Another 'which Tefl Course?' Question

[Lodestone]

I'm interested in getting a TEFL certificate solely for a work permit and thus want to spend as little as possible as long as I end up with a valid and acceptable cert. According to the Text-And-Talk Academy's site, only their TEFL is accepted by the Thai Ministry of Education and for that privilege a new applicant must pay 585 GBP (about US$1160). Whereas ICAL (a sponsor of ThaiVisa.com) offers an online course for only US$265 and claims its ICAL Certificates have been accepted all over the world. Obviously I'd prefer to go the cheaper ICAL route but at the same time don't want to end up having effectively thrown that smaller amount away if the cert. is refused when applying for a WP. Anyone know what the actual WP situation is in this regard? Thanks.

[PeaceBlondie]

You're comparing apples to oranges, but that's okay. I am not sure that Text&Talk's claim to exclusive acceptance is accurate. If you want a four week in-house course, another sponsor of ours is SEE, based in Chiang Mai. If you want something more like a correspondence or online course, ICAL should do the job.

[Lodestone]

You're comparing apples to oranges, but that's okay. I am not sure that Text&Talk's claim to exclusive acceptance is accurate. If you want a four week in-house course, another sponsor of ours is SEE, based in Chiang Mai. If you want something more like a correspondence or online course, ICAL should do the job.

Again, sorry for the repetition , but I'm interested solely in the cheapest, easiest way of acquiring a TEFL that the MoE will accept for purposes of granting a WP. As such I wish to only compare similar ('apple-like') attributes of T&T and ICAL, i.e. price and acceptability by MoE. Given that, it's not quite clear to me by your "ICAL should do the job" that you mean you can confirm the MoE will accept a TEFL cert. from them, or just that they offer what you feel is a legit online course.

[PeaceBlondie]

Sorry to confuse you; let me say my piece and slip out the side door.

Nobody nation-wide can guarantee that the MoE in your local province will do anything. Nobody I know can guarantee the TEFL certificate is required in one province (well, maybe they can, but in all 70-some provinces?). You could call the ministry yourself and get lots of different answers, mostly vague and unquoteable.

[Ijustwannateach]

^Agree with the above. The only real guarantee is that there are no guarantees.

Ok, I'll make one guarantee: if this thread turns into a TEFL or TEFL-marketing-strategy slagging thread, it'll close faster than you can say, "MOE approved."

[simon43]

And is there any interest on your part in following the TEFL course which will provide you with the best training for teaching your future pupils? Or it it just a case of the quickest, easiest and to hel_l with the quality of my teaching?

Tell you what, as it's Christmas, I'll do you a favour! I've just launched my own online TEFL course. It only costs $50 and you don't actually have to do any studying at all!! Just send me the payment and I'll generate a very flash certificate on my computer and email it to you. This online TEFL certificate proudly states 'Accepted by everyone throughout the world, especially all Thai schools and MOE' - Will that do for you??

Simon

[otherstuff1957]

็ำ็Here's what I was told by a Thai friend who talked to the MOE about Tefl courses. "The MOE recognizes Tefl courses that are acredited in Thailand OR in a Native Speaking English Country." In other words, if your TEFL course provider is owned by an overseas entity that is acredited in the US, UK, Canada, Australia... they will probably accept that course.

Of course, it's all subject to the whim of the MOE clerk who processes your particular paperwork & subject to retroactive change without notice, so this post may already by inaccturate, false & misleading.

[stevemiddie]

Well. I was interviewed by the MoE prior to receiving my teachers license. ( interview is now required in Chonburi )

My TESOL was by Chichester College. No problem with that at all.

The poster Simon43 has correctly identified a problem here that is all too prevalent.

Namely.........you are not interested in teaching or your students. You just want this so you can get a work permit. IMHO

[Lodestone]

And is there any interest on your part in following the TEFL course which will provide you with the best training for teaching your future pupils? Or it it just a case of the quickest, easiest and to hel_l with the quality of my teaching?

Are you saying ICAL -- the only low cost course provider mentioned here -- offers a poor quality course?

Tell you what, as it's Christmas, I'll do you a favour! I've just launched my own online TEFL course. It only costs $50 and you don't actually have to do any studying at all!! Just send me the payment and I'll generate a very flash certificate on my computer and email it to you. This online TEFL certificate proudly states 'Accepted by everyone throughout the world, especially all Thai schools and MOE' - Will that do for you??

Walk it through a successful WP process and I'll even pay double!

[Lodestone]

you are not interested in teaching or your students.

Please quote any post of mine where I've expressed a single negative view towards teaching or students.

