Online Tefl Certificate

Discussion about courses, qualifications etc

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Richard_b
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Online Tefl Certificate

Unread post by Richard_b »

Hello there!

I was just wondering what all your thoughts are on the 120 hour online Tefl certificate? I'm considering doing a 4 month internship which includes this qualification. I will use this internship as a taster for teaching to see if I actually want to do it.

I just have a couple of questions: Is the online Tefl certificate generally regarded as equal to the four week intensive Tefl certificate by employers worldwide? Also, if I applied for Tefl jobs after my internship, would I be in just as good of a position with my online certificate and teacher placement as somebody who has done the four week intensive Tefl certificate?

Any thoughts or opinions would be appreciated

Thank you!
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Joe
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Re: Online Tefl Certificate

Unread post by Joe »

Your use of the definitive article suggests that you think there is some kind of definitive TEFL certificate, online or offline. In truth there are many TEFL certificates and they are distinguished mainly by the quality of the TEFL course provider. Thus an online certificate from a good quality TEFL course provider could well be worth more than an offline certificate from a poor quality TEFL course provider.

That said it also depends where you will be seeking employment as some schools couldn't tell the difference between a TEFL certificate and a TOEFL certificate. As with everything in life you pays your money and you takes your choice. Put another way, you get what you pay (and work) for.

Hope this helps and that others will add their thoughts.

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Richard_b
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Re: Online Tefl Certificate

Unread post by Richard_b »

Hi Josef

Thank you very much for your reply!

Do you happen to have any knowledge of ESLstarter.com? That is the agency I will probably go through for an internship, and these internships include a 120 hour online Tefl certificate. I did also consider i-to-i Tefl, but I've read some poor reviews of their service.

Are there any providers you would recommend? That being said, is the CELTA 4 week intensive course generally the best route for beginners to go down when considering future employment and prospects?

Thanks again

Richard
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Joe
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Re: Online Tefl Certificate

Unread post by Joe »

Richard_b wrote:Do you happen to have any knowledge of ESLstarter.com?
Sorry, no.
Richard_b wrote:That being said, is the CELTA 4 week intensive course generally the best route for beginners to go down when considering future employment and prospects?
I don't want to drone on and say that the CELTA is the best course out there because there are lots of other good courses, but let me say that you can never go wrong with a CELTA :)
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fchris
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Re: Online Tefl Certificate

Unread post by fchris »

You're in the exact same position I was in 2 years ago.

I decided that I wanted to teach ESL but wanted a taster plus a chance to work on my grammar before committing to something like CELTA.

I first obtained a 140 hour on-line TEFL certificate, then enrolled on the 6 month i-to-i China internship to get some experience. I don't know about the one you're talking about but i-to-i were fine. LoveTEFL is another one which uses the same partner company in China and is much cheaper so maybe have a look at one of them.

After this I was certain I wanted to pursue teaching further so I enrolled on a CELTA course. This was extremely intense but definitely one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.

From my experience and from talking to others who have taken similar paths into ESL teaching I can certainly say these things:

1) On-line TEFL qualifications just don't come close to CELTA. I'm glad I did one along with the internship as it put me in good stead to pass the CELTA application and start the course with confidence but they are micky mouse qualifications. They'll get you a job somewhere but this certainly doesn't make you a competent teacher.

2) As the previous poster says, CELTA is regarded as the most prestigious and rightly so. I've met other teachers who have completed 4 week (CELTA equivalent) courses but by their descriptions they have sounded more like 4 week beer drinking courses. Trinity College London offers a respected TESOL but just go for CELTA.

With regards to your questions. Someone with CELTA and experience will always get the job over someone with an on-line TEFL and experience. If it was CELTA + no experience Vs On-line TEFL + 2 or 3 years experience then it levels out a bit depending on the employer. I personally would still always choose the person with CELTA.
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