CELTA/ certTESOL/ Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Dear,

For the MA TESOL, which one is easier and easy-going with the International Students? Huddersfield or Sunderland?? PLEase Help

Congratulations!!!!
I'm well jealous, can't believe I have to wait until August until my CELTA!!
Have you been given the pre-course task? I havent started mine yet :P

Now to look for jobs; since I finished uni I have been looking on TEFL.com like everyday nearly lol. Im getting more and more attracted to the idea of South Korea, the thing putting me off is missing christmas at home, Im such a mummys boy!
When are you going to start applying?

I'm in two minds about what to do. I already have a job lined up in France next year, but as I want to get another one at the same time (part time), I've been looking online, and realised that I'll need a TEFL qualification.

However, I cannot afford a CELTA. Not even close. So, I want to do an online TEFL course. My thoughts are, I've already had a year's teaching experience, and this job in France is a teaching one, so that's more experience. So although I won't have the practical component, I do have more experience than some people. And my aim is to go to Latin America afterwards, where I think they're probably a little more lax about what qualifications you need to teach somewhere...

Anyone have any experience with i to i tefl courses?

I'm in two minds about what to do. I already have a job lined up in France next year, but as I want to get another one at the same time (part time), I've been looking online, and realised that I'll need a TEFL qualification.
Anyone have any experience with i to i tefl courses?

Just mindcasting here. What would the prospects be for an untravelled, degree-less 24 year old taking a TEFL qualification and finding employment in some corner of the world? Impossible without a degree? Pointless? Worth the risk? Can anyone undertake the CELTA course, or do you need A Levels? I only have a GCSE grade B in English Literature, and a grade C in English in Language. I'm just curious.

Thanks

i-to-i is not a bad course, and its one of the best online courses.
However, in France you will sadly find it very difficult to get a job. Even with a CELTA is would be a struggle as most French schools require a degree, plus CELTA plus experience plus DELTA or Masters in TEFL.
I don't want to rain on your parade but I am trying to be realistic.
You wouldn’t for example want to waster £400 on i-to-i when it doesn't get you anywhere. A CELTA though would be pretty pointless if you only wanted to work part-time for a year. I would say to try to look for jobs before paying for the course and see how many opportunities there are available. TEFL.com eslcafe.com are good places to start looking.
That said I think TEFL does provide a good opportunity to travel and earn a wage at the same time and it can be very exciting.

Well, a degree would make it much easier for you to find a job, but its not end of game. Due to visa restrictions Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Indonesia and almost certainly China are all off limits
South America is generally far less strict with fewer requirements. Europe obviously has no requirements due to the fact you don't need a visa however.... it would be near impossible to get a job in Europe without a degree.
A possible option will be to go out to a country and find a job as getting one from the UK is harder with no degree.

To get on a CELTA course you need a minimum of A-Level (or their equivalents). Some centres strongly prefer candidates to also have a degree I am sorry to say
A good option for you may be i-to-i's internship scheme. Their China and Poland internship doesn't have any requirements and will get you valuable experience. They cost £1k upwards plus flight and insurance (and visa) costs, but give you accommodation and an allowance.
http://www.onlinetefl.com/teaching-internships/

Good luck though as I am sure you will love an exotic adventure and seeing where TEFLing will take you.

Well I'll have a degree, teaching experience and fluent Flench, as well already be working as an English teacher at the main university of the city - so I'd like to think my chances aren't as low as you're making out! But I'm glad the i-to-i course is good. They have an offer on currently and I can do a 120-hour online course for £209 - you think it's worth that?

Do you think it would be better to proceed with completing my A levels and then take the CELTA, that way I can have my options open to proceed with university or teach abroad if I like it?
Sorry for all the questions, I'm just curious.

Many of the jobs in Eastern Asia say a TEFL certificate/experience is unnecessary and that only a BA degree is required. Does anyone know what the prospects are for someone who has just graduated yet doesn't have a TEFL certificate and only has a small amount of experience working (in the UK) in a classroom with children?

TEFL qualifications are expensive so if it were possible I'd rather just get a job where the schools trains you up how they want you to teach. I just want to know if anyone's had any experience applying for ESL teaching jobs with only a BA degree?

Hi, I just finished my Trinity Cert. TESOL last Friday so if anyone has any questions I'm happy to answer them. As far as I can make out it's pretty identical to the CELTA but about £200 cheaper for some reason...
Right, off to look for jobs now. World, here I come!

i am thinking of doing a TEFL or CELTA or something, i am doing a gap year abroad already, would it be best to wait until after uni to do it? can anyone give me some info??

thanks

It seems like you are committed to i-to-i, if so do it. Im guessing you are doing a French degree and the British Council or similar has got you a job as an assistant in a French uni. This is nothing like being a teacher in a normal school where you will write lesson plans and effectively be 'in charge' of students.
I'll say it again to get a jobs in France a CELTA is usually a minimum, and a few months of experience doesn't change this sorry.
If you want to apply to schools also do it now, as nearly all will completely close down during mid July until September- its not a French myth lol :P

Don't worry about TEFL. I've been TEFLing for a few years now and I know more people without TEFL than with, in both China and South Korea. I'm in China now and even know a few people without degrees.

Schools will have their own ways of doing things although to be brutally honest, not all will give you what we would call training! I also am of the firm opinion that just 'cause a school asks for TEFL, doesn't make it a better establishment. It's just a word on paper, after all, asking for TEFL.

I'm a (very casual) recruiter in China, so if you have any questions (or even want information on the couple of positions I'm looking to fill) do drop me a line. Feel free to ask me anything, both about entry and lifestyle.

As a graduate, with or without TEFL, your prospects are very, very bright. I can't even say that having TEFL would get you a better wage because in my experience, more often than not, schools recruit on a set wage regardless of TEFL/experience. Good luck!

That's exactly the right sort of attitude. If you do TEFL, a large part of your recruitability is in your "foreign" face, so you have the room to make mistakes because most schools here won't sack you - it costs a lot of money to get you out here. It'll give you a real taste of being at the front of the classroom, combined with the sort of adventure you won't get when you settle down at home into a "real" teaching job. For me, I get to combine my love of language with my love of travel and as a priceless bonus, I never, ever thought I'd see the day I'd stand in front of sixty people and just teach but now my confidence is through the roof. To you and everyone else thinking of TEFLing, I wish you all the best!

Has anyone gone to Australia to teach? Ideally I'd love to go there but obv there will be a lot of competition as its an English speaking country and everyone I've spoken to says they might have positions but can only interview once i'm in the country. It all sounds a little risky to me!

I know that some of the schools in Sydney (and probably other places!) will take on teachers on Working Holiday Visas but beyond that you'd probably have to be quite well qualified with a Masters degree and a whole heap of experience.