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I'm considering attending the MTTP to attain a TEFL certificate. I've perused postings for vacancies in Russia and see that CELTA is preferred, but it's clear that attaining a CELTA certificate is more difficult in the US because of the existence of CEA and ACCET. MTTP designed their program to satisfy the CELTA curriculum, and claim that many sites accept their certificate after documentation of the programs curriculum is provided. Their program lightens the wallet by a hefty $2600, is 130 hours in length, and provides five hours of observed teaching. Characteristics are found here.

1. I have evidence that a particular vacancy would consider this program's certificate if documentation of their curriculum were provided, however, is the claim generally true that most sites would accept their certificate?

2. My wife graduated summa cum laude in slavic studies. We would like to spend at least a year in Russia together, she would employ herself over the internet doing medical transcription while I work teaching English. I imagine that most TEFLs are young, college-aged people without families, and imagine that having a wife and a child would hinder my ability to find a vacancy, so I wonder how I should handle this. Should I go there first and then try to find an apartment and then invite her? Should I bring it up during negotiations for the contract? Would my family's existence preclude overseas teaching altogether?

Thank you. -Pogonschik

Some jobs will only accept CELTA and Trinity. Some will also accept one or two more of the most famous and/ or well respected ones. Some others will accept local ones they know about. Most will accept anything, but they will often also accept nothing and so are not always the kinds of jobs you want to be looking for. Very few will take the time to check out ones they don't know about to see if they are okay, for a start because good jobs in Europe can find plenty of candidates with the CELTA or Trinity.

With present exchange rates, that seems totally overpriced when you could get the CELTA for cheaper if you did it abroad. Also, 5 hours of observed teaching practice isn't enough.

Well, that's odd. I guess the first thing is that the data on whichcourse.com are incorrect, that is, they actually require ten hours of observed teaching. Secondly, it appears that only six hours are offered at Trinity College itself in London, but then again, as I've already said, it apears that these data on whichcourse.com are lacking, so who knows the truth.

Finally, with regards to the cost, I considered taking the course in Sophia, because it's a Slavic country and really, I'm doing this as much for the cultural experience as for any other altruistic reason, but with a cost of $1400 + $1500:air ticket, per Orbitz + ${God knows wot}:room, it doesn't really seem less expensive than $2600 for this course right here where I don't have to futz with visae, renting a room, etcetera. And just to be complete, the Trinity course mentioned above works out to be just about $2600 after everything is totalled ($1200+ $900 + $? for room).

Looks like I'm going to take the course at MTTP if I can afford it. I'll let you know my success.

Did a very rapid search for CELTA in your neck of the woods (Googling Cambridge CELTA Mexico then Cambridge CELTA USA) and came up with:

http://www.ihrivieramaya.com/celta/tesol.html

http://www.cactustefl.com/tefl/united_states/

and quite a few more

To restate my point- people may accept that qualification (which I had never heard of), but many more and (more importantly) much better schools will be looking for the CELTA or Trinity Cert TESOL

Yup, checked both of these programs. The one in Mexico works out to be quite expensive as well, that is, $1800+$550+$1000:room+$ground transport +... The cactus one is either cheaper because it's on-line or it's *whoa* (£1,848)$2758 + + +...

I guess it's a rule of a well-worked over market that a given item costs the same if its quality is the same, eh?