Tefl.NET Forums

Hi

I have just completed the TEFL (Teaching English as a foreign language) through i-to-i

I’m currently not looking to teach abroad just yet I have instead opted for teaching here in the UK.

I have been in contact with a few schools etc in my area and some have come back saying the following:

According to the British Council guidelines on qualifications and the following criteria need to be met.

1. Be externally validated by a reputable examination body (usually a university or recognised examination board)
2. Contain at least six hours' supervised teaching practice.
3. Contain at least 100 hours of ELT/TESOL input.

I’m getting worried now as I think now that most of the centres, schools in my area are going to be asking for this

CELTA, Trinity cert.

How many or what qualifications are the real ones?

Does this mean I am going to have to go out study again just so I can meet the red tape and politics?

It has left me feeling undervalued by this and worried that the i-to-i qualification is only validated abroad.

If this is the case I’m going to have to start all over again that’s another £900

Please any advice on schools in the surrey or areas I can teach which don’t hold so many grudges against those of us who have studied are backsides off online.

Or any establishments where I can qualify properly.

And I've been left to feel that just because it’s online it’s not as recognised or even to the standard of what the British council recommends
And any other useful pieces of advice....

I look forward to receiving some clarification on the matter.

Regards

Margherita

Dear Margherita,

I’ll clear up a couple of comments in your post.

You say that you’ve just completed the TEFL; many people new to EFL say this but to an employer is doesn’t carry much meaning. Basically, TEFL is a subject just as history and maths are. We don’t say “I’ve just completed my geography”. You need to say what you have done in TEFL: is it a certificate in TEFL? A six-week online course in TEFL? Etc. You should have this somewhere in your course description or somewhere on the certificate if you received one. I suggest you make this clear on CVs and when speaking to potential employers.

As for British Council requirements, not all schools are associated with the BC. Some schools request visits from the BC in order to be mentioned in the BC recommended lists. Some schools don’t request this and some don’t meet the criteria during the visit. This means that there are schools who don’t impose the requirements that you mention. Obviously, the standard of teaching will not be the same in these schools as in a British Council recognised teaching centre.

If you are looking for work in the UK, you could start by looking at schools that are not on the BC list. I don’t know how you’ll find them. You could do a search on internet for language schools in your area and then check out the website of each school to see if they are BC recognised.

A final word about looking for EFL work in the UK: it is a very competitive market. There are a lot of students during the summer months but schools can be very quiet the rest of the year. While you might find a job in the summer, not all schools have vacancies the rest of the year. There will be a lot of competition for the few jobs that do exist; teachers who have taught abroad for years sometimes wish to settle in the UK and look for teaching work; remember, you’ll be competing with those people for a year-round job.

Lucy