Which course to take?

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Conor
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Joined: 06 Jan 2015, 16:15
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Which course to take?

Unread post by Conor »

Hi i'm 21 and live in Dublin.I've found allot of tefl courses online and face to face ones, but I don't know which one to pick.Can anyone tell me the best tefl course to take I will teach anywhere.Thank you.
Briona
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Joined: 29 Jul 2009, 20:33
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Re: Which course to take?

Unread post by Briona »

Hi there,

There are basically two types of courses – online and face-to-face courses.

Online TEFL certificates are much of muchness, so if a school accepts one, they'll accept any. What's important is the number of hours. Since the industry standard is 120hrs, anything less is a waste of time and will hinder your ability to find work. These courses sometimes include a classroom-based weekend element. However, it isn't especially valuable as it involves 'teaching' your fellow trainees.

The most well-known face-to-face courses are the CELTA and the Trinity CertTESOL. They cost €1,200+ and are done intensively over four or five weeks. Their biggest selling point is that they include a minimum of 6hrs of observed and assessed teaching practice where you teach real students as opposed to your fellow trainees. This is something an increasing number of employers look for.

Which course you choose is entirely up to you. However, before paying for anything, I'd advise doing your research and finding out what the requirements of your chosen country are. For example, to teach in most Asian countries, you need a degree, which can be in anything. The TEFL certificate is secondary. To teach in Western Europe, a CELTA or Trinity CertTESOL is pretty much a pre-requisite.

Hope that helps, and if you have any other questions please ask.

Briona
Experience teaching in Vietnam, Portugal, Poland, Spain, the UK, and Qatar
mpalke1
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Joined: 03 Feb 2015, 07:11
Status: Prospective Teacher

Re: Which course to take?

Unread post by mpalke1 »

Is it possible to add a CELTA certificate without having to take the entire CELTA course if I already have 120 hour online TEFL cert?
Awalls86
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Joined: 06 Feb 2015, 03:07
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Re: Which course to take?

Unread post by Awalls86 »

No... you would be required to do the whole course to get the certificate.
Briona
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Joined: 29 Jul 2009, 20:33
Status: Teacher

Re: Which course to take?

Unread post by Briona »

Nice try, but no. The CELTA is a standalone course awarded by the University of Cambridge, not an add-on to some no-name online TEFL certificate.

The only provider I know of that has an 'upgrade' option i-to-i TEFL. If you take their 140hr online TEFL certificate, you have the option of upgrading to the EDI CertTEFL. A relative newcomer to the market, the EDI CertTEFL is recognised as being at the same level as the CELTA or Trinity CertTESOL, but it would be up to you to prove this to employers. For more information, see http://www.onlinetefl.com/tefl-courses/ ... ttefl.html. I believe the course is currently only available in the UK.
Experience teaching in Vietnam, Portugal, Poland, Spain, the UK, and Qatar
mpalke1
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Posts: 8
Joined: 03 Feb 2015, 07:11
Status: Prospective Teacher

Re: Which course to take?

Unread post by mpalke1 »

Briona you are always soooooooooooooo much help! Thank you very much!
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