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sunshiningschool
Joined: 15 Apr 2011
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 Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2011 4:42 pm Post subject: Questions about which TEFL cert to go with |
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Someone told me to just go with the cheapest and mentioned these two:
- ICAL (http://www.icalweb.com/cms/index.php) 100 hours online $265
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-TEFL International (not even sure which one they meant, it looks like there are a couple different sites that use this same name, maybe it is this one since they said it was even cheaper than ICAL - http://www.teflonline.net/courses/ - 100 hours online, no tutor, $190)
Would either of these be alright? I've heard about some certifications being a waste so I wanted to make sure these would be ok, or take any recommendations you guys have. Also do things like online classes having a tutor or no tutor really matter? I want to teach at a Seoul hagwon this fall, so online would be preferred so I could do it quicker instead of some 10-week in person course that would also costs a thousand dollars. How much do recruiters/school employers look into your certification, or is it just whether you have it or not?
Thanks, any advice appreciated. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:01 pm Post subject: Re: Questions about which TEFL cert to go with |
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| sunshiningschool wrote: |
Someone told me to just go with the cheapest and mentioned these two:
- ICAL (http://www.icalweb.com/cms/index.php) 100 hours online $265
or
-TEFL International (not even sure which one they meant, it looks like there are a couple different sites that use this same name, maybe it is this one since they said it was even cheaper than ICAL - http://www.teflonline.net/courses/ - 100 hours online, no tutor, $190)
Would either of these be alright? I've heard about some certifications being a waste so I wanted to make sure these would be ok, or take any recommendations you guys have. Also do things like online classes having a tutor or no tutor really matter? I want to teach at a Seoul hagwon this fall, so online would be preferred so I could do it quicker instead of some 10-week in person course that would also costs a thousand dollars. How much do recruiters/school employers look into your certification, or is it just whether you have it or not?
Thanks, any advice appreciated. |
If your ONLY focus is working in Korea and you are not worried about changing countries afterward then either of them will do just fine, they both will get you the bump in pay at a PS job.
IF there is a chance you want to work elsewhere after your year in Korea then you will need to do another certification course before you change countries (they won't be accepted in most other places).
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sunshiningschool
Joined: 15 Apr 2011
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:43 pm Post subject: Re: Questions about which TEFL cert to go with |
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Thanks for the reply.
| ttompatz wrote: |
they both will get you the bump in pay at a PS job.
IF there is a chance you want to work elsewhere after your year in Korea then you will need to do another certification course before you change countries (they won't be accepted in most other places).
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You said PS jobs, but would it give me a pay bump/give me an advantage at hagwons also? That is what I am seeking.
And my tentative plan was to do a year in Korea, then apply for the JET program for Japan. Do you think my year's experience would help me qualify despite my useless TEFL certificate or would I need another certification? |
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SeoulNate
Joined: 04 Jun 2010
Location: Hyehwa
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| Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 3:25 am Post subject: |
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| Depends on the school, some will give you a bump and some won't. I would go so far as saying that most would not give you the bump in your first year as they care more about experience. However, you may be able to negotiate with the school. |
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supermouse
Joined: 19 Apr 2011
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| Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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I have good TEFL certification and it did not get me higher pay at all. I tried to negotiate, but they wanted actual teaching experience for higher pay.
However they did tell me that they would not have offered me a position in Seoul if I did not have it. I am skeptical as to how true that is, but it does not take a genius to realize Seoul is more competitive than say the Ulsan. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 5:27 pm Post subject: Re: Questions about which TEFL cert to go with |
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| sunshiningschool wrote: |
Thanks for the reply.
| ttompatz wrote: |
they both will get you the bump in pay at a PS job.
IF there is a chance you want to work elsewhere after your year in Korea then you will need to do another certification course before you change countries (they won't be accepted in most other places).
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You said PS jobs, but would it give me a pay bump/give me an advantage at hagwons also? That is what I am seeking.
And my tentative plan was to do a year in Korea, then apply for the JET program for Japan. Do you think my year's experience would help me qualify despite my useless TEFL certificate or would I need another certification? |
Most employers in Japan don't know one cert from another so literally ignore all of them. To the best of my knowledge. JET won't care if you have one or not.
The same is true of a LARGE majority of hagwans in Korea. They want the shiney, young, white face and couldn't care less about certification (beyond what is needed to get a visa).
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Hotpants
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:36 am Post subject: |
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If your goal is to get the cheapest, easiest TEFL cert, then why bother getting one at all. You might as well just print off your own cert, or claim you have teaching experience, since the average Korean hagwon won't care less about a TEFL cert. (Not that I endorse forged certs).
TPatz is spot on in that if you are thinking about English teaching for the longer term, it pays to invest in a properly accredited on-campus cert conducted by experienced trainers. |
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sunshiningschool
Joined: 15 Apr 2011
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| Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 9:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Hotpants wrote: |
If your goal is to get the cheapest, easiest TEFL cert, then why bother getting one at all. You might as well just print off your own cert, or claim you have teaching experience, since the average Korean hagwon won't care less about a TEFL cert. (Not that I endorse forged certs).
