TEFL advice needed. Please I need some help!

[winterinmoscow]

I've decided that - after volunteering to teach english abroad in several countries a few years back - this is the year I wish to get a TEFL certificate

Having decided that, my most obvious choice was the CELTA qualification. Having researched that though, my only options to do it where I live are to take 4 weeks leave from work to do it full time (tricky with work and I'm not too happy about this idea), or commute over to Manchester to do it part time - considering my stress level at work is very high at the moment, that's not too attractive either. It's also quite expensive.

I met a friend recently who said she's doing a TEFL qqulification with i to i. I researched some of their courses and the longer ones sounded quite promising. I emailed i to i about this and asked them for how their longest course compares with the CELTA certificate and have had no response

I want this certificate as something like personal insurance! Right now I am working for a chairty in the UK, which I love. However, if it closes and I have to leave, I'd be interested in going abroad to teach again. I'm not interested in making a huge salary of TEFL, I just to be able to find a job which will pay me enough to live on

VSO (cos I'd love to volunteer with them in the long run) and the British Council also seem to want the CELTA certificate.I know i-to i though do have vacancies abroad on their qualifications.

I am most interested in south-east asia.

If you've got this far, thanks. What I'm really seeking advice on is:

1) is the CELTA certificate really so much worth having that I should definitely be aiming to get that ignore the other options and/or 2) has anyone tried to get a TEFL job on the back of an i to i qualification.

Am I actually just talking crap and can someone point me in the right direction

Thanks in advance

 

[Madusa]

No advice really to give, only that I'm in Spain and start my month long intensive TEFL course in a couple weeks and I've done a bit of research about the situation here and found the 2 greatest demand for teachers is teaching english to companies and business people and also, young learners here so that's probably what I'll end up doing. Also, a few friends of mine started out initially in schools but also did private tutoring for well off families here wanting their children to learn english a few hours a week to pump up their salary which'll also be an option for me once I'm certified.

Obviously, as you're interested in Asia, you'd need to clue up on what the demands are out there, but I think it's a good investment doing the TEFL as there are always going to be a demand for teachers all over the world.

Good luck!

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

To be bluntly honest, in Asia, they don't really give two fucks whether you've got a CELTA/TEFL certificate, they just want to see a Degree.

 

[Madusa]

Yeah, I've heard ^^this aswell. Shame it's not the same in Europe.

 

[winterinmoscow]

Thanks folks. If that's the case I might just do the I-to-i course and then take my chances

I've got a degree... in something else

If someone did the celta at weekends I'd be interested but up here around the Leeds area I can't find anything

 

[Madusa]

If you just did the CELTA at weekends, how long would that take?

 

[winterinmoscow]

Can't see anywhere up here that does it at the weekends.

The only part time one I've seen is 2 evenings a week in Manchester for I think 9 weeks and the cost is very high.

 

[5t3IIa]

eidt: wrong thread sorry

 

[Dandred]

Thanks folks. If that's the case I might just do the I-to-i course and then take my chances

I've got a degree... in something else

If someone did the celta at weekends I'd be interested but up here around the Leeds area I can't find anything

Don't do the I-to-I course it's a rip off and they will charge you to find work, when if you did it yourself it would be free.

I did the I-t0-I 5 years ago and its a worthless certificate

 

[tombowler]

As somone who has done the i to i and is still working on it but at the same time working in Czech republic teaching english i would say.

1) most employers would prefer to have somone with class room experiance, You dont get this online

2) The I to I course is rubbbish with typing errors the page style changes often. Many modules need the the tutor to pass before you move on, The tutors dont mark at weekends so you do one module friday and have to wait till monday pm or tuesday to continue.

I thought i had completed it and discovered i had only done the grammar specialist certifiacte as the home/ log in page does not make it clear where you are, Each specialst certificate requires a different tutor but they dont tell you who it is.


Dont waste your money find another on line course or do it properly over four weeks face to face.