The poster Simon43 has correctly identified a problem here that is all too prevalent.

I would say certainly you at least have illustrated a phenomenon all too prevalent in online forums, namely speaking out of one's ass.

[PeaceBlondie]

Let's see if we can avoid exactly what Ijustwannateach already mentioned.

A. The opening poster believes he absolutely needs a TEFL certificate to get a work permit, and his other posts indicate he's lived in Bangkok, has a science degree, never took a TEFL course.

B. He wants us to compare Text'n'Talk with ICAL? No, let's NOT do that.

C. Let's not accuse the OP of things he hasn't said.

We've told the OP that there are no guarantees, no certainties. So I say, call the local Ministry of Education yourself, ask the relevant officer. We are not MoE officers.

[mopenyang]

I'm interested in getting a TEFL certificate solely for a work permit and thus want to spend as little as possible as long as I end up with a valid and acceptable cert. According to the Text-And-Talk Academy's site, only their TEFL is accepted by the Thai Ministry of Education and for that privilege a new applicant must pay 585 GBP (about US$1160). Whereas ICAL (a sponsor of ThaiVisa.com) offers an online course for only US$265 and claims its ICAL Certificates have been accepted all over the world. Obviously I'd prefer to go the cheaper ICAL route but at the same time don't want to end up having effectively thrown that smaller amount away if the cert. is refused when applying for a WP. Anyone know what the actual WP situation is in this regard? Thanks.

Since it is more than possible to get a teaching work permit without any kind of TE-- (fill in the letters) certificate here, why would you spend more than you have to? $265 vs. $1160 seems like a no-brainer to me.

[mopenyang]

Well. I was interviewed by the MoE prior to receiving my teachers license. ( interview is now required in Chonburi )

My TESOL was by Chichester College. No problem with that at all.

The poster Simon43 has correctly identified a problem here that is all too prevalent.

Namely.........you are not interested in teaching or your students. You just want this so you can get a work permit. IMHO

I believe your final comment above is unfair.

People sometimes have money concerns and act accordingly.

Also, the cost of the course is not necessarily an indication of its quality or worth.

Take the case of a professionally qualified teacher who graduated from an Education (state teacher licensing) curriculum at a university but does not have a TE-- (fill in the letters) certificate. Why should he or she pay a lot more money for something that will provide them very little in terms of additional teaching knowledge? If they find a less expensive TE-- (fill in the letters) certificate, more power to them.

[stevemiddie]

you are not interested in teaching or your students.

Please quote any post of mine where I've expressed a single negative view towards teaching or students.

The poster Simon43 has correctly identified a problem here that is all too prevalent.

I would say certainly you at least have illustrated a phenomenon all too prevalent in online forums, namely speaking out of one's ass.

And you would know an ass wouldn,t you?

This is the OP,s opening statement.

"I'm interested in getting a TEFL certificate solely for a work permit "

Also ( for the OP ) some schools INSIST on a 120 hour TEFL with at least 6 hours of OBSERVED teaching practice.

You are not going to get that on any online course.

Edited December 26, 2007 by stevemiddie

[Loaded]

Full SP:

2/1 IJWT closes the thread within 4 hours

4/1 it stays open

evens they'll be a similar thread along within 5 days

They're at the starting post, the course official is waving his flag, they're off...

[mopenyang]

you are not interested in teaching or your students.

Please quote any post of mine where I've expressed a single negative view towards teaching or students.

The poster Simon43 has correctly identified a problem here that is all too prevalent.

I would say certainly you at least have illustrated a phenomenon all too prevalent in online forums, namely speaking out of one's ass.

And you would know an ass wouldn,t you?

This is the OP,s opening statement.

"I'm interested in getting a TEFL certificate solely for a work permit "

Also ( for the OP ) some schools INSIST on a 120 hour TEFL with at least 6 hours of OBSERVED teaching practice.

You are not going to get that on any online course.

If I could figure out what you are asking in your first question, I would answer it.

And some schools don't require the 120 hour TEFL with......... Some don't require a TEFL of any description! And so what if he doesn't want such an expensive course with all those bells and whistles that you had on your course? It's his time and his money.

Yes, he's trying to satisfy what he believes to be the requirements for a work permit. While I don't agree with his interpretation of said requirements, I don't fault him for trying to do it inexpensively.

Why do you?

[stevemiddie]

Not worthy of a reply. Now ignored.

Edited December 26, 2007 by stevemiddie

[Ijustwannateach]

Hope you didn't get a lot of people taking the short odds on you, Loaded, 'cause this thread has got all hotted up and nowhere to go!

"S"