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Before making a decision about whether you want to do a TEFL certificate course we recommend that you read through the following advice in detail.
Choosing a TEFL certificate course can admittedly be a daunting prospect for those who are unfamiliar with the industry. You'll find a wealth of different advice and information on numerous websites, some of it honest and correct, some technically correct but misleading, some contradictory, and some simply untrue.
Who should I take my TEFL course with?
The problem with this question arises from the fact that there is, as yet, no one overall global body for the issue and moderation of TEFL certificate courses. The market is competitive and there are many companies, schools and organizations around the world that offer various TEFL and TESOL certification courses.
Some TEFL courses are excellent and will be recognized as such wherever you go. Some are maybe not as good but still fulfill international standards. Some, conversely, may be very good, professionally run courses, but fail to fulfill all basic accepted industry standards, and can thus leave you struggling to find employment in many areas of the increasingly competitive EFL teaching world. Some may be a complete waste of your time and money, and you'll find that the certificate you paid for isn't worth the paper it's printed on. Some TEFL course providers offer help with finding you a job; some don't. Often those who offer the most help in finding a job aren't always the ones with the highest level of international recognition. Do your homework. Ask questions, and remember that a great website doesn't always equate to a great TEFL course!
We believe that Via Lingua combines all the best aspects of the above by offering you a high quality, fully recognized course, as well as a wealth of job contacts through our group of international schools.
We recommend that you read the guidelines below in detail and if you have any remaining questions, feel free to contact us for clarification.
Firstly, there are internationally accepted standards for the governing of TEFL and TESOL certification courses worldwide. They are standardized by organizations such as TESOL (in the US) and the British Council (in the UK). Neither of these organizations 'accredits' TEFL courses as such, but the guidelines they issue are widely accepted and most employers worldwide are aware of them and will want to know whether your TEFL or TESOL course fulfilled these basic rules. The most important of them are:
- Your TEFL course must be at least 100 tuition hours and 4 weeks in length. Shorter courses than this are not generally accepted. The Via Lingua course is 4 weeks and 120+ tuition hours in length. There are many other TEFL and TESOL course providers around the world who likewise fulfill this requirement. In fact, most courses, good or bad, do so. It's one of the easiest regulations to comply with as it says nothing about the quality or validity of the training you'll receive, only the amount of it.
- Your TEFL course must include at least 6 hours of real, face-to-face, observed teaching practice with actual groups of students. The Via Lingua course includes 10 hours of teaching practice. Many other reputable providers offer a similar amount. Please note that on-line courses which do not offer real classroom teaching practice do not therefore normally qualify, however long they may be, unless there's also an on-site, practical teaching element to the course. In general, as far as employers are concerned, the more actual, observed teaching practice you've had during your TEFL course, the better.
The best endorsement for a TEFL course is the graduate teachers. Their opinions are likely to be the most useful to you. Ask any prospective TEFL course provider for a list of contact email addresses from graduates who have taken their course in the past. Don't be put off by the excuse that 'we can't give these out owing to confidentiality reasons'. This is technically true, but most TEFL course providers also maintain lists of past graduates who've given permission for their names and addresses to be passed on. At the very least, they should be able to forward your coordinates and queries on to some of their graduates and ask them to reply to you.
Questions to ask here include: 'Did your TEFL course provider assist you in finding a job after the course? Did your employer readily accept your certificate? Was the TEFL course professionally run according to the principles and guidelines promised on the course provider's website?' You can, undoubtedly, think of other questions.
Where should I take my TEFL course?
There are now TEFL courses on offer, of one sort or another, in most popular traveling and working destinations around the world. In some very popular locations, such as Prague or Barcelona, you can take your pick of any one of a dozen course providers. This can give you an enormous range of choices, but remember that the cheapest isn't always the best option! Likewise, just because a course is more expensive doesn't mean it's necessarily better. Of course the price is an important factor, (we all want value for money!) but bear in mind that this is an important investment in your future so try to choose wisely. If one TEFL course is going to land you with a good teaching job after completion and another isn't, a price difference of a hundred dollars or so may be a cost worth bearing. Remember also that very popular destinations such as those listed above are also places where hundreds of teachers want to work. Generally, this means that wages are lower and jobs can be harder to find.
If you know where you want to work, it makes a great deal of sense to take your TEFL course in that country, wherever possible. More and more these days, employers are unwilling to offer positions to teachers without their attending a face-to-face interview first. This is especially true for Americans (and other non-EU nationals) seeking to work in Western Europe. Unless you're prepared to travel halfway around the world for a 40-minute job interview, bear this in mind! A well-established local school can offer you far more help in finding work in a particular location than can one in a different country or continent, however good or professional their course may be.
At Via Lingua we try to uncomplicate this by offering all our graduates, irrespective of where they took the course with us, access to local job guidance and help from any one of our international group of schools, at any time in the future. To the best of our knowledge, no other TEFL course provider offers this.
For certain regions, such as the Far East, where demand for teachers is high and interviews are normally conducted over the telephone, your course location isn't as much of an issue. We can assist you in finding work in these areas at any time of year, wherever you take you TEFL course, without having to travel for a face-to-face interview. We know reputable schools and they often arrange to cover your flight costs and find you suitable housing.
In Europe, however, especially for non-EU nationals for whom work is always more difficult to find, jobs are found by knowing local contacts and well-established, reputable local partner schools. Schools regularly employ our graduates in Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Germany, Hungary, and Turkey.
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