Job Discussion Forums

[Mica]

Hello,

I am looking to get certified to teach English Abroad. I live in San Francisco and have been doing some research online on the types of certification I can get, but feel like i am going in circles and not getting anywhere. Can someone please help me. I would like to know what are the key differences between TEFL, TESOL & CELTA, and which will give me the most opportunities working abroad?

Any information is greatly appreciated.

Mica

[LH123]

TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and TESOL (Teaching English as a Second[ary] or Other Language) are generic terms.

CELTA (Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults) is a specific course/qualification.

Avoid anything that advertises itself as simply a "TEFL/TESOL" course.

If you want an internationally recognised, albeit entry-level, qualification, then CELTA is the way to go.

[Glenski]

It would also help us to know where exactly "abroad" is.

Here is some generic advice on choosing a program. (I wish the OP here would have added to a previous thread instead of creating a new one unnecessarily.)

Shall we start with the obvious? The ESL Cafe forum on teacher training.
http://www.eslcafe.com/discussion/dz1/

Choosing a TEFL Program
http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0503/choosing_a_tefl_program.shtml

From the TESOL website (with 5 other related links inside):
CELTA Programs, TEFL Certificate Programs, and Distance Learning Programs
http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/sec_document.asp?cid=124&did=434

TEFL Certificate Programs Are Not Regulated - - Learn What Questions You Need to Ask Before You Sign Up
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5729222/tefl_certificate_programs_are_not_regulated.html

Success on your Certificate Course in English Language Teaching: A guide to becoming a teacher in ELT/TESOL (book, 2006)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?index=books&linkCode=qs&keywords=1412920590
(It has a 20-page chapter on "Knowing your certificate course".)

ESL EFL Teaching Training and Certification
About.com site: "How to get qualified as an English ESL EFL TESOL ESOL or TEFL teacher. Information included on TEFL certificates, RSA DELTA and CELTA certificates, M.A. programs or doctorate programs."
http://esl.about.com/od/esleflteachertraining/ESL_EFL_Teaching_Training_and_Certification.htm

Frequently Asked Questions
about Teaching English Abroad
http://www.teflonline.com/faqs.php

How to Choose Your TEFL Certification Program (if at all)
http://toolkit.bootsnall.com/teaching-abroad/how-to-choose-your-tefl-certification-program-if-at-all.html

TEFL Program dot com is designed to help you make the best decision about a full in-classroom TEFL Certification Course.
http://www.teflprogram.com/

Some miscellaneous stories
http://shetoldme.com/Business/How-to-choose-an-online-TESL-TEFL-certificate-course

[Mica]

Thanks so much for the replies

I am planning to go to Japan towards the end of the the year and stay there for a year. Then I plan to fly to South America and either spend a year in Argentina or Brazil. So ideally I would like a certificate that I could use in Asia & South America, but I'm not sure if one is preferred over another in either region. So I'm trying to figure out which certificate to invest in.

[Glenski]

Most employers in Japan don't even know what a CELTA is. With the flooded market of teachers here, it might be helpful to edge out the (largely) non-certified, but that implies that employers even care about certification. Many don't (in Japan).

[tttompatz]