Best online TEFL courses?

[Tweeder]

What TEFL certification did you use and how would you rate your experience?

Are some online courses more accepted than others by employers in Thailand?

Thanks!

T

[SlyAnimal]

TESOL/TEFL courses aren't needed in Thailand, although if you do one in the classroom it will likely assist your teaching. Generally speaking though, an online course isn't worth the paper it's printed on.

I did the foundation studies course for my certificate in person in NZ and found it to be a great course. I then did their additional components online and found them to be almost worthless (better than not doing them, as I did learn a little, but definitely not worth the cost, or even 10% of the cost lol).

[Loaded]

A book is cheaper than an online course but neither will equip you with any practical classroom teaching skills. A lot of people return home shortly after arriving if they don't have previous teaching experience and/or real classroom-based training.

Edited November 25, 2015 by Loaded

[Singharh]

Waste of money ! Nothing prepares you like a 120 hour TEFL course from a reputable provider. Even then you are short on classroom management which can be an absolutely nightmare if you have rowdy students.

[expatbrit]

Are you hoping to secure a "teaching" job in Thailand with a TEFL ?

If so I suggest you do another topic asking about job prospects.

It would seem big changes are on the way and the number of "foreigners" employed within the State Education system is likely to fall.

[nottocus]

There are none. It will get you nowhere.

[bigt3116]

Is this market research for this ?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847835-seeking-experienced-tefl-tesol-mentor-for-collaborative-effort/#entry9727219

[bigt3116]

Are you hoping to secure a "teaching" job in Thailand with a TEFL ?

If so I suggest you do another topic asking about job prospects.

It would seem big changes are on the way and the number of "foreigners" employed within the State Education system is likely to fall.

It would seem you are scaremongering and not aware of the timescale such changes would take.

Remember 6 out of 43,000 teachers tested reached the required standard.

[gk10002000]

I think some of the shorter ones can help. Just going over the things you forgot will be helpful to you such as: Passive voice, participles, infinities, subject verb object sentence construction, Future, past tenses etc. We use these things properly but long ago forgot what they are. As for helping get a job, online TEFL is some use but not much. A real degree now is the most important criteria.

[Singharh]

This scheme is only aimed at government schools....there are many private schools with ESP programs who will still employ NES teachers...

[expatbrit]

Are you hoping to secure a "teaching" job in Thailand with a TEFL ?

If so I suggest you do another topic asking about job prospects.

It would seem big changes are on the way and the number of "foreigners" employed within the State Education system is likely to fall.

It would seem you are scaremongering and not aware of the timescale such changes would take.

Remember 6 out of 43,000 teachers tested reached the required standard.

Strange. My next door neighbor and three of my wife's friends are Thai educated Teachers .

These four people speak, read and write English to a very high standard.

There must be something wrong with the numbers you quote.

[bigt3116]

6/43,000 teachers tested were of "near native" standard.

[simon43]

Strange. My next door neighbor and three of my wife's friends are Thai educated Teachers .

These four people speak, read and write English to a very high standard.

There must be something wrong with the numbers you quote.

Not necessarily. It simply means that 4 out of those 6 teachers mentioned in the report are living next door to you/friends of the latter

[Mencken]

TEFL is a waste of money. Go upcountry, get a job teaching at some hack school in a big city. With cool season here it won't be so bad. You'll get more confidence, knowledge than any stupid tefl course.

Plenty of solid educational online sources too, tons.

My only regret not doing a TEFL is I know two big schools passed on me bcz I don't have one. The absolutely stupid thing is I have some impressive paper. Who cares, next...

We have one teacher in our department who has strong Eng skills. A few that do have fluency. Many of my kids English is better than most of the teachers.

[The manic]

No online TEFL course is accepted by reputable schools. Even the lowest level of Prep Cert TEFLA etc has 100 classroom teaching hours. That being said there are plenty of disreputable schools which will accept you as long as you have a pulse and can stand up.

[expatbrit]

Strange. My next door neighbor and three of my wife's friends are Thai educated Teachers .

These four people speak, read and write English to a very high standard.

There must be something wrong with the numbers you quote.

