

[wojbrian]

I think any course where you get teaching experience is good. I know 6 hours doesn't sound like much but it helped. I would have never been able to teach without training. I took my CELTA at International House Wroclaw. You will hear stories of how hard it is. I don't think it was hard so much as there is a lot of material to cover. You have to be ready to go everyday.

People usually end up using what ever method works for them even though they are trained or taught a certain way. The main thing a taking a course will do is teach you the parts of a lesson and how to lesson plan. They will give you some general ideas on how to present grammar. They will also give you some ways to be creative.

Once you are in the field you are on your own. I know I have my strengths as a teacher but I also know I have my weaknesses. Part of lesson planning is to have goals for students and yourself. Being able to self critique is a very important skill.

[kaw]

I did the Trinity TESOL and believe that it was much the same as the CELTA in terms of content. In terms of employability it certainly is.

[naturegirl321]

I did a non brand name course 8 years ago and actually chose it BECAUSE it wasn't a name brand course and I figured I'd get more personalised attention , which I did.

Thing is, a intensive TEFL course just gets your foot in the door. If you're serious about teaching then you will find other ways to learn as well. For example.

go to conference
read up on teaching methods and new info online or in journals
go to workshops
get a Diploma or MA
talk to other teachers

[BrentBlack]

Nature Girl,

What program did you take? I would be interested in looking at it.

Everyone else,

I really do not need to hear about the intensity of the CELTA, and how much work it is. I am not scared, and I doubt that one month of anything could really be that bad. I will have an M.A. in Integrated Marketing Communication in May, and I have been going to school for 7 years. I am very used to lots of work, and I do not really think four 750-1000 word essays over the course of a month are a lot of work, especially considering what I am used to doing. Furthermore, for the first three years of my B.A. I was a dual Major in Education and History. As a result, I am very familiar with building lesson plans, and even teaching. I want to know what the clear differences are between the two, TESOL and CELTA.

Thanks again!

[FrenchLieutenant'sWoman]

Which TESOL?

TESOL, TEFL and TESL are all just ways of saying English teaching.

There aren't many differences that I can see between a Cert.TESOL from Trinity and a CELTA.

What do you want from your course? If it's just a certificate to go in your file get the CELTA, SIT or Trinity.

[Justin Trullinger]

Love to know where your quote came from: