please help! need to decide between two courses

[lostwalletgirl]

I know this is a lengthy post, but please, I really need help from others. Recently, I have been researching online TEFL courses. I am aware that they are not as good as on-site ones, but since I am a recent graduate, I do not have the means to move to a big city in order take a course. Out of all my research, I have narrowed my choices down to the 120hour course offered by teflonline.com and the i-to-i 100hour course.

However, I am still unsure which one to pick. Even though some are negative, i-to-i still has more reviews than teflonline,and various people have recommended taking i-to-i. On the other hand, the course outline for teflonline (http://www.teflonline.com/content.php) seems to be better and provides more detailed information than i-toi's 100hour one (http://www.onlinetefl.com/online-tefl/course.html). For example, there are video tutorials on almost every part of teflonline's outline, and the module's include pronunciation and lesson planning. Moreover, teflonline.com is associated with BridgeTEFL and is accredited by ACCET, which is a private organization that is recognized nationally by the U.S. Department of Education and is included in a list of recognized accreditation associations.

All and all, I am leaning towards taking teflonline.com, but the lack of reviews makes me hesitant to enroll just yet. If anyone has some advice on which to take I would appreciate a response even if it is just a link to reading reviews on the courses.

[Olivia]

Hello lostwalletgirl,

I have been researching "on-site" courses for myself, as opposed to "on-line", and have found that ANY course worth its weight in gold should be at least 120 hours long and be accredited with either Trinity College or Cambridge University (CELTA). That way, you are assured of the syllabus and quality of teaching being of an internationally recognised standard.
Also I have noticed that alot of overseas teaching schools prefer to employ graduates of one or the other of these certificates. The course you choose should have an international recognition so that it opens up opportunities for you to travel the world and teach, if you choose. How do you plan to do the practical teaching element of the course if it's "on-line"? I would prefer to do an "on-site" course purely for the advantage of teacher/peer interaction and the immediate opportunity to observe and practice different teaching methods etc. It's a shame you can't actually attend an on-site course provider. Most schools can help find you student accommodation for the duration of the 4 wk course. Personally that's what I would prefer to do...but if it is totally unviable for you, I hope someone out there with knowledge of and experience with either of those two on-line courses can shine some light on your enquiry.

All the best for the future.

Olivia

PS. don't worry about ur post being lengthy. My very first post (enquiry) a few days ago was long too...and so is this reply. My apologies. But I hope it offers something of interest to you.

[lostwalletgirl]

Thank you for your advice. Someone also told me to ask the companies and schools I am interested in applying to if it matters where I get my certificate. All of the ones that I asked said it didn't matter, and one, AEON, said that they don't even care if I have a certificate and the decision to take a course was up to me. I hope most schools in Japan are like that because I can't afford to take a really expensive course.

[sgazerm]

Hey, any luck on finding more information? I have been trying to do some research as well and I agree, finding reviews of TeflOnline has been difficult. The in class programs on the other hand, have great responses.
Its been impossible to find any Online program that is accredited by Cambridge, as most people suggest to find a certificate with. If you've signed up yet, I'd love ot hear about how it's going so far.
Thanks!

[lostwalletgirl]

Yes, I also post on another ESL website, and one of the moderators gave me some advice about this issue.

To paraphrase, he told me that there are a lot schools that do not require a TEFL, and any online degree that is from a reputable place would be acceptable if applying to them. However, he said it depends on where I am looking to work. If I want to teach in Europe, for example, their standards for teachers are much higher than in Asia. He said that a lot schools in Europe require a degree like CELTA. On the other hand, he said that despite what others may say about online training, it is a viable option and has existed for many years. Furthermore, he recommended ICAL too, and the TEFL Course Review site to weed out "good" and "bad" online courses.

So now instead of having to choose between two courses, I have to decide between three heheh.

[shaolinviper]

hey,
i have just posted a similar thread and literally came across yours seconds later.
I however have just enrolled on the i-to -i course. and im now worried about how credible it is a little.
However, i can say that so far the course is great and certainly seems to be what it makes out. easy enough to use, a short video with each module an audio book to accompany each module, good layout etc. my worry lies soley on how valued the paper i get at the end is...im awaiting a response to this question im ny own thread so check it out as it may help with your question too

[lostwalletgirl]

Oh sure, thanks for the information. Yes, well like I posted earlier. A moderator on a different site told me it depends on who you are applying with. If it is a European school it will be tough, but he said there are many other schools that are less strict.

By the way, which course did you enroll in? The 100hour one?

[systematic]

Bearing in mind the names of some of the online courses that have been mentioned in this thread, it is most advisable to check the backrougd of the course provider thoroughly, and that the course is genuinely accredited, by a genuine accrediting authority, and not by the course provider's own, self-appointed 'board of academic advisers'.
There is also a wealth of information in other threads on these forums, and on Alex Case's blog.

[lostwalletgirl]

Yes, thank you. I checked online to see a list of recognized and unrecognized accreditation bodies. So I know that TeflOnline is accredited by a U.S. Government recognized accreditation body, but the course reviews are limited for it. I-to-I also is recognized by a U.K. recognized accreditation body, although, the course reviews for I-to-I are mixed. Some love it some hate. Furthermore, I just noticed on the other site I posted on the person that recommended ICAL was from ICAL. Therefore, I am hesitant to take it because his advice is bias. On the other hand, on the course review site, many people praised the ICAL program. Now ICAL states on their website that there is no internationally recognized accreditation body to accredit TEFL, which is true, but the idea that they won't even try to be recognized by the U.S. Government also makes me nervous.

I am still really confused. I just want some teacher training for myself to better prepare my move to Japan. For the past year, I have wanted to teach in Japan because I also love the culture and I love to experience different cultures and different people. I figure that I can give what I know, which is my native language, but at the same time, I will also learn and experience Japanese culture. The thought of that truly makes me happy and excited about life. I know most places I am looking to work at don't even care about having a teaching degree or certificate, so my decision to get qualified is mainly to better prepare myself to teach in front of a class. Of course, I want the course I choose to be reputable and effective in training me. I don't want to waist money on a course that teaches me nothing about lesson planning and talking to a class. I have volunteered to teach children in the past, not English, but still the preparation is probably similar to teaching at a school. In addition, I tutored my Taiwanese roommate in English. However, I have never formally taugh high school age to adults, so the thought is daunting. I think TEFL training will help me with confidence in what I do and give me a guide to how to formally teach.

[systematic]

It seems you are looking for a course that will boost your confidence in classroom situations. The bottom line is that only a face-to-face-course with observed teaching practice can do that effectively.

Governments will generally only accredit courses offered by providers who are in their countries. Sometimes a course is accredited, sometimes the establishment, sometimes both. It is rarely clear. I have recently come accross a government 'accredited' TEFL course provider whose Irish government accreditation is as a child day-care centre!

[Alex Case]

Trinity and CELTA are infinitely better respected and recognised than i to i. I don't know why anyone would think about spending 120 hours on an i to i course when you could do those other two courses in the same number of hours