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Brero
Mc

Registered: 10/07/05
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TESOL and TEFL courses. Has anyone done one?
#4924806 - 11/12/05 12:51 AM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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Hello All
I am looking into doing a TEFL course in Ban Phe, Thailand. I Applied with TEFL International (http://www.teflinternational.com). The website looks great and the course sounds awsome.
But when i replied it has taken constant harrassment through their online help to get a reply(2 weeks later). which was promised within 24hours.
When talking to them i have been given 4 differnt excuses for their delay.
Also their website looks alot like another TEFL International company(http://www.teflcourse.net). same prices, locations, course dates, some pictures and even some text. but with differnt contact details.
This is all making me very wary. 1600 US is alot of money and i do not wat to hand it over to some scammer.
Anyone that has done one of these courses and can vouch for the company they did it with can you plsease let me know
thanks.
-------------------- Dont matter how many times the ball bounces, There is still no bones in ice cream
Death to out of focus photos! Use the manual focus people!
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GnuBobo
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Registered: 06/17/04
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Re: TESOL and TEFL courses. Has anyone done one? [Re: Brero]
#4924837 - 11/12/05 01:04 AM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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Do it in the states, or wherever you're from. That sounds really shady. You've got to watch yourself...make sure you know who you're talking to in the ESL business. Why not get a CELTA?
-------------------- Jerry Garcia. JERRY GARCIA! JERRY GARCIA!!!!
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License_to_Chill
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Re: TESOL and TEFL courses. Has anyone done one? [Re: GnuBobo]
#4924872 - 11/12/05 01:17 AM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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So, you just get the degree, then they assign you a place overseas to go teach?
Do they pay for housing or do you get any sort of payment?
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"I sat on the bus next to God once, he told me about the true meaning of life... then he gave me a pretzel..."
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Brero
Mc

Registered: 10/07/05
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Re: TESOL and TEFL courses. Has anyone done one? [Re: GnuBobo]
#4924873 - 11/12/05 01:18 AM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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I am actually not sure of the deffernce between a CELTA and a TESOL or TEFL course. All i know is that the TESOL/TEFL is better for asia and CELTA is better for the West.
I want to do the course in Thailand for the expirience. The live in courses last a month and sound great. I have never heard of anyone being scammed. I just dont want it to happen to me.
I am from Australia
-------------------- Dont matter how many times the ball bounces, There is still no bones in ice cream
Death to out of focus photos! Use the manual focus people!
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Brero
Mc

Registered: 10/07/05
Posts: 114
Last seen: 10 years, 2 months
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Re: TESOL and TEFL courses. Has anyone done one? [Re: License_to_Chill]
#4924895 - 11/12/05 01:24 AM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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A degree is a whole new kettle of fish. The course is only a month long. I am mainly doing it to help fund my travels and because i would find it interesting. Not cause i want to do teaching as a profession.
The price includes accomadation. When the course is over you can find work very easily in asia. For quite good money as well.
-------------------- Dont matter how many times the ball bounces, There is still no bones in ice cream
Death to out of focus photos! Use the manual focus people!
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License_to_Chill
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Re: TESOL and TEFL courses. Has anyone done one? [Re: Brero]
#4924940 - 11/12/05 01:45 AM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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Wow, actually I'm pretty intrigued by this.
Yea, I didn't mean "degree" just finishing the course.
I just checked the site, but I can't find where they offer the courses in the US.
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"I sat on the bus next to God once, he told me about the true meaning of life... then he gave me a pretzel..."
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Brero
Mc

Registered: 10/07/05
Posts: 114
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Re: TESOL and TEFL courses. Has anyone done one? [Re: License_to_Chill]
#4924944 - 11/12/05 01:50 AM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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Yeah it sounds really good. You can get jobs all around the world. Asia is just the easiest. In the middle east(if you wanna go there) you can make around 90K a year.
Im sure there would be heaps of courses in the US. Just do a google seach for TESOL or TEFL
-------------------- Dont matter how many times the ball bounces, There is still no bones in ice cream
Death to out of focus photos! Use the manual focus people!
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GnuBobo
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Registered: 06/17/04
Posts: 43,754
Loc: Charisma
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Re: TESOL and TEFL courses. Has anyone done one? [Re: Brero]
#4924954 - 11/12/05 01:58 AM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
Brero said: I am actually not sure of the deffernce between a CELTA and a TESOL or TEFL course. All i know is that the TESOL/TEFL is better for asia and CELTA is better for the West.
I want to do the course in Thailand for the expirience. The live in courses last a month and sound great. I have never heard of anyone being scammed. I just dont want it to happen to me.
I am from Australia
CELTA's meant to go anywhere--they teach it all over the world. It's the best certification to get for ESL teaching, if I'm not confused. It depends on the type of teaching you want to do...CELTA will let you go anywhere, basically. It's an intense course.
That said--careful. The global ESL industry is polluted by schools and directors of schools with terrible ethics. Just understand--you're entering a BUSINESS, in a foreign nation. Don't expect your students to necessarily be receptive, or concerned with your classes. People run these things to make money first, and educate second.
Just make sure you know where you're going.
Dave's ESL cafe is a decent resource, if you haven't been there already. www.eslcafe.com
-------------------- Jerry Garcia. JERRY GARCIA! JERRY GARCIA!!!!
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License_to_Chill
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Re: TESOL and TEFL courses. Has anyone done one? [Re: GnuBobo]
#4924956 - 11/12/05 02:03 AM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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Thanks, Gnu. You seem to know a good bit about this.
--------------------
"I sat on the bus next to God once, he told me about the true meaning of life... then he gave me a pretzel..."
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GnuBobo
Frilly Cuffs Extraordinaire


