What do people think of this TEFL course? £55 for...

[kdamani]

£55 for a TEFL/TESOL certification from Global Language Training worth £325

Also seems accredited. http://www.actdec.org.uk/members.shtml although it's under
"Applicant Membership of ACTDEC registers intent on the part of the institution, to seek accreditation for a specific course (or courses) and, by implication, signals a willingness on the part of the institution, to adhere to the high standards set out in the code of practice."


Anyone heard of this company? What do people think of this?

http://www.kgbdeals.co.uk/national/deals/69851

[Sleazy]

Never heard of them, but watching the post with interest as this is something that I've been considering.

[Carl31]

Anything that makes claims like that i tend to steer clear of

Especially on groupon type sites

[heretolearn]

I knew something similar had come up recently. Consensus is that it doesn't really qualify you to teach although depending on the qualification you might get a job in some dodgy place in thailand...

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...highlight=tefl

[Scott1c]

Kdamani. I taught English in a Bilingual school in Thailand for eleven years. The course doesn't look legitimate to me. Really you need to look at doing a CELTA, or Trinity Certificate. They are both expensive. Experience working with children will generally be considered more valuable, maybe you could get experience working with the Brownies, Cubs or youth group. Most TEFL work is teaching kids, not all but most. Experience in a UK school would also be very valuable.

[kdamani]

Originally Posted by heretolearn

I knew something similar had come up recently. Consensus is that it doesn't really qualify you to teach although depending on the qualification you might get a job in some dodgy place in thailand...

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...highlight=tefl

Yup, that was with TEFL express, who apparently accredited themselves, making them totally unreliable. I'm just thinking that if this company seems a bit more trustworthy, this deal is pretty good as a 120/150 hour online course is about £300. Though still researching it, as perhaps this deal is too good to be true.

[dizzyrascal]

Most established and reputable TEFL courses take a good few weeks to get through and charge approx £1.000 so this one looks too good to be true. I think sometimes the course is offered free as long as you work for the company at a destination of their choosing for a fixed term. If you don't fulfil the contract then they can recover the fees they have spent in training you. No reputable courses operate this way, which probably tells you all you need to know

[Kate78]

If you are going to spend your money on a TEFL certificate, then I would go for either the Trinity College London TESOL certificate or the CELTA (google either of these to find providers).

Both cost around £1000-£1200 to complete and can be done as a four week intensive course. All the good schools request one of these certificates as the entry level qualification. Online certificates can be a useful introduction, but the CELTA/Trinity qualifications require teaching practice and observations to pass and this is valued by employers.

[bluenitsuj]

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.

[conradmum]

Originally Posted by bluenitsuj

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.

I taught TEFL and ESOL for over 15 years in Australia, Laos and England. As other posters have said, the only qualifications worth doing are the CELTA and Trinity TESOL. Anything else is a scam and not worth the paper it's written on, honestly.

What country do you want to teach in? Have a look at Dave ESL Cafe forum for advice on what qualifications you need for each country. Some countries don't even require EFL qualfications, only a degree. If you want to teach in England you're better off doing one of the new FE qualifications (assuming you want to teach adults; there's very little work teaching ESOL to children in the UK).

[Lith]

Not sure about these TEFL/TESOL certification courses... i've got a friend who teach in china with out them.. also NEVER USE an agency... if its china then... Come to China first and then find a job. Don't let an agency arrange everything for you -- if they do your visa, accommodation, schedule, etc., then they are able to trap you. I've heard way too many horror stories.....

Of the old hands who teach, many search through a network of foreign friends living in a city to look for a job. It's best not to go through an agency and to try to speak to schools directly. Public middle schools in Beijing, for example, pay RMB 9000 per month (no accommodation provided) and expect 12-16 hours of class from you. Universities pay RMB 6000, provide accommodation, and expect fewer hours of class. But this is Beijing tho...




- Good Luck, but you don't really need those... unless you want to teach in big places because like I said I know a friend whos
(still there...) never teached in his life never had TEFL/TSOL or degrees


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...

[briona]

Originally Posted by bluenitsuj

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.

Originally Posted by Lith

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'.

Originally Posted by Lith

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.

Originally Posted by Lith

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

[Lith]

@ briona


Well my facts are right... because I've been to china MANY times and my chinese friends always say most teachers are Americans and some Europeans but hardly any British? i don't know why....


Also about the 'not needing a TEFL/TSOL/Degree' well you don't if you wish to teach in china in public schools junior based how i know this? (trust me on it...) but if you want to EARN MORE and i mean big money... YOU DO NEED some type of qualification... (and just for your information) im talking about teaching in CHINA only... as for other countries or Europe you will need a TEFL etc

[charlie-chan]

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 .

[uponahill]

Originally Posted by kdamani

£55 for a TEFL/TESOL certification from Global Language Training worth £325

Also seems accredited. http://www.actdec.org.uk/members.shtml although it's under
"Applicant Membership of ACTDEC registers intent on the part of the institution, to seek accreditation for a specific course (or courses) and, by implication, signals a willingness on the part of the institution, to adhere to the high standards set out in the code of practice."


Anyone heard of this company? What do people think of this?

http://www.kgbdeals.co.uk/national/deals/69851

Sounds like one of those dodgy degrees that were on offer from the University of Lagos!!!!

a BA for £250 and a MA for another £200!!

[briona]

Originally Posted by charlie-chan

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!

[charlie-chan]

Originally Posted by briona

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 meant to use as a basis for a CELTA and to allow my tutoring clients to know I have gained some experience.

[rosie383]

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

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.

[flutterbyuk25]

Rosie - can I ask how much the CELTA was?

[rosie383]

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.