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Guide to TEFL Certification

Thu, 03/29/2012 - 20:18

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Abbie Mood from GO! Overseas Abbie lives in Denver and can usually be found hiking somewhere with her two dogs, Daisy & Sadie. She is a freelance writer & editor and a Pre-K Special Ed. teacher. Check out her website at abbiemood.com, or follow her on Twitter @AbbieMood.

Deciding whether or not to complete a TEFL course and receive the certification is an often asked question. During your job search you may have noticed that many schools do not require any extra certification in order to teach, and while many of these jobs are still perfectly legitimate, it is still widely recommended to complete some level of teaching certification (especially if you are coming from a non-education background).

That being said, there are still many teaching positions that do require a TEFL certificate or equivalent, and taking a course may then open new doors for you at a quality, higher paying school.

Generally speaking, there are two types of TEFL courses for you to consider: Online Courses and On-Location Courses. Both types do well to cover the different methods and ideologies of teaching English as a foreign language, but there are important differences to consider.

Is TEFL worth it?

For government jobs in South Korea, China, and Taiwan a 100+ hour TEFL course will raise your monthly salary by $100 in almost all cases. That's $1200 over the course of a year, which should easily pay for most online courses. Year two that's all profit.
JET is a highly respected program in Japan and it's almost essential to have a TEFL Certificate in order to pass through the application process.
Americans wanting to teach English in Europe will almost always need a TEFL Certificate to help get their foot in the door.
Most respected TEFL schools give their graduates lifelong access to their job placement services worldwide.

Online TEFL Courses

Online TEFL Courses to Teach Abroad Like the name implies, these courses are completed online and at your own convenience. They primarily cover the theory of teaching and don't offer any hands on classroom experience. Online courses are generally ideal for teachers who only want to achieve a basic understanding of teaching English as a foreign language. You may also consider an online TEFL course if you have other time constraints that would limit you from taking an on-location course.

Course length varies from 20 to 120+ hours and may include a variety of teaching materials. If possible, take the longest course available to you to get the most benefit.

Three excellent online TEFL courses:

International TEFL Academy Online Course Certification - 170 hour course is $1350
TEFL Institute Professional Online TEFL Certification - 150 hour course is $1350
BridgeTEFL Master Diploma - 120 hour course is $595

On-Location TEFL Courses

On Location TEFL Courses to Teach Abroad These courses are completed in a classroom setting and should be led by a qualified ESL instructor. Similar to online courses, length varies from 20 to 160+ hours of course work. The main advantage of these courses is the hands on teaching experience you will gain in a classroom setting with a qualified instructor. These courses are generally suited for teachers who want to master the methods of teaching English and who may want to pursue teaching as a career.

On-location courses however, tend to be more expensive and demand a greater amount of time to complete. The choice between taking this course vs. taking an online TEFL course depends on your own goals as a teacher.

Three excellent on-location TEFL courses:

International TEFL Academy TESOL Certification - 4 week course in Mexico is $1,550
TEFL Institute International Courses - 4 week course in Mexico is $ 1,995
BridgeTEFL International Diploma in English Language Teaching - 4 week course in Denver is $1,995

Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater. - Gail Godwin

Key TEFL Terms

In pursuing a TEFL certificate you may come across a variety of different terms that at first may seem confusing: ESL, EFL, TESL, TESOL and CELTA are the most common. Essentially they all mean the same thing - TEFL. Their name only changes on their country of origin. Here is a detailed explanation of each term:

ESL - English as a second language

English language programs in countries where English is the dominant or official language. Examples of ESL students would be immigrants or visa students studying English in an English speaking country (e.g. United States). Reasons for learning English in this context may be for settlement purposes, academic study, or to fulfill a language policy requirement.

EFL - English as a foreign language

English language programs in countries where English is not the common or official language (e.g. Japan). Students in this situation often speak the same first language and only encounter English in their classroom. Reasons for learning English in this context may be for business travel, academic requirements, holiday travel, etc.

TEFL - Teaching English as a Foreign Language

A term that refers to teacher training programs in EFL.

TESL - Teaching English as a Second Language

A general term that refers to many things. For instance, a TESL program refers to a program where students learn how to teach English as a second language. A TESL organization refers to a professional organization that represents teachers of English as a second language, for example, TESL Taiwan (national organization), TESL California (provincial) and TESL Prague (city). TESL may also refer to the teaching English as second language field in general (e.g. “I work in TESL.”).

TESOL - Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages

This term is used in the United States and refers to the professional organization that represents teachers of English as a second language.

CELTA - Certificate in Language Teaching to Adults

This is a trade name TEFL certificate course developed in the U.K. by University of Cambridge. It is a highly regarded course and offered worldwide. The program trains people to teach English as a second language. DELTA is the advanced Diploma course