Free C.E.L.T.A.??? or Free T.O.E.F.L??? Does it exist?

[Bann_Me]

I was wondering if there are any free programs for these certificates??

I have heard from people that these classes are largely a waste of time and are about making $$$.

Many teachers i have talked to have said that for teaching kids they don't offer any advice or usefull support.

I have heard that one of the courses i forget which one.....that they only taught them how the make finger puppets for the kids.

What use is that? I do not want to hand over 1,000 $$$$$$$$ just to have somebody tell me how to make finger puppets when I already know how to manage a classroom filled with 40 ten year olds. What are they going to show me? How to get the kids to color? That is a waste of time. Not only for me but for the children. And I have seen many teachers do this because they are lazy?? Or is it what the courses tell them to do? FINGER PUPPETS??

So any free courses offered????????????? Keep in mind I am only intersted in teaching kids. I do not want anything to do with adults Or teenagers, and have been in the classroom for years. But having a certificate makes it easier to get Visa's and what not from some countries. And also maybe allows to make some more $$$????

Anybody know abuot which course would have the most useful infromation about teaching young learners?

[Bann_Me]

Yeah, I mean teaching certificates. I do not even know the Acronyms for them.........................there are so many.......................

Big business......industry...................

[joshua2004]

I do not recommend TEFL programs. Here's what I think as a general message to all people getting into this field.

If you do not have a bachelors degree or above:

• you will be legally limited to worst jobs in the TEFL world. Forget making enough to cover any major mishaps or life's surprises which DO happen. Forget saving for retirement or buying a car, house, etc. If you don't spend all your money on transportation, food, and entertainment you are a smart shopper. In this low paying market, you can also look forward to battling with your employers for basic teaching supplies and timely paychecks.

Now, if you do have a bachelors or above:

• you will much more than likely not need a TEFL certificate to get a visa. If you don't believe a person can learn to speak English in a month, then how can you bring yourself to think that people can learn to be a teacher in 4 weeks?

Also, the idea that a 4-week TEFL certificate makes someone more "marketable" might have some truth, but let's also consider the worth of just a single year of English teaching experience in a foreign country. If you have at least a bachelors degree, you can land yourself a job just about anywhere. If you don't have a degree, I highly suggest you get yourself one since an ELT (English language teaching) career for you would be very difficult row to hoe.

[mesmark]

There is a course called CTEYL which is Certified Teaching English to Young Learners. That would probably have more interesting material for someone currently teaching or wishing to teach children. I can't comment on substance since I don't know anyone who has completed such a program.

I think you're better off with a TEFL and not for training but marketability (?) Most employers are familiar with TEFL and comfortable with that. The courses are simple, if you already have teaching experience. I think it will pay itself off.

Experience will get you a long way but not if there is an ESL/EFL teacher certification requirement. Also, while experience is good, it doesn't mean you are or that what you've learned through your experiences will be at all helpful. That's where the TEFL or CTEYL comes in (although that doesn't really mean you're a good or bad teacher either.)

I hope that helps.

Mark
www.mes-english.com

[Bann_Me]

Yeah, it seems having these certificates can't do any harm. If you are not worried about throwing money away or out the window.

or you can look at it as perhaps it may open opportunitititiizzz (Russian Spelling) for better paying jobs in the future. And like you said "pay for itself".. Which I hope these certificates do..........

Just living in a society in which "education" has been elevated into one of the highest achievemnts really sucks sometimes.

you know their so called education is more about mental adjustment than it is about education in the real sense of the word education.

[strider]

I disagree.

I did a one-month TESOL course which was very challenging and gave me the tools and confidence that I needed to start a new career. Yes, it cost a lot of money but considering that I've had nearly 10 years of earnings in various ESL roles, I consider it a very good investment.

[mesmark]

I agree with you. I think the courses are worth it and I learned from my course as well. I teach mostly children and so a lot of the information was not applicable to my everyday job, but it does give you some insight and I think they would be very helpful to someone starting out.

I taught EFL for 3 years before taking the course so when asked to create lesson plans or how to teach something, I could do it much quicker than others because that's what I do, granted never so formally written out.

Bann_me has a point as well that degrees have become the standard at which we evaluate and attach merit. Experience and substance have taken a back seat.