Online A Level recommendation.

[EdB4zK]

Hi.

I'm a mature student looking to gain an English Language
A-level in preparation for the CertTESOL course.

Has anyone here completed the English Language A Level online?

I see there are several providers, but I'm concerned by reviews which complain of long delays in getting work marked, and lack of engagement from tutors.

If you have had a positive experience on one of these courses, I would value hearing about it so that I can enrol with peace of mind.

Thank you.

[hcb2022]

I am in the US, so I know nothing about the UK system of TEFL training. I studied for and received my TEFL certificate through the online program of the International TEFL Academy in Chicago, Illinois, US. (They also have an in-person program, but I live very, very far from Chicago, so that was not feasible for me.) The course lasted eleven weeks and was indeed one of the most rigorous courses of study I've ever participated in--and I hold an MA, an MS, and a law degree. Included was a practicum. We had to observe a certain number of hours of EFL classes for the practicum. I observed far more than the requisite number. Also for the practicum, we had to tutor or teach a student or students. One student whom I met in an EFL class asked if I could tutor him. With the permission of the program, I did so. He is an Iranian graduate student who is studying engineering at a local university. (His wife is working toward her PhD in psychology at the same university. He and she taught themselves English in two years before they came to the US.) He's an advanced student, extremely hard-working, interested in and curious about everything, and has been an absolute pleasure to work with. I'm actually still tutoring him, even though I've spent more than the requisite number of hours on tutoring for my practicum and earned my certificate in March 2022, and we meet weekly for tutoring.

If getting a TEFL certificate from an American school is a possibility for you, I would recommend ITA's program highly. I learned a lot, We completed two or three lesson plans and/or essays and two to three quizzes per week, and our final project was extremely difficult but highly useful for us teachers-to-be. There was excellent contact available with our instructor, as well, and many Facebook forums in which we could participate and in which I continue to participate.

Please check out ITA's website. And if you have any questions for me, please don't hesitate to contact me.

All best wishes,
Hazel

[EdB4zK]

Thank you Hazel. I'm glad to hear that you had such a great experience on your TEFL course. Congratulations on earning your certificate. It's great that you were able to gain your first tutoring client before you had completed the training! That says a lot about your skill and passion as a teacher.

In the UK, we have two main TEFL certificates which are widely recognised and accepted by employers, and the training centres providing these are well regulated, so I'm confident about enrolling onto the TEFL course itself.

But to get onto one of these TEFL courses, I must first gain the qualifications which allow access to higher education (these are the A-Levels). Most students gain these in full time college at age 16-18. I didn't, so I need to do them now around my work and family commitments. There are several companies offering these A-Level courses online, but they all seem to have reviews stating that feedback on submitted work can be delayed by weeks, and that tutors are unreachable. I've looked at the course content for A-Level English Language and it is fascinating - I can't wait to get started. I'm just worried that I'll enrol on a course and then find that I struggle to pass it due to lack of support, so I would just like to hear from somebody who has had a good experience of taking the English Language A-Level online.

Thank you again for taking the time to respond. and for sharing your inspiring story of getting started in TEFL.
I wish you continued success in, and enjoyment of, your career in English Teaching.
Ed.

[hcb2022]

Ed, best of luck to you! It's such a pity that educational requirements that work in one country don't work in another. And I'm so sorry that the course you have to take provides teachers who take such a long time to respond to you.That is seriously unprofessional. I was so fortunate in that my teacher at ITA responded almost immediately. Also, she had real-time office hours during the week, when she was available for students to ask questions and just chat. I was usually the only student who showed up for these sessions!

If the A-Level course doesn't work out for you, do get in touch with me, and I'd be glad to tell you more about the online International TEFL Academy program. And no, I'm not in any way affiliated with it. I'm just a satisfied student.

In the past (I'm 68) I've earned a BA in German and English, an MA in German Literature and Linguistics, an MS in Ed. in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (almost totally theoretical and of NO help in learning to teach), and a law degree, so I've changed career paths a lot. :-) I ran a successful small business doing freelance editing, fact-checking, proofreading, and translating (German/English) for a number of publishers from 1985 to 2021, when COVID drove many of my publisher clients out of business or made them cease sending out freelance work. That's when I decided I needed to change directions. I do miss my small business immensely though.

If you'd like, please stay in touch!

All best wishes,
Hazel

[Johnser]

Thanks for sharing recommendationsons. it's important to keep in mind, and also be competent in this issue

[Johnser]

Looks fine