Job Discussion Forums

[frankly_norse]

Hey All -

I've been reading up around here for a few weeks and have found lots of good info, so first of all, thank you everyone for posting, and thank you Dave for providing the site!

I'm on the verge of taking the TEFL dive and would like any feedback regarding the following agencies that provide CELTA certification courses in Vietnam. At this point, I'm inclined superficially toward ILA due to the clarity and speed of their website, but other than that I have no idea which one offers the best preparation and support. I expect each has its own set of pros and cons, but if you have specific info you're willing to share, I'd love to hear it.


ILA
http://www.ilavietnam.com/web/index.php
http://www.discovereltvietnam.com/page.php?p=20

Apollo
http://www.apolloedutrain.com/en/index.php?prodetail6&idcat=2&idgroup=3#1

Language Link
http://llv.edu.vn/en/celta-trainning/language-link-celta-2010.html


BTW - I'm 52 and considering this route partly for the adventure and partly because I'm burned out on my current career path (corporate tech support). I took a BA in English back in the mid 80's and then taught a few English 101 courses at university while pursuing a graduate degree in English (which I did not to complete) so I have some prior classroom teaching experience, albeit 20 some years ago :/. I know Asia will be an entirely new experience, but I thought I'd share in case anyone has any useful feedback.

Thank you much in advance for your time!

[The Fat Rabbit]

i think there are only minimal differences between taking the celta at ILA or Apollo. One is that at Apollo, the classes have 12 students, and at ILA, 14. As well, if you pay in advance at Apollo, you will receive a $150 discount, and at ILA, only $100. Lastly, at ILA, i believe you can take some kind of CELTA extension course to learn how to teach young learners, and at Apollo, you can't take their course unless you work there.

As for the quality, it's all standardized. I personally had a great experience at Apollo in HCMC. There were excellent tutors, great resources such as computers for the CELTA students, photocopier, OHP, bluetack, pens, markers, staples, paperclips, etc... Everything is ready and waiting. The staff at Apollo were extremely helpful with anything I needed as well. As for the observations, I had about 4 hours of video observation, and a 2 hour in class observation where I watched an excellent teacher. During the day, you get two short breaks and a big lunch break. During the first break, the staff prepare a small snack for the CELTA students, and coffee and tea are available throughout the day. The staff in charge of the CELTA course have years and years of education and experience and are highly approachable individuals.

However, I imagine that similar things are available at ILA.

I would obviously recommend going to Apollo, because my experience there was wonderful, but I have nothing bad to say about the CELTA course at ILA. But as for the ILA school itself, read some other threads in this forum about it to find out more....