Why some TEFL Courses should be avoided...

Discussion about jobs in Asia inc. Middle East

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Vagabond
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Posts: 124
Joined: 06 Nov 2020, 20:22
Status: Teacher Trainer

Why some TEFL Courses should be avoided...

Unread post by Vagabond »

I just learned last week that there is no real "accreditation" or "Certification" of TEFL courses by any official academic or government entity, and was shocked to see just how many people were claiming their TEFL courses were. So I started digging on line and found two great eye-openers: https://www.docdroid.net/kRwv0oN/ctablacklist2020-pdf. The other link I found relates to all the fake reviews and testimonials used to confuse and sell people. https://chinaforeignteachersunion.wordp ... rs-beware/ Did you know that the TEFL Training industry is worth $70 million a year? These BIG bucks pretty much explain all the deception IMO. I never realized how little I knew about TEFL courses.
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Before taking any teaching job in China make a quick visit over to https://reddit.com/r/ChinaScamCentral and https://reddit.com/r/TEFLreviews so your dream job does not become a nightmare.
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Cricket
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Posts: 106
Joined: 13 Nov 2020, 16:53
Status: Teacher Trainer

Re: Why some TEFL Courses should be avoided...

Unread post by Cricket »

Look let's be honest, our TEFL industry is full of deceptions and scams so some 200 or so companies can profit from our ignorance, starting from the recruiters and job agents who convince us we MUST have TEFL certificates in order to teach in China, Korea, or Japan when in fact we do not. Then they refer us to a great "TEFL Course" but don't tell us they get $150 for every referral they make to that "great course". Then they profit from finding us a job where they collect illegal fees and lock us into a one year contract without ever telling us about our employee rights, or even letting us know the truth about our employers which are usually not even licensed to hire foreigners. Only after we spend a year or two in country do we learn the truth - the hard way (usually by losing money). Well I have learned all of my lessons and for the sake of any newbies read this I will save you the grief and money so you don't have to also learn the hard way. Read these links and learn the truth and know what and who to avoid. Consider this my Christmas gift to all of you, and maybe you will pass it forward also...

https://reddit.com/r/tefl_tips_traps_scams

https://ruqqus.com/+TEFLBlacklist

https://reddit.com/r/ChinaTeachers

https://chinascamwatch.org

https://reddit.com/r/cftu


https://www.scam.com/showthread.php?704 ... ost2015736

BTW... if you just need a TEFL certificate to add it to your resume, and don't care about the quality, or what you may actually learn, then I suppose it doesn't matter which one you choose. If you actually want to learn something, be sure to read the last link from scam.com.
Before sending off your resume or passport scan, be sure to check https://reddit.com/r/teflscams and to vaccinate yourself against foreign teacher job scams.
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Atlas
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Joined: 15 Nov 2020, 11:31
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Re: Why some TEFL Courses should be avoided...

Unread post by Atlas »

TBH... I worked in China almost a decade for 6 years before anyone even asked me if I had a TEFL certificate> Even when I said no, I still got offers. Employers put a lot more emphasize on having real teaching experience, a real university degree, and whether or not you are a true native speaker. TEFL certificates are NOT a mandatory requirement to teach in China. For someone who never taught before it would help a lot. But I would never ever take an online on-line. I would go take a real class at a local university. Just my opinion. And to shut up all those recruiters who tell you that you MUST have a tefl certificate in China, tell them to buzz off and after you block them on all your apps, send them this official government link; https://english.www.gov.cn/services/workinchina/
Look Before You Leap at https://reddit.com/r/teflscams
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