Not necessarily. It simply means that 4 out of those 6 teachers mentioned in the report are living next door to you/friends of the latter

What are the odds for that being true .

I could work it out but why bother? The mass of ignorant people here would not understand the calculation !

[bangmai]

Waste of money ! Nothing prepares you like a 120 hour TEFL course from a reputable provider. Even then you are short on classroom management which can be an absolutely nightmare if you have rowdy students.

Actually, a four year degree prepares you to work legally, and that should have even higher priority. A 120 TEFL course would equal 3-6 semester credits of a 128 credit degree. Everyone should brush up on their grammar skills, and there are plenty of free resources out there. I like Hypergrammar out of the U of Ottawa. The only thing you will miss doing the online TEFL courses will be the 4-8 hours of teaching practice. All the rest of it is just some old PowerPoint slide show of stuff that's been beaten to death; Maslow comes to mind. On a scale of 1-10 for shadiness, with the rigged scale at the produce market being a "1," and a bona-fide pirate ship getting a "10;" Thailand's TEFL Training sector gets an 8.5. One of the kingpins has been banned by a number of forums, and I'm surprised that he just doesn't commit himself to the boiler room business. Some swindlers have a need for the personal touch, I suppose.

[BruceMangosteen]

You can either teach, or you can't. No TEFL, online or otherwise, is going to prepare you for the classroom.

Give it a try for a couple days, and I mean one or two, and you will know if you are well suited for it. The Thai's won't know, only you will. Then the financial aspects come into play, can you survive on meager earnings in a third world country?

It isn't rocket science, it's classroom management and dealing with Thai people. Preparing things such as "grammar" is easy enough, even at the University level. But you are need to teach how to communicate in English without sounding like an idiot, the learner I mean.

As for non native English speakers, I'll never understand the concept of hiring foreigners who aren't NES's unless of course, they are less expensive than Thai teachers?

All this applies to Government schools. You wouldn't be asking the question if you were qualified to teach in a real International School here in Thailand.

Good luck. Just come on over and give it a try. Open return on your ticket, pay the extra for that!

[Mencken]

There is no value in a TEFL. Standard bog job will hire you for same crap wage. If you want more money you need to bring your game and of that, experience is a part.

A lot of thoroughly unpresentable people moan about beautiful people getting all the plumb jobs. Some old codger with yellow teeth, bad breath and no degree or some overweight gemstone. They look a sight and their teaching marginal, they are old. Still, they moan.

Why shouldn't I get bested out by some 28yo handsome guy with a degree?

So, get some real paper and a year of experience behind you. Do your own thing, never look for a mentor. There are none. That especially incls the head teacher.

I've never heard anyone boast a TEFL lol.

TEFL is for people without university education.

If you are serious, at least don't do it in Thailand lol.

If you're really serious do a c/Delta, pgce, etc. TEFL is just so lol.

Amortized over a two year period, that TEFL will cost you about 1500b a month for 20mos. That's a ten percent pay cut of the top. If you only survive a year, 50k. That's 5k a month for some.

If you're making sadly 30k, plus initial visa costs, misc costs for school, clothes, moving and rental, etc...if you're even making 35k and only last a year, you are in the hole sure. That's not even counting a ow plane ticket.

An ill fated teaching foray, TEFL, one year here...you could be seriously oop. Like small big money. Not to mention a year truly wasted.

It might not even be you, consider yourself very lucky if the people you work with are not totally unreliable, head teacher sketchy and administration unsupportive and untrustworthy.

Nothing will prepare you for unmanageable classes. Thats pretty much 50% of all classes, even in better schools. They are to just be avoided, leave them to the degree-less edumacation wizards.

65% of classes can be managed to greater or lesser, the rest cannot. No TEFL will prepare you for students that actively try to have a go at you on a weekly basis. Count on these to potentially be anything below /7

Edited November 29, 2015 by Mencken

[bangmai]

There is no value in a TEFL. Standard bog job will hire you for same crap wage.

TEFL is for people without university education.

If you are serious, at least don't do it in Thailand lol.

If you're really serious do a c/Delta, pgce, etc. TEFL is just so lol.

