ESL Jobs Forum

[olapoland]

What is the most accepted/useful ESL certification? Before I spend over $1000 on a course I wanted to know which is better to have? I would greatly appreciate any advice from experience. THANKS!!!
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Any and all information would help. Thanks!

[treviteach]

Hello Ola,

Well first off when you refer to "TEFL" I assume you are referring to the numerous, generic "TEFL Certifications" available from any number of providers. If your comparing these homegrown certifications directly with the SIT TESOL Certification I would without a doubt choose SIT. My best advice when looking at this type of course is really dig deep into the course provider, their repuation, where are they recognized, what is their background in the field, etc.

If you ask these questions I think you will find the answer easier to come by.

- TT

[unionjack]

Ola

Do you want to improve your English qualifications by taking an ESL course or do you want an English teaching qualification TEFL?

[EFLtrainer]

[globaltefl]

Just a quick correction on a previous post. SIT has been in the TESOL profession since 1969, when they first began offering the MAT ESOL degree, and it is one of the most established and well-respected in the profession.

There is no franchise per se. At present all trainers have MATs from SIT and generally a good deal of experience teaching, both abroad and in the US. As far as I know, most CELTA trainers do not have master's degrees.

It is also interesting to note that SIT and CELTA have a partnership and will be coming out with a new joint course in a year or so.

As for SIT TESOL versus TEFL, this is not a valid comparison. TEFL is simply an acronym meaning Teaching Engish a Foreign Language and does not refer to any one course, but is used by a multitude of courses, both good and not so good.

I hope this clarifies the issue.

Global TEFL
A non-profit organization that promotes teacher education

[EFLtrainer]

[dreadnought]

[camelcarl]

Hey Dreadnaught,

Good clarification there on the training...still seems to be a franchise though. I'm mean i'm sure people aren't opening up these courses for charity purposes...everyones got to make money somehow.

CC

[kris.licks]

I mean which courses out there aren't out to make a buck? The fact is, those TESOL course outfits, Cambridge, British Council, "non-profits". Those guys are more money-minded than the language schools themselves. I mean they take in much more money, slave you much more. I think the best way to look at is since those TESL courses cost about 10x what the average language course costs, we can assume that the owners are 10x as ruthless, as a rule, on mistreating their employees, us poor teachers.

That is the harsh truth of the matter and nobody can tell me otherwise

[seeshore]

amen brother...amen

[EFLtrainer]

[EJW]

Good postings! I just wanted to make a comment about what some of you mentioned about "non-profit" meaning "charitable". As someone who has some bookkeeping background, I want to clarify that "non-profit" means exactly that: "not operated with the objective of making a profit." This does not mean "free" nor "charitable". It just means, at the end of the fiscal year, that incomes and expenses even out and that the organization does not make any money, ie. a profit. Hopefully it does not take a loss either, which is why they have to charge to cover their expenses, such as the cost of salaries, offices, equipment, etc. Unless they are getting financial help from some other source, these organizations are going to get money to cover costs through charging the participants in the programs. And that is YOU!

[EFLtrainer]

[Wonder Bread]

What you didn't point out that is "non-profits" generally out there in this field simply pay the big hanchos the big manjana, instead of declaring it as "profit" as with a so-called "private" organization you keep referring to. Let's call the kettle black here: "Private" can apply to "non-profit", I mean private means it's run some somebody not in the goverment. I think you're getting a little too eastern-block with your approach. Non-profits are by all means private, unless they are owned by the state.

But what i really wanted to say was that don't be fooled by the non-profit, really they are generally more dishonest than the guys that at least don't hide the fact that they want to maximize the profits by charging you a lot for the course, and paying the trainers jack. The non-profits use that label to appear to be worldly and "for the better good,' but then just pay themselves a big salary - which goes on the books Mr. Accountant as an expense - so the books balance, there is no profit left over, but the owners make out like bandits with the same cash. And don't be deceived, non-profits sure as all get at have owners just like your everyday language school from that analogy used above by a poster who pretty much hit the nail on the head.

Now what I'd really like to hear is about some non-profits, lang. school or course provider, who are indeed living up to the name. Can anybody make a case to that effect for some honest Adam Smith owners out there? Come on, show me some evidence on a non-profit with the top dawgs not paying themselves top dollar at the little guy's expense, I'd really like to believe they're out there

Peace, not war

[Lee Hobbs]