Tefl Schmefl

[ants_cymru]

I opened up this thread because I wanted to leave my last one to die (for now)

A question: Are the online TEFL courses, the ones that provide a weekend of tuition and the rest of the course self-taught worthless? Or are they as useful as the $1500 dollar monthly live in ones?

Is this fact page http://phuketdelight.com/teach.htmPhuket Teaching nonsense? Here's a quote "Look for a school that offers you the "internationally accepted standard" of at least 100 hours of classroom instruction - and at least eight hours of observed teaching practice. That level of training will assure you of the basic skills you need in the classroom - and of a certificate that will be accepted internationally. Study at home and distance courses will not generally be accepted as meeting that standard"

I was planning on taking a distance self-study course, with perhaps an intensive weekend. I work and cannot afford the time to do a long course. These self-study courses are also only around £400.

[cdnvic]

I opened up this thread because I wanted to leave my last one to die (for now)

A question: Are the online TEFL courses, the ones that provide a weekend of tuition and the rest of the course self-taught worthless? Or are they as useful as the $1500 dollar monthly live in ones?

Is this fact page http://phuketdelight.com/teach.htmPhuket Teaching nonsense? Here's a quote "Look for a school that offers you the "internationally accepted standard" of at least 100 hours of classroom instruction - and at least eight hours of observed teaching practice. That level of training will assure you of the basic skills you need in the classroom - and of a certificate that will be accepted internationally. Study at home and distance courses will not generally be accepted as meeting that standard"

I was planning on taking a distance self-study course, with perhaps an intensive weekend. I work and cannot afford the time to do a long course. These self-study courses are also only around £400.

One of our affiliates does both classroom, and online courses. So far they seem quite popular and I haven't heard any complaints. Their courses are available in the UK, US, Oz, and South America. I think they run about under $500 US for the full course.

cv

[kenkannif]

Yes, the 100 hours and 6 plus hours OTP is correct. By all means check with the BC or someone similar. Worldwide this is certainly the case.

Thailand though will accept most qualifications. Although the better schools will often not accept online/distance certs (as I mentioned before even AUA which is a so so school at best....now specifically say it must contain 100 hour class time and the OTP).

You'll get work with an online one, but probably not the better jobs and you won't be as well prepared to teach.

It makes sense really...if online or distance learning was the way to go....there'd be no need for us (i.e. we don't teach English online/distance...so how can we be expected to learn to teach by those means).

Do a search on here mate and you'll see most experiences teachers are none to enamoured (did I spell that right???) with online/distance learning.

But all the best!!! You'll get some work here with it.

Edited April 19, 2006 by kenkannif

[PeaceBlondie]

With all due respect to our advertisers who make this entire forum possible, I'm in the camp of graduates who think that four weeks of classroom attendance (or 100 hours' minimum plus in-class supervised teaching) is better than fewer hours and less teaching. And four years would be even better than four weeks, etc.

Many students can learn online, and some students fall asleep in some classes, but I only began to nod off once, briefly, in four weeks of my TEFL class, and I'm a diagnosed narcoleptic!!

Whatever works for you, whatever you have enough time for, up to you, suit yourself, what you can afford in time and money, depends on the circumstances, how long the string is, etc.

[Simmo]

It's also worth considering that doing a course here will get you that initial network of contacts. It's pretty common to line up your first job through the course or contacts you make. I had a blast on my TEFL course here and met some great people I still keep in contact with 2 years later.