Advice please on TEFL/online courses?

[wayneo]

Hi All,

im thinking of trying a TEFL coarse and i work at the moment so a 4 week in class course isn't practical at the moment,

i have looked around and hear that i-to-i have a good record

i was thinking of doing there premier course which is 140 hours with 20 hours practical in class teaching, and the rest is completed online

i was wondering if these companies that offer these courses actually carry any weight when trying to get a job abroad

i would like to work in Asia preferably in Thailand, Cambodia etc,

so.. would a 140 hour TEFL course with the 20 hour practical actually get me anywhere when i land in Bangkok ?

thanks in advance any help would be awesome =)

[Lucas]

As a course provider, I don't want to engage in a discussion about which schools offer better courses.

Do avoid paying $1,800 for the Thailand internship (I think it also includes a 120-hour course but you are still paying around $1,000 for their job placement service) for two reasons:

- It's fairly easy to get a job in Thailand by contacting the ESL school directly or through a reputable recruiter and many schools don't require any certification (I still advise to take a course or do some research about lesson planning before you step into a classroom).
- They offer 12,000 baht/ month ($375!) and another 12,000 baht when you complete the internship, which is way too low. The minimum wage for ESL teachers in Thailand is 30,000 baht and you also get a work permit and free accommodation through the school that hires you.

[systematic]

1. There is no minimum wage for foreign teachers here in Thailand. However, as a Westerner, you will need at least 25,000 per month to cover life's daily essentials, especially if the employer does not offer free accommodation.
There is part-time work and full time work available here ion Thailand. Depending on the quality of the school or high-street or back-alley language institute, remuneration can be anything from 250 baht to 1,000 baht per hour. Full time jobs are generally based on about 22 contact hours per week (actual teaching time), however, most mainstream schools require their teachers to remain on the campus all day Mon - Fri, while part-time work and the work offered by language institutes is concentrated mainly in the evenings and at weekends and you can do what you like between lessons.

2. Some schools in Thailand might deduct the cost of the work permit from your salary. Some schools will deduct the cost of the work permit from your salary and refund it on successful completion of your contract. Many schools offer free accommodation, but again, the quality varies widely and there may occasionally be conditions attached that some Western occupants may find restrictive (such as, for example, no booze, no visitors, regular room inspections, etc.). Some schools (especially universities) may offer a tax-free accommodation allowance.