Korean Job Discussion Forums

[AwesomeA]

What is the easiest and most cost efficient program on-line???
Or which one is most interesting?
I took one course that was very very boring.

[gsxr750r]

First, ask yourself if it's actually needed. In Korea, it's not.


It can be helpful if you're from some country like South Africa, which is not immediately recognized as one of the top-tier English-speaking countries (speaking of peoples' perceptions here).

I work a uni job, and didn't need one to get this position.

I worked in the public system, and didn't need one for that job, either.

Hagwons don't need them.

The only instance where they are even remotely worthwhile in Korea is if you work for a public school, where they will pay you another 100,000 a month for having a 110+ hour TEFL/TESL certificate. In this case, getting it is ONLY worthwhile if you plan to stay at that job MORE THAN ONE YEAR. That is because the certificates worth paying money for need to be at least 100 to 110 hours or more (preferrably 120+ hours), or the school will not recognize it and give you the raise. You need to work at that job for a year or more to recoup your costs for the better programs.

If you know nothing about teaching English, and you want to be prepared, then take the CELTA or Trinity, but be prepared to pay over $2,000 US including costs and travel. Don't expect to take it in Korea, as they are always booked 6 months in advance when they offer it at all through the British Consulate. These two programs are for teaching adults though -- not kids. They won't help you with much more than preparing lesson plans if you're teaching kids.

Unless you merely want to take it for personal betterment, DO NOT BOTHER WITH ANY CERTIFICATE LESS THAN 110 HOURS -- SOME PLACES NEED 120. You may as well toss your money in the garbage. Many courses say they are "accredited," but they are accredited only by accrediting bodies that they create themselves, in cahoots with other bogus TEFL/TESL companies. Just because you see a course advertised on this board, and it says, "accredited" on a big banner at the top of your screen does not mean it will do squat to help you make more money.

If you plan teaching only in Korea, or if you don't plan on being here more than a year or two, then don't bother wasting your time or money on one of these things.

The cheapest online course of less than 100 hours good only for personal betterment is at www.oxford.co.kr , and it's in video. It looks very interesting, but isn't that many hours. It's about 100,000 won.

The cheapest course over 100 hours used to be free, or nearly free, and used to be available through www.efl-law.com , but I'm not sure if it's still offered.

[rothkowitz]

CELTA works best with students that are self-motivated and are approaching English as a second language,rather than just something foreign foistered upon them.

Most employers won't even know what it is,nor will they care.

It is a pre-req if you want to teach in a language school but then again schools won't offer contracts-it's all done on a casual basis.

Moneywise,yep,you'd need a couple of years to recoup it.More if you factor in lost earnings/accomm.

[VanIslander]

[rothkowitz]

Is it 200?I've forgotten.

They(public schools) certainly don't reward both,at any rate.

Anyways-from experience in public schools,my first place was pissed that it wasn't the same as a MA TESOL and my present place gave the same wage to people before me with a simple BA.

CELTA has it's merits,but most of the cost is sheer profit.

[gsxr750r]

Really? Lucky you.

It was 100,000 more per month for my school, if you had a CELTA or something similar. 200,000 pay was needed for that plus a certain number of years of experience.

Again, even if they paid you 200,000 for yours, it will take you a full year, in a job such as yours (which pays more than the standard 100,000 a month I've seen) to recoup the cost.

Current cost of taking the CELTA in Bangkok, Thailand:

$1,575 US base costs
$773 Housing costs for 4 weeks
$600 Plan flight from Korea
_______
$2,948


Now, if you want to get really picky about it, please remember to count that it will cost of time where you would be working:

$2,000 1 month lost work costs (based on 2 million won salary)


$4,348 Total loss.

Even at your 200,000 won per month raise, you're still looking at taking 1 to 2 years to recoup the costs. One year if you count costs if you had not worked. 2 years to recoup when you could have been working camps/whatnot.

By the way, if you take it in Korea with the British Council, the increased base cost adds up to as much as you would pay to fly to Thailand and take it anyway.


Source: http://www.windsorschools.co.uk/tefl-bangkok.html

[rothkowitz]

Typically same experience at the same place or funding body,right?

If you set up in the countryside(with pokey gun bonus),OK,but,say you move from a saellite city into the city(eg Kyonggie EPIK to Seoul MOE),do you have to start from scratch?

[rothkowitz]

Also bear in mind that a CELTA is a piece of paper.A Cambridge Uni piece of paper.

Arguing points is not invited.

If you want it,you have to follow what's "said",irrespective of what the trainers actually do in their example classes.

[gsxr750r]

The CELTA cult is very much like the Macintosh cult.

Years of reading this board has taught me this.

[VanIslander]

The op is looking for an online certificate anyways.

The CELTA is supervised by three experienced and educated teachers who know how to train as well as teach. There's no way it'll ever be offered online: too skill based for that.

[gsxr750r]

Agreed. But is it not needed to teach here. It can be an excellent investment for the long-term teacher who has no actual teaching degree. Anyone planning to teach less than 2 years -- don't bother, IMHO.

[dmbfan]

Check out the London Teachers Training College............just do a google search, and you will find all you want to know.

Cheers.

dmbfan

[dmbfan]

[gsxr750r]

It should also be said that, if you plan to travel around the globe and teach, the CELTA or Trinity are good. Most "online" programs just aren't accepted.

[rothkowitz]

I taught in language schools in Australia for 9 months with my CELTA,so,I can kind of say I got my money back.

Typically though jobs were strictly on a casual basis-perhaps only 1 or 2 at each school(5-10 teachers)on contract.

I'd guess schools in other countries want it or the Trinity College cert(what's the name of that one?)If you were to travel through Europe for a bit or down the Aussie East Coast it'd help pay your way.

It's fairly intensive anyway,but,when I did it,we started off with 2 trainers and one was replaced halfway through.

If you did it and tried to use it here,you'd only be paying for a name that no-one knows.