Tefl/celta Where And What One?

[glenbat]

I'm currently in the UK and considering a year in Thailand (and hopefulyl longer). I will not need to work in order to survive in LOS, but would like to do something to pass the time and also get more involved with thai people. I'm not a degree holder, but have both my ONC and HNC in Engineering and 10 years behind me here at a large international pharmaceutical company (which I realise may not mean anything in thailand). I'm considering doing TEFL/CELTA course so that if I wish to teach, it will be easier for me to get into. I dont want to be a bum for a year.

I've seen 1001 places offering 1001 different courses/content and am still none the wiser I'm afraid.

Would it be better for me to do TEFL here in the uk or in thailand? Does doing it in London or BKK look better on your CV than doing one in scunthorpe (apologies to any scunnies) or khazakstan?

And what courses are best to do/most recognised in thailand? I'm assuming the best/better courses involve hands on experience, actually working with a class and being assessed? Obviously steer well clear of internet ones am i right? Cost isnt going to be a big issue and I would like to do the best available to me in order to give me more opportunities in LOS, whats your recommendations?

I was initially planning on coming over on a 1 year renewable visa with 4 entries on it, and hopefully finding work/sponsor whilst there in order to prolong my stay

I know my post is probably a little vague so please ask me anything I've missed

Many thanks in advance

[El Taco Loco]

Due to the intricacies of the Thai culture and students, I would ask you do your TEFL here. They include the dos and don't's specifically for this region.

Due to new regulations, you need to have a degree and transcripts and two letters from the school (search the forum to get that info).

Also, as they are now requiring police reports from the local police before you are given a non B regionally, get it from Hull or Liverpool. Less hassle.

Celtas can be done here as well. Just as good and tough as they are in the UK.

[Loaded]

Due to the intricacies of the Thai culture and students, I would ask you do your TEFL here. They include the dos and don't's specifically for this region.

Due to new regulations, you need to have a degree and transcripts and two letters from the school (search the forum to get that info).

Also, as they are now requiring police reports from the local police before you are given a non B regionally, get it from Hull or Liverpool. Less hassle.

Celtas can be done here as well. Just as good and tough as they are in the UK.

I think the requirement to obtain a teacher's licence has always been degree. However this is Thailand and many many teachers work legally, and illegally (to work 100% legally you need a work permit), without degrees. I have never seen a degree requirement for a work permit, but if someone has a link to a MOE sourced document, I'd love to read.

The new requirements affect teachers with degrees who now wish to obtain teacher licences (a precursor to the work permit in 'most' applications - there are genuine exceptions); as usual in Thailand they probably won't be enforced, but they mainly affect what degreed teachers will need to do EXTRA to obtain their teacher's licence: culture test, jump through hoops etc.

If there are police checks, they will be at the teacher licence stage. Please show me a link to a Thai consulate/embassy that states there will be police background checks before they issue a non-immB.

[Jonson83]

I chose to enroll with a TEFL school in Thailand(Chiang mai) rather than one in England.The main reason being that they could sort out my Non-im B visa,which they have.

I don't know if all TEFL training schools offer this,but its a real plus if they do.

[PeaceBlondie]

Threads such as this turn into arguments sooner or later, but youse guys are doing really well so far.

SEE is one of our sponsors on our teaching forum, and their course probably meets all the requirements needed for a TEFL course in Thailand. At this chaotic time in Thailand, your lack of a real bachelor's degree may make it very difficult to teach legally.

Areeing with Loaded: please, somebody, link us to the English language website of a Thai embassy, consulate, MOL or MOE regarding this rumoured police check. But they say that Brits can get a police check for only a few quid, so you may as well get one, and bring it with you.

As for Scunthorpians (or as the Vulkans call them, cuntorpes), I wouldn't know.

[Ijustwannateach]

I think I'll remain skeptical about the police check until I actually meet someone who's been required to get one.

It's ok if people make constructive recommendations about any particular TEFL course- but the moment anyone starts slagging off a course, this thread's history.

"Steven"

[bina]

glad someone resurrected this question; it may be that i have to start thinking about real life jobs in thailand in the next year or so; and i will have to work...i asked this question in a past thread but will hijack this one instead

having checked in israel, english teaching friends here say the tefl courses here are not recognized anywhere else in the world, so i should do a course like the CELTA, so obviously that would be thailand....

price IS a factor since i am poor and my thai husband is even moreso; transportation costs are a factor as are living costs so shopping around and trying things out is NOT an option. i have an ancient BA in anthro/socio from way back when with no transcripts as that university didnt give them. they gave out five page critques per project/course instead (part of the Five college system in amherst mass). the target school would be local area near korat (near husband's house), primary school level etc.