Amortized over a two year period, that TEFL will cost you about 1500b a month for 20mos. That's a ten percent pay cut of the top. If you only survive a year, 50k. That's 5k a month for some.

If you're making sadly 30k, plus initial visa costs, misc costs for school, clothes, moving and rental, etc...if you're even making 35k and only last a year, you are in the hole sure. That's not even counting a ow plane ticket.

I'll fated teaching foray, TEFL, one year here...you could be seriously oop.

Nothing will prepare you for unmanageable classes. They are to just be avoided, leave them to the degree-less edumacation wizards.

Valid points. But without even adding airfare; add a mere 30K that you could have earned doing the exact same job you are paying money to get. Also ad 30K for 4 weeks living expenses...say 12K for all housing expenses and 600 thb for all weekend travel, beer, food, etc....not a real loose budget. Now your at 90K.....and say you immediately find a job...you just have to go to Vientiane...so let's say the cost of TEFL to prepare to work is actually closer to 100K....and that doesn't buy you your first purple polyester sports coat or the three months rent you need to move into a place. That's real money.....so basically, if you have a degree, they can and will hire you anyway, for the same salary...if you don't have a degree, your asking for trouble.

[Mencken]

There is no value in a TEFL. Standard bog job will hire you for same crap wage.

TEFL is for people without university education.

If you are serious, at least don't do it in Thailand lol.

If you're really serious do a c/Delta, pgce, etc. TEFL is just so lol.

Amortized over a two year period, that TEFL will cost you about 1500b a month for 20mos. That's a ten percent pay cut of the top. If you only survive a year, 50k. That's 5k a month for some.

If you're making sadly 30k, plus initial visa costs, misc costs for school, clothes, moving and rental, etc...if you're even making 35k and only last a year, you are in the hole sure. That's not even counting a ow plane ticket.

I'll fated teaching foray, TEFL, one year here...you could be seriously oop.

Nothing will prepare you for unmanageable classes. They are to just be avoided, leave them to the degree-less edumacation wizards.

Valid points. But without even adding airfare; add a mere 30K that you could have earned doing the exact same job you are paying money to get. Also ad 30K for 4 weeks living expenses...say 12K for all housing expenses and 600 thb for all weekend travel, beer, food, etc....not a real loose budget. Now your at 90K.....and say you immediately find a job...you just have to go to Vientiane...so let's say the cost of TEFL to prepare to work is actually closer to 100K....and that doesn't buy you your first purple polyester sports coat or the three months rent you need to move into a place. That's real money.....so basically, if you have a degree, they can and will hire you anyway, for the same salary...if you don't have a degree, your asking for trouble.

Indeed, in fact I just pulled a few numbers out of my ass. The four weeks while doing TEFL, the weeks after looking for work and costs associated. Minimum I've ever done a TR run to VNE is 5k plus 1k for each entry I could swing. No way some noob gonna do that. More like 10k. Then all the taxis, slip ups job hunting. Printing resumes at Intermet cafes...its endless.

In fact, I've been meaning for years to itemize precisely what are the costs and blog it. But I just don't care enough honestly. It would be solid info, people would scoff, then do it anyway.

The only people that should be teaching here are retirees, marrieds and people who have already settled into the system.

Coming here to teach is just idiocy. Triple so without a degree. These are truly desperate men honestly.

To say its not financially rewarding does not tell the full story. My hunch is, on 35k, b.visa lemmings who've changed jobs and even cities are in the hole years after they arrive. Just in denial or not very money saavy.

Bare bones costs to live in bkk and associated work costs I'd estimate now days at very close to 30k. Incl few liters of scotch and two dental cleanings. No going out, no horizontal refreshment.

Edited November 29, 2015 by Mencken

[Loaded]

OP, commit suicide, it is less painful than reading this thread.

[DanceAllNight]

Don't do it online. Go to the country you want to teach in, and do it there.

I recommend Vietnam!

They pay well, they want to learn English, and jobs are everywhere!

[uptheos]

Do a cute little TEFL course and use it to give some tuition to your neighbors kids.

It won't get you any money, but you'll be well liked and will get a few curries passed your way

OK OK Before someone says it.......work permit.