What do people think of this TEFL course? £55 for a TEFL/TESOL certification

bluenitsuj wrote: »

I have been looking for a while and considering the following:
http://www.tefl.co.uk/

Would anyone recommend this, part 2 does involve practical teachings in a classroom. The price is about £400 total for both parts. Part 1 an intensive 20 hour 3 day weekend course, and then Part 2 is 80 hours of distance learning.

Any feedback, especially anyone that may have done this course. I have also been looking at the TESOL course but not sure which to go for.

Hi there,

Online/combined courses (online CELTA excepted) are much of a muchness and many schools categorically refuse to accept them! When looking at courses with a practical element, check whether trainees teach real students or just their fellow trainees. If it's the latter there's little point in doing the course. If it's the former, it's far better to have a recognised certificate which does just that, in other words the CELTA or Trinity CertTESOL. But at £1,000+ for a four-/five-week intensive course, these don't come cheap.

Contrary to popular opinion there is no one accrediting body for TEFL courses, so any provider claiming that their courses are internationally recognised is not being truthful. The ONLY courses that have any degree of international recognition are the CELTA and Trinity CertTESOL ones. Note that if you ever want to teach in a native English-speaking country, such as the UK, you will have to have one of these.

The other thing to be aware of is that for those without a degree (in any subject) the list of places where you can legally teach is fast decreasing. Currently your best bets are China, Cambodia, Laos, Ecuador and Costa Rica. But come 2015, with ASEAN integration (the Asian version of the EU), it will no longer be possible to teach anywhere in South East Asia without a degree.

For those in possession of a passport from an EU member state, the whole of Europe is open to you. That said, Europe is a very popular destination for EFL teachers and to be in with a chance of landing a job, it helps to have to a degree and a CELTA/Trinity CertTESOL.

Lith wrote: »

And most schools would happily accept British over american any other day (not a racist thing..) just most schools would love to prefer British English rather than american English but 90% schools always have american teachers...

@ Lith: You should check your 'facts' before posting them. It's not true that "90% of schools have American teachers", and certainly not in Europe where Americans struggle to find legal work. Neither is it true that schools would "love to prefer [sic] British English rather than American English". In Asia many schools prefer speakers of American English as this is what their learners are used to as they watch American-produced films and listen to American singers. When I taught in Vietnam I used coursebooks written in American English and had to alter my teaching to suit, e.g., saying 'candy' rather than 'sweets', and 'trash' rather than 'rubbish'.

Lith wrote: »

Not sure about these TEFL/TESOL certification courses... i've got a friend who teach in china with out them..

While it's true that you don't need a TEFL certificate in some places, it's not true that they aren't needed at all or that they are "only needed in big places". It all depends on where you want to teach. You will not find work in Europe without some kind of TEFL certification, nor in many parts of Asia.

Lith wrote: »

I know a friend whos
(still there...) never teached in his life never had TEFL/TSOL or degrees.

I have no idea what the above means! If someone's never taught before, what is the relevance of having/not having a degree and a TEFL certificate?! Never mind. FWIW the past participle of 'teach' is 'taught' not 'teached'.

Briona

I would love to do the CELTA but I have not earned enough in my business to fund it. I am studying the TEFL to gain a recognisable qualification .

charlie-chan wrote: »

I would love to do the CELTA but I have not earned enough in my business to fund it. I am studying the TEFL to gain a recognisable qualification .

I think you've missed the point somewhat! Online TEFL certificates are NOT recognised qualifications - just try looking for work in the UK with one! While it's true that some schools (abroad) will accept them, an increasing number categorically will not.

That said, I did an online TEFL course as a sort of 'taster' just to see whether TEFL was for me. Satisfied that it was, I went on to do a CELTA, where the knowledge I'd gained from the online course gave me an edge over my fellow trainees. Just as well really as the CELTA is THE most intensive thing I've ever done. God only knows how I'd have coped if I had had no prior knowledge of grammar and terminology!

I have just finished doing CELTA as a 6 month part-time course. BTW, thanks Briona for your encouragement when I was starting out:D.

As far as the course goes....... I would advise anyone considering doing the intensive month-long course to think very seriously about the amount of time you have to devote to it. As a wife and Mum to 2 children I could not have done it. No way! Doing it part-time took up so much time each week preparing lesson plans and materials, and doing the assignments.

It was a very intense course, and had some times of real stress, but I have ultimately enjoyed it and can't wait to start looking for some work locally in a couple of weeks so that I can get experience before using it when we move abroad.

It cost £600. I did it in a college so it was subsidised by the government. If you do it somewhere like International House in London, it is £1300 this year I believe.
If you can find it in a state college, you will get the same training, but cheaper.