Teacher Discussion Forums

I am about to embark on this new career direction and opportunity, and I have the luxury of choice. Can anyone tell me if there is any real difference in the (domestic and overseas) marketplace between a CELTA certificate and a TESL Canada recognized TESOL certificate/diploma? I am also interested in the business English market, having worked in various businesses for years. Is either better for that? (I also have a B.A. in Communications).

Thanks in advance and apologies if this is not the appropriate forum.

I think it depends a bit on where you are going to end up working. The CELTA program is well-recognised here in Europe, so if you are thinking of coming here, I'd look into that.

Thanks. If I go overseas it will be to Asia or the MidEast/gulf region. I'm also interested in the domestic market (in Canada). Any knowledge, experience, or advice on those areas?

I'd go for the CELTA, it's good anywhere just like a Mastercard.



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vanman wrote:I am also interested in the business English market, having worked in various businesses for years. Is either better for that? (I also have a B.A. in Communications).

For business English either will do. In fact many business English trainers have no EFL/ESL qualifications. Just a corporate background.

Thanks.

Aren't CELTA, TESOL, TEFL, TESL all basically the same?

Other than different acronyms, all these courses deal with the same basic principles don't they?

Nexrun wrote:Aren't CELTA, TESOL, TEFL, TESL all basically the same?

Other than different acronyms, all these courses deal with the same basic principles don't they?

From my limited knowledge,

They do deal with the same basic principles.
However the focus can differ. And some courses are more demanding than others.
None of them will fully prepare you for teaching, but the good ones give you enough to survive comfortably while you learn to be a better/effective teacher through practice.

CELTA is focussed on adult learners, some courses also have a business English element.

CELTA is probably the most recognised globally and is a Cambridge University qualification. It is an academically acredited course.

Oxford University (I believe) do an accredited TESOL qualification, as do Universities in other countries.

CELTA and TESOL require 120-150+ hours of study, i.e. full time residentilal for 4-6 weeks, this means there is a lot of room for teaching practice in the classroom.

Having said that, some course providers are better than others.



TEFL/TESL certificates are only as good the provider or the course you do. For example there are 20 hour on-line couses with no classroom practice.
There are also 120 hour courses.
It is hard for a prospective employer to tell if you did a good course or a quickie, as such some employers do not like TEFL certs.


There are of course many language centres in the private sector that only require that you are a native speaker. They do not ask for any language teaching certs.
In the state schools it is different, they do require language teaching certificates.


The above info is, I hope, mostly correct. I hope it is helpful.