Here's a good one! Tough decision. Thoughts?

[GracefulLion]

With a limited budget: is it wiser to take a 120+ Diploma course online (lots of training), or pay the same and get a certification in a 'live class' with only 60 hours (but with obvious benefits)?

I have over 300 hours instructing youth in the Canadian cadet movement,lived and worked abroad (not as an English teacher) am the Publisher and Editor of life-styles magazine in Canada, and have been training employees at my retail shop for 3+ years, yet have no degree.

Feedback?

[Lucas]

Hello,
You need a degree to teach in almost every country, including Canada where TESL Canada requires that you have a degree before applying for its certification.

[GracefulLion]

Hi Lucas;

Yes I'm from Canada and I'm aware of this. But I'm looking to teach else-where; as you said almost every country, but not all.

Any further comments on my specific question would be much appreciated!


Thanks-

[ICAL_Pete]

Most countries do require a degree and a TEFL certificate. If you don't have a degree then you are likely to find work only in less prestigious schools in less strict regions. Let's say areas of China, Taiwan and so on. That being the case, those schools will also accept almost any TEFL certificate.

[jennifertownes]

I live in Dallas,TX, USA and I am trying to find a legitimate TEFL course that will deeply prepare me to teach. I am a single mother of 3, so travel to take a course is not available. In the future I will plan to travel abroad to teach- with my children of course coming along.
I would love to get my CELTA, however its not available to me locally.
As far as my research goes the options in my hometown are very limited-
Oxford seminars offers classes locally consisting of 60 hrs, but I am unsure as to number of hours of actual teaching practice (i have emailed this question, awaiting reply) in addition I have read that 100 hrs is the general requirement(?).
In the Houston area there is a university that offers the CELTA- but this is 6-8 hours away from me.
In Colorado, at the location certified to provide the CELTA, there is an IDELT course that I could possibly take that is 140 hrs (70hrs online, 70 hrs on campus) I may be able to accomplish this **if its my only viable option to a real career in teaching.**
I have found that a Catholic charity organization (extremely reputable and well known in community) trains volunteers to teach English to refugees here in Dallas, it is a commitment of 40hrs of teaching after training is completed, but I am not sure what kind of training they provide(awaiting reply from organization), and at any rate there would be no certification following- it would only allow me to work as a volunteer within the organization.
I am wondering if this could count towards teaching practicum if I took an online course, or maybe bolster my references if I took the Oxford course.
I do take issue with shelling out $1100 for a 60 hr course, esp if i still have to go on to work for free for 4 months just to be able to get experience to attain a real job- that hardly seems right.
I have also been looking at ONTESL- but I am also worried about this program as it is distance learning,although it seems like a better one, as it offers the 20 hr teaching practicum. But, from my research it doesn't seem that distance learning will get me a reputable job in the future, would that also apply to this course?
Any insight would be most appreciated, I am at a loss at this point as to which path I should pursue.
Thanks

[Alex Case]

If you are thinking of moving abroad anyway, why not take a CELTA or Trinity abroad where it is cheaper and you will get help with accommodation etc?

[jennifertownes]

Hi thanks for the idea,
I could afford (barley) the CELTA offered in Colorado, the problem is that it is in another state- the issue with travel on a temporary 4 week basis is that as I stated I have children, so its one thing if we move to another location where I have a job and an apartment and we have made arrangements for their education (basically, setting up a new life in a new place), its another thing to fly across the globe or even across my country with no job to take a 4 week training course- live in a hotel big enough for all of us(expensive), the kids school etc.
I guess it boils down to one being a temporary upheaval that is taxing mentally as well as exorbitantly expensive once all is said and done ( which I cannot afford- 4 weeks in a hotel and eating out for 4 people yikes!), verses a planned methodical move to set up our life in a new and different location complete with job, housing, education etc.
Its frustrating that I don't have any of the well known courses available locally- but this is my situation so I am trying to figure out what next best step is. I don't want some fake cert that will leave me clueless, nor do I want to spend thousands for a course that will leave me jobless.
There has got to be a viable option in my situation and location, that's what I am looking for

[Alex Case]

"verses a planned methodical move to set up our life in a new and different location complete with job, housing, education etc"

If you don't have the money and determination to do this for a TEFL course, I would be reconsidering the whole teaching abroad thing. Are your kids bilingual, because there's no way you will be able to afford international school fees on a TEFL teacher's wage, let alone a starter teacher's one.

[pokedmund]

I think, before looking for which TEFL course to take, you should seriously consider how much a TEFL teacher earns first of all and compare this to the salary you're getting at the moment.

[jennifertownes]

yes thanks, they are all fluent in Spanish, Arabic and French and we are working on Urdu currently- I homeschooled until last year so we had lottttsss of time to learn neat stuff
I do have some passive income from other avenues that would be supplementing my teachers salary- I understand teachers unfortunatly dont earn what they are worth in most cases, as well we dont live a typical American lifestyle- we live very frugally lol...
Thank you all for your help, its most greatly appreciated, I think I have formed a plan to reach my goal, crossing my fingers!

[systematic]

:) yes thanks, they are all fluent in Spanish, Arabic and French and we are working on Urdu currently- I homeschooled until last year so we had lottttsss of time to learn neat stuff

Alex has provided the most concrete response, that you would be very wise to consider. Travelling with children, at least as far as Asia, has enormous problems for a single mum. You don't also appear to have a degree, which will be required if you hope to get a job anywhere with reasonable pay. It seems that probably central or south America would be your best bet - at least in the worstcase scenario they n are connected by road.

Urdu would probably not help you much as on the Indian sub continent; English is so widespread, that unless you could land a job at the British Council locations (hard if you are a US citizen), there are very few openings for Western English teachers. French and Arabic probably won't help you much either.