 

[Madusa]

Yes I think the course I'm doing organises both Teaching theory and practicals so that you get experience of planning you're own lessons and teaching them at least 3/4 times a week and I think this is something I'll find valuable.

 

[derf]

To be bluntly honest, in Asia, they don't really give two fucks whether you've got a CELTA/TEFL certificate, they just want to see a Degree.

Not true here. They don't give a rats about anything as long as you are a native speaker and don't have an extremely strong regional accent.
If you do go to Indonesia I would suggest staying well clear of Jakarta. it's a toilet. The smaller cities away from tourist areas are you best bet. They are going stupid to get native speakers and there are so few of us about.
I've been offered full time teaching jobs a plenty but don't want them.

PS -I've heard so many horror stories about EF (English first) at least some of them must be true using the no smoke yardstick.

 

[derf]

By the way when I realised I was coming out here I did a weekend I to i course just to get some ideas as I knew I would end up visiting schools. It was a good course and while the cert has been useless in that no one has ever asked to see it or any other qualification the course was invaluable.
I did mine in Leeds.
I do no formal work and don't get paid most of the time but now I've started to travel much further and to richer cities they have started giving me an 'envelope' to cover fuel money and always take me out for a meal.
It's always Rp500,000. That's about a month's salary for a local manual worker to give you an idea of scale.
The work I've been offered would pay a few million a month with free housing and free food. The school pay your visa and tax.

 

[derf]

Don't do the I-to-I course it's a rip off and they will charge you to find work, when if you did it yourself it would be free.

I did the I-t0-I 5 years ago and its a worthless certificate

As i had never done any teaching before in a school situation I found their weekend course very useful especially in lesson planning and in that it gave me some great ideas on 'fun' learning that have worked very well here.

They do charge to find work. I'll find the op work here for a small fee and get a better job for them in a good school.
One advantage of being here is that I know the schools and who offers the best working conditions.

I know two of the schools I have been visiting are after full time teachers and they are nice places to work with good staff but to get the OP there I would be cutting off my own cash so a small fee would be in order.
I would also have to talk to the OP to make sure that I would be happy to introduce them to the school but it sounds like they would be OK if they have worked in Asia before. you would be amazed at the number of foreigners out here that try to behave like they are still in the UK. Doesn't go down well here. You need to be very open and friendly.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

I've got a degree... in something else

Again, what the Degree is in, really does not matter, whether it's a first in Aeronautical Engineering from Cambridge, a 2:2 in Politics from Loughborough or a 3rd in Knitting from Skegness.

A Degree is all that counts (in Asia).

A white face also helps (sadly).

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Derf is right about one thing for sure: Don't work for English Farce. In China they sound like a total nightmare.

 

[gaijingirl]

I don't have CELTA and had no problem teaching in Japan. However, when I wanted to work for VSO they demanded despite me having had 4+ years of experience. Additionally, even though I have a PGCE, I still can't work for any British Council approved places without the CELTA. So if you have the time/money to do it and you think teaching is going to be longterm for you - I'd be inclined to do it now.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

I don't have CELTA and had no problem teaching in Japan. However, when I wanted to work for VSO they demanded despite me having had 4+ years of experience. Additionally, even though I have a PGCE, I still can't work for any British Council approved places without the CELTA. So if you have the time/money to do it and you think teaching is going to be longterm for you - I'd be inclined to do it now.

Yeah it's the same with the PNet programme in HK. Even when you're a qualified teacher with x years of experience and a PGCE or B.Ed, you still need to complete a CELTA during the first year there.

 

[derf]

Again, what the Degree is in, really does not matter, whether it's a first in Aeronautical Engineering from Cambridge, a 2:2 in Politics from Loughborough or a 3rd in Knitting from Skegness.

A Degree is all that counts (in Asia).

A white face also helps (sadly).

Most don't even care about the degree at all but would like it better if you had one.
The white face bit is very much true here. There is a push here for white skin in a big way. Bule are regarded as special in a way that has shocked me.
It is to my advantage but I can't say I'm that happy about it.
A good outlook on life and people is important. there are only two white blokes in this area. I get invited all over the place while the other is hated like you would not believe. He just won't open up to the people here.
No idea why.