Registered: 06/17/04
Posts: 43,754
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Re: TESOL and TEFL courses. Has anyone done one? [Re: License_to_Chill]
#4924959 - 11/12/05 02:04 AM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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I taught in S. Korea for a year and got my CELTA certification in Portland.
-------------------- Jerry Garcia. JERRY GARCIA! JERRY GARCIA!!!!
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License_to_Chill
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Re: TESOL and TEFL courses. Has anyone done one? [Re: GnuBobo]
#4924963 - 11/12/05 02:06 AM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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Oh, no wonder. lol.
So, is it true that you can make good money and provide housing?
--------------------
"I sat on the bus next to God once, he told me about the true meaning of life... then he gave me a pretzel..."
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GnuBobo
Frilly Cuffs Extraordinaire


Registered: 06/17/04
Posts: 43,754
Loc: Charisma
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Re: TESOL and TEFL courses. Has anyone done one? [Re: License_to_Chill]
#4924974 - 11/12/05 02:13 AM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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Totally depends on which country you're in. Currency exchanges and local living standards in some countries will allow you to live there and save nothing. Some other countries/positions will allow you to live all right and save some cash. Housing is sort of different from country to country--either you get an allowance or it's provided. Some places I'm sure you don't get housing, maybe just help finding a place. It really just depends where you want to go.
I'm off to bed.
-------------------- Jerry Garcia. JERRY GARCIA! JERRY GARCIA!!!!
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License_to_Chill
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Re: TESOL and TEFL courses. Has anyone done one? [Re: GnuBobo]
#4924975 - 11/12/05 02:16 AM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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Nice, thanks for all the info.
Night.
--------------------
"I sat on the bus next to God once, he told me about the true meaning of life... then he gave me a pretzel..."
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Brero
Mc

Registered: 10/07/05
Posts: 114
Last seen: 10 years, 2 months
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Re: TESOL and TEFL courses. Has anyone done one? [Re: GnuBobo]
#4924982 - 11/12/05 02:23 AM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
GnuBobo said:
That said--careful. The global ESL industry is polluted by schools and directors of schools with terrible ethics. Just understand--you're entering a BUSINESS, in a foreign nation. Don't expect your students to necessarily be receptive, or concerned with your classes. People run these things to make money first, and educate second.
Just make sure you know where you're going.
already.
Yeah. I know what you mean. Thats another reason why im looking for someone who can vouch for a course provider.
-------------------- Dont matter how many times the ball bounces, There is still no bones in ice cream
Death to out of focus photos! Use the manual focus people!
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Brero
Mc

Registered: 10/07/05
Posts: 114
Last seen: 10 years, 2 months
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Re: TESOL and TEFL courses. Has anyone done one? [Re: GnuBobo]
#4924987 - 11/12/05 02:28 AM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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http://www.aacircle.com.au/forums/teaching-english-studying-abroad/1031-celta-vs-tesl.html
CELTA stands for: Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults. So are you planning on teaching adults or children?
TEFL would prepare you to teach all age groups, and isn't specific to adults only.
ICAL or i-to-i are very well known for their online TESL courses.
CELTA courses cannot be done online, and the tuition is higher than TEFL courses. Hence, they hold more weighting when applying a job.
If 2 candidates have exactly the same credentials except for their teaching qualifications (1 has CELTA, the other TEFL), then the one with the CELTA certificate would most probably get the job.
-------------------- Dont matter how many times the ball bounces, There is still no bones in ice cream
Death to out of focus photos! Use the manual focus people!
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GnuBobo
Frilly Cuffs Extraordinaire


Registered: 06/17/04
Posts: 43,754
Loc: Charisma
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Re: TESOL and TEFL courses. Has anyone done one? [Re: Brero]
#4925755 - 11/12/05 01:13 PM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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CELTA can be used for kids as well--I used it that way. It's not terribly hard to adapt to kids. The basic methodologies the CELTA program teaches work for any age group. I'm not sure why they specifically put "Adult" into that title, but, really, if you're teaching a bunch of beginner-level adults, you do essentially the same thing as with kids. With kids you'd use different materials that would suit their sensibilities and keep their interests. Kids learn pretty damn fast, though. You start slow with them, get the basics down, repeat, build on that, repeat, then they start just shooting off a couple of years later and are speaking much more clearly to your ear (as a native speaker) and are able to make constructions they're not sure of just by trying to apply the rules they've learned.
With adults, you can run into thicker accents and their questions are different--they tend to me be more technical in nature and specific.
At least, that's what I noticed. I only taught a year, though. There are people out there that are hardcore into ESL and have taught in several countries or found a culture they liked alot and just stayed put learning the local language and getting better at teaching year after year. That eslcafe link is a great resource if you're thinking about doing it. Lots of veterans who've been in the business for many years.
GL
-------------------- Jerry Garcia. JERRY GARCIA! JERRY GARCIA!!!!
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