Tefl.NET Forums

I have searched and searched but am becomimg increasingly confused.
I want to do a first TESOL certificate, online, and would prefer it to have a special Young Learners component.
I am looking at the course offered by Global English, but am baffled by the whole "accreditation" maze.
This course is a Level 2 Tesol, accredited by ACTDEC , who may or may not be a legitimate accreditation board.

Has anyone any experience with Global English, either good or bad, that they could share?
Alternatively, anyone have anything, good, or bad, to say about the relevance of ACTDEC accreditation?
I realise that an online course is not neccesarily what most would recommend, but I would be looking to do the teaching practicum at a later date.

Yes, it certainly is a minefield - and that's why we are here to help!
Accreditation is one of the most hotly discussed topics on this board, with special mentions of ACTDEC too, so do go ahead and enter ACTDEC in the forum search box to locate comments, then accreditation to find all the other threads on the subject.

Some interesting points to note when you look up the ACTDEC website:

- They only have eight (8) members out of the hundreds of course providers.

- In the phrase "ACTDEC is the Accreditation Council for TESOL Distance Education Courses...", try replacing the with the indefinite article an, and think about the difference it makes.

- With reference to the phrase "...a non-profit making independent body responsible for maintaining professional standards in TESOL distance programmes.", check out from their web site what they actually do, and how much they charge their members and prospective members.

That said, I'm sure that ACTDEC is a legitimate, responsible organisation. However, do go ahead and Google the entire phrase:

Who accredits the accreditors?

Thanks for your reply......you are pretty much confirming what I thought.
I have looked at other posts on this site, and am narrowing my choice down to London Teacher Training College, or Intesol, from both of which I believe you said you have had no problems with people you have employed who have their certificates.
Please correct me if I am wrong.
Once again many thanks for your reply, and for a great site.

Here we go again!

http://teflaccreditation.wordpress.com/ ... ns/actdec/

Great blog you have there Accman!

There isn’t a single “international” accrediting organization, but several ones with different standards. Even CELTA and Trinity are their own private organization with their own standard. ACTDEC only accredits online/distance courses, a segment of the TESOL industry where there are many horrible schools, several of them which had been rejected by ACTDEC in the past decade, and even scams. Despite being established by one school, it’s one of the best efforts (The College of Teachers is quite decent too) to differentiate from schools that issue quick and easy certificates, those who had given the online TESOL industry a bad rep, by offering a better standard of education through more advanced certificate programs and diplomas.