TPatz is spot on in that if you are thinking about English teaching for the longer term, it pays to invest in a properly accredited on-campus cert conducted by experienced trainers. |
Can you recommend any programs? Are there any certifications that are accepted in multiple countries such as Korea, Japan, China, Thailand, etc?
I wanted to do the online course because I could hurry up and complete it before I would go to Korea in the fall (and because it's so cheap). An in-person class I'm not so sure I could do in time... |
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Modernist
Joined: 23 Mar 2011
Location: The 90s
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| Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 12:23 am Post subject: |
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| I wanted to do the online course because I could hurry up and complete it before I would go to Korea in the fall (and because it's so cheap). An in-person class I'm not so sure I could do in time... |
Gee, and you wonder why it has less value.
Yes, because they are cheap and quick they are just pretty paper outside Korea. They will do little for you anywhere else in Asia, including anything decent in China [and Thailand? Surely you jest].
I did mine with ITTT because it was cheap, and the total upfront investment was but a fraction [<10%] of the increased yearly salary I would get from my PS. Surprisingly it actually did pretty well at passing along information and was about as rigorous as it could be considering it was online and not from a real university. I would reccomend them for online TEFL.
If you are serious about ESL teaching for the medium-to-long term, get a CELTA from the Cambridge program. Costs maybe $2500 and almost kills you for a month, but it's the global gold standard for teachers outside a full-on Master's in TEFL/English Ed./Linguistics [2 years and a lot more tham $2500]. |
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sunshiningschool
Joined: 15 Apr 2011
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| Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 11:36 am Post subject: |
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| Modernist wrote: |
I did mine with ITTT because it was cheap, and the total upfront investment was but a fraction [<10%] of the increased yearly salary I would get from my PS. Surprisingly it actually did pretty well at passing along information and was about as rigorous as it could be considering it was online and not from a real university. I would reccomend them for online TEFL.
If you are serious about ESL teaching for the medium-to-long term, get a CELTA from the Cambridge program. Costs maybe $2500 and almost kills you for a month, but it's the global gold standard for teachers outside a full-on Master's in TEFL/English Ed./Linguistics [2 years and a lot more tham $2500]. |
Modernist, did you do the online class with a tutor (http://www.tesolonline.com/courses/tutor.php) or without one (http://www.tesolonline.com/courses/without-tutor.php)? It's nice to hear someone had a good experience with them and it's not completely worthless. This is probably the route I will go right now, just want to know if it is worth it to do the one with a tutor or if that's just a gimmick to get you to pay a little more.
I would like to do the CELTA however none of their 10 US locations are anywhere near me. It looks like they are going to start offering an online course but it isn't running yet. Maybe I can try to get the CELTA after a year in Korea. |
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pikadoopoo
Joined: 19 May 2011
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| Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 12:20 pm Post subject: |
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I recommend ITTT as well. If you go on the tutor-less route, you will have to take a test that you must pass, or you'll have to take the course again with a tutor if you somehow fail it. To be on the safe said, I chose to go with a tutor. I'm almost halfway done with the worksheets (there are 20 in total) and I started this month. The tutor I have is actually very helpful... Funny, because I've heard so many stories about nonchalant tutors, but the one I have is actually pretty picky about things. 
You can get a discount if you buy it through here -- http://www.footprintsrecruiting.com/getting-tefl-certification
You don't need to be part of Footprints btw |
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sunshiningschool
Joined: 15 Apr 2011
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| Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 9:39 pm Post subject: |
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Awesome thanks a lot!
And another thing about CELTA, isn't that aimed at teaching adults? Does this matter when you are applying for teaching kids? |
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Modernist
Joined: 23 Mar 2011
Location: The 90s
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| Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 10:41 pm Post subject: |
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I would advise using the tutor. The course sections are decently long but not too bad to read. The problem is that without a tutor you have to pass a very very long test with no directions or guidance. Much easier with a tutor and you'll make back the extra cost in the first month.
My tutor was also quite picky, maybe we had the same one! The worksheets are much more extensive than I had expected, and the grammar ones are a huge pain to finish. They will expect you to complete all the details. If you skip one part of a question they will notice and send it back to you to re-do.
CELTA is for teaching all levels. Certain parts are more focused on one group or another because of their different needs. Bottom line is that it is what you get when you are done with Korea but not yet done with ESL. It is very helpful if you ever want to try to teach in Europe or the Middle East. I think it would open some doors in China, Thailand or Vietnam that online TEFL wouldn't. |
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sunshiningschool
Joined: 15 Apr 2011
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| Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks guys. The online ITTT also comes with an extra 50 hour course in either young learners or adults, do you guys plan on completing that also? I guess I might as well seeing as it's free. |
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