 

[winterinmoscow]

Thanks folks

Well I'm a bit stuck really.... The advice on itoi is well useful... I'll probably scrub that one out.

If I could do CELTA part time I'd be right onto it

i will consider all the advice!

 

[mrkikiet]

Derf is right about one thing for sure: Don't work for English Farce. In China they sound like a total nightmare.

they are a nightmare everywhere - it's practically slave labour...

a CELTA is pretty useful in most parts of the world. do it. it will be worth it in the mid to long term.

 

[miss direct]

I'd say avoid i-to-i. If you're going to spend money on a course and this is something you really want to do, get something recognised.

I did my CELTA a few months ago and it was very worthwhile. I had taught before doing the CELTA and learned so much.

I don't know about South East Asia but here (Turkey), you have to have a degree plus CELTA or Trinity certificate. I think if you have a CELTA as opposed to a no name qualification it can open the doors to better jobs/higher salary so it may pay off.

I put off doing CELTA for ages due to the cost but am glad I went for it in the end. Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[dessiato]

Thanks folks. If that's the case I might just do the I-to-i course and then take my chances

I've got a degree... in something else

If someone did the celta at weekends I'd be interested but up here around the Leeds area I can't find anything

If you are going to pay for a course do the Trinity or CELTA courses, they are much more readily recognised than the i-to-i course. You will find this very useful if you want to do some summer teaching in UK where i-to-i is not recognised by many schools. A lot of British Council recognised schools will more quickly recognise Trinity or CELTA, one of my colleagues has a TEFL cert from a reputable UK college, but it is not recognised outside of that college for jobs.

 

[Shevek]

I know this is slightly off topic but I have thought about teaching English abroad (I even did an I to I weekend course in the late 90's) but the one thing I am worried about is medical insurance. I have bipolar affective disorder and have to take 2 lots of medications every day. I just want to know if it would be possible for me to find inexpensive medical insurance (given my condition) and whether I could procure my medications cheaply overseas.

 

[Dandred]

Check here for some jobs!!

http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/

Lots to choose from and many countries.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

I know this is slightly off topic but I have thought about teaching English abroad (I even did an I to I weekend course in the late 90's) but the one thing I am worried about is medical insurance. I have bipolar affective disorder and have to take 2 lots of medications every day. I just want to know if it would be possible for me to find inexpensive medical insurance (given my condition) and whether I could procure my medications cheaply overseas.

If you've got a condition which might need serious medical attention, my advice would be not to go to China! Especially if it's something like bipolar which the Chinese probably thinks 'doesn't exist'.

 

[Shevek]

If you've got a condition which might need serious medical attention, my advice would be not to go to China! Especially if it's something like bipolar which the Chinese probably thinks 'doesn't exist'.

scary stuff! It feels a bit limiting sometimes to have this condition. Although I wouldn't like to go 'ga ga' in China granted. Id probably get shot.

 

[Pinette]

Yes I think the course I'm doing organises both Teaching theory and practicals so that you get experience of planning you're own lessons and teaching them at least 3/4 times a week and I think this is something I'll find valuable.

A renegade apostrophe there, love.

 

[derf]

Just had a thought.
For anyone considering teaching overseas you may wish to contact your local council to see if they have any courses teaching English to foreign people in the UK. It's usually asylum seekers who are on these courses and I believe many councils have courses or know of someone who runs them. These love native speaking volunteers as it really takes the pressure off their small and usually overworked staff.
I did this and it it's great for dipping your toe in the water to see if it suits you while doing something to help others at the same time.

 

[machine cat]

Derf is right about one thing for sure: Don't work for English Farce. In China they sound like a total nightmare.

Not universally true. I know someone who worked as a teacher and then a DOS for EF in Beijing and said it was a really good place to work. Others at different branches have had bad experiences I'm sure, which is why they have earned their reputation as being shite. They're a franchise so each school is going to be run with different levels of shitness.