What countries could I teach in if I had a TESOL certificate?
Anne R asked:
And how would you compare it to the TEFLA?
I should also add that I have a bachelor’s degree, though not in education.
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And how would you compare it to the TEFLA?
I should also add that I have a bachelor’s degree, though not in education.
February 16th, 2009 at 6:01 am
Laos and Vietnam Cause those countries are very intresting
February 19th, 2009 at 10:56 am
TEFLA is NOT a widely-recognized name in the EFL/ESL world, so I would suggest avoiding any companies promoting a TEFLA certificate.
TESL/TEFL certification is normally completed in four weeks of full-time studies. The good programs include some supervised teaching practice. I would personally recommend the CELTA (Certficate in English Language Teaching to Adults) which you can do in many places but is overseen by Cambridge University. Cambridge frequently sends examiners to make sure the course is being run well, and those schools that aren’t up to standard are not allowed to use the CELTA name.
With a Bachelor’s degree and TESL certificate, you can teach in a private language school in any country that will give you a visa. The doors are wide open anywhere except the EU (unless you have EU citizenship) because there are enough native English speakers in Europe that countries don’t need to offer visas to US, Canadian or Australian citizens. You would make the most money working in Korea if you arranged a good contract for yourself. I’ve heard of new teachers working in Korea saving $1800 USD or so each month. Often, it helps to do your certificate course in the country you want to work in, as that makes it a lot easier to find jobs and make friends.
A BA and a certificate WON’T get you in the door at any public school, university or state-run college. Public schools will require teaching certification like a Bachelor of Education degree (UNLESS you work through a recruiter like Footprints that can place you as a language assistance in a classroom), while colleges and universities require Master’s degrees in TESOL. After I worked in Italy for two years I was able to come back to Canada and work in a community college, but I wasn’t teaching for-credit courses.