Tefl.NET Forums

Hi all,

I have been looking around to see which course would suit my needs the best and I "think" I may have found one or two, I just need some advice on a few questions.

After thinking long and hard about my career, I have come to the conclusion that I do want to teach English abroad (I currently live in the UK) and make this a permanent thing.

I have read pretty much all of the forum and couldn't find any answers to a few questions I have, which are....

1) Is it a good idea to travel abroad to obtain my TEFL certification?

The more I look into this option, the better it sounds because I will get the benefit of meeting new friends, interacting with a "live" class and immersing myself in another culture.

I came across http://www.gvi.co.uk/projects/Asia/Thai ... iland/home and to be honest, it looks ideal for my needs.

Does anyone have any experience with this company or know any horror stories? I am a little hesitant to go and spend a significant amount of money on something that could very well turn out to be a complete shambles.

2) Would it be better to gain my TEFL in the country I wish to teach?

I would love to teach in Asia or U.A.E, but I do not have a degree of any kind, so after more research on this forum and online, Latin America is looking more promising.

With that said, I would love to teach anywhere in the world.

I think I just need guidance on "where do I go from here" per se. Teaching abroad is certainly something I want to do, absolutely no doubt in my mind.

I also have the luxury of being able to "up and leave", because I do not have any commitments in the UK and from reading various posts, some schools would like potential teachers to start immediately.

Thank you in advance.

Lee

Lee12 wrote:1) Is it a good idea to travel abroad to obtain my TEFL certification?
The more I look into this option, the better it sounds because I will get the benefit of meeting new friends, interacting with a "live" class...

Lee: just to quickly answer part of your first question:
Not sure whether you think "live" classes can't be found in the UK, but if you take a TEFL course in the UK with a school that also teaches English to students from abroad, you will usually get more than adequate access to "live" classes for teaching practice.

I have seen classes and courses in the UK, and I think I would like to do it abroad. The main reason for going abroad is for the cultural experience as well as learning a new language. Not to mention when I complete my TEFL, I will stay on to do volunteer work with schools.

I'm thinking that will help bolster my CV and put me in good stead to be more employable and I can say I have taught in a foreign country. I think that would look better on my CV, or am I wrong?

Thank you for your reply TN.

Lee

Lee12 wrote: I came across http://www.gvi.co.uk/projects/Asia/Thai ... iland/home and to be honest, it looks ideal for my needs.

Be very careful with accepting voluntary work in Thailand - some of the 'aid' organisations are in fact cleverly disguised commercial entities taking money from the schools for providing them with teachers (who work for free); bear in mind also that it is illegal to do any kind of work in Thailand without a Work Permit, whether voluntary or salaried.

When I seen the prices, that actually aroused suspicion and made me think "smoke screen" and after doing a little more research, I no longer intend on going with the organisation in the link.

I came across http://www.islandtefl.com and this is the one I am leaning more towards (Package B).

Unlike the site in my original post, the one above is not all glitz and glamor.

I have looked into the various types of permits and visas needed and I don't think obtaining one would be a problem at all.

Thank you for your reply Systematic.

Lee

When you have completed your TEFL course (and also have a degree), you will not need to do any volunteering. You will always find paid employment. For unbiased, objective info on working in Thailand check out http://nittayo.org under its EDBA/employment tab.