Where do I start?

[Lukisilver]

HI, I'm new to this forum and of course TEFEL I want to take an online course but there are so many to choose from, I am definatley passionate about teaching English which I know better than my native Spanish. Can someone help me out, I really want to take TEFEL online and CELTA in a classroom. I dont know if any of the online courses are valid or not, what must i look for and is a diploma better than getting a certificate or vice versa? I think the best way to go is to take an online TEFEL course and then take the CELTA in a classroom, what recomendations do you guys have? I definatley plan to take a 100 hour or more course online for my first course which will be TEFEL.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[Alex Case]

Genuine TEFL diploma courses (e.g. Cambridge Delta and Trinity Dip TESOL) are only for people with considerable experience and (usually) an initial teaching qualification. Calling anything else a "diploma" is usually a sign that a course should be avoided.

Your three options are therefore to take a TEFL certificate such as a CELTA, an online TEFL course, or both. For most people, the best option is to take a TEFL certificate with at least 100 hours of face to face instruction and at least 6 hours of observed teaching practice straight off. The Cambridge CELTA is the most well-known of these. If you can't do that, e.g. you can't quit your job for at least another six months, then it can't hurt to take a purely online course to help you prepare for a CELTA. I would not recommend job hunting with just an online qualification though.