i know that i could probably teach w/o all the paperwork since he is on good terms with the school principal and puu yai baan etc... but i hate being illegal, and finding a farang woman teaching illegally would be really easy for immigration if they ever wanted to look.

so trying to think ahead and find good/not expensive places for future reference. the internet courses seem pretty iffy for the most part.

so any other suggestions, or should i just check out SEE and thats that. i think bangkok is out of the question, i just am not a big city person, i would be eaten alive...even though it is 'fairly' close (three hours of bus rides from muubaan to korat and korat to bangkok)

end of hijack;

and yes, i've searched, read , synthesized, chewed on it all, but i lose track of info from long threads where people get hysterical about being underpaid, conditions, etc. paupers cant be choosers and i've never lived an american lifestyle so its a moot factor. any pay at all would be welcome for us as the future looks pretty penniless if we HAVE to move to thailand.

bina

[Jonson83]

Police check? I got my visa last week and i did not have to do anything like that?

What type of 'police check', CRB?

I do actually have CRB clearance to work in English schools anyway.

[Jessy]

If your intention is only to work in Thailand then any TEFL would be ok as long as it is accredited by the Thai education departmnet. But, the best one you can do is the CELTA. Nowadays, this seems to be the only English teaching qualification that is recognised with credibility outside of Thailand. So if you think that one day you may want to teach elsewhere in the world - Eastern Europe, UK, Middle East etc. then do a CELTA.

[Ijustwannateach]

It's my understanding that the CELTA is aimed primarily at adult teaching- not where most of the TEFL market is in Thailand. It's an excellent cert., and worth having if you plan to do more TEFLing in your life- however, some of the other local TEFL courses are aimed more at the kinds of teaching more common in Thailand (kids, primarily), and many of them are also perfectly acceptable in other countries. Shop around and ask plenty of questions before putting your money down.

"Steven"

[paulmw]

Due to the intricacies of the Thai culture and students, I would ask you do your TEFL here. They include the dos and don't's specifically for this region.

Due to new regulations, you need to have a degree and transcripts and two letters from the school (search the forum to get that info).

Also, as they are now requiring police reports from the local police before you are given a non B regionally, get it from Hull or Liverpool. Less hassle.

Celtas can be done here as well. Just as good and tough as they are in the UK.

I think the requirement to obtain a teacher's licence has always been degree. However this is Thailand and many many teachers work legally, and illegally (to work 100% legally you need a work permit), without degrees. I have never seen a degree requirement for a work permit, but if someone has a link to a MOE sourced document, I'd love to read.

The new requirements affect teachers with degrees who now wish to obtain teacher licences (a precursor to the work permit in 'most' applications - there are genuine exceptions); as usual in Thailand they probably won't be enforced, but they mainly affect what degreed teachers will need to do EXTRA to obtain their teacher's licence: culture test, jump through hoops etc.

If there are police checks, they will be at the teacher licence stage. Please show me a link to a Thai consulate/embassy that states there will be police background checks before they issue a non-immB.

Look in teachers forum from the Thai embassy london.

They want a background check there even a down loaded copy of it there ,also Savanaket Lao now require this .

Been there done that got the T shirt.

And not at licence stage but at B visa stage.

Paul

[Loaded]

Due to the intricacies of the Thai culture and students, I would ask you do your TEFL here. They include the dos and don't's specifically for this region.

Due to new regulations, you need to have a degree and transcripts and two letters from the school (search the forum to get that info).

Also, as they are now requiring police reports from the local police before you are given a non B regionally, get it from Hull or Liverpool. Less hassle.

Celtas can be done here as well. Just as good and tough as they are in the UK.

I think the requirement to obtain a teacher's licence has always been degree. However this is Thailand and many many teachers work legally, and illegally (to work 100% legally you need a work permit), without degrees. I have never seen a degree requirement for a work permit, but if someone has a link to a MOE sourced document, I'd love to read.

The new requirements affect teachers with degrees who now wish to obtain teacher licences (a precursor to the work permit in 'most' applications - there are genuine exceptions); as usual in Thailand they probably won't be enforced, but they mainly affect what degreed teachers will need to do EXTRA to obtain their teacher's licence: culture test, jump through hoops etc.

If there are police checks, they will be at the teacher licence stage. Please show me a link to a Thai consulate/embassy that states there will be police background checks before they issue a non-immB.

Look in teachers forum from the Thai embassy london.

They want a background check there even a down loaded copy of it there ,also Savanaket Lao now require this .

Been there done that got the T shirt.

And not at licence stage but at B visa stage.

Paul

You are right Paul.

The tricky buggers put the sign up just a few days after my post.

However, it does seem to be selective at the moment the places asking for the police clearance.