Confusion with Teaching Credentials

[Baggerking]

Sorry if there was a thread that addressed this before hand, I tried the search and could not find anything.

I am a teacher in China, a unqualified, hop-over-the-fence, young, dumb, and ugly educator that you see so often walking around the streets here in China. But I didn't plan to be this, and I don't want to be. I wanna get my Teaching Certificate. I want to become a damn spiffy teacher.

So... CELTA. Online Tesol. Stuff like this. There's a lot of them. I don't know what to do. Which one is the best? And I mean, not just in China. After I learn Chinese maybe I want to go to South America or something. Will the non-CELTA diploma be good in South America as well? It seems a bit focused on Chinese Students.

My situation is a bit special, however. I teach full time at a school, have great friends, students love me, pay is good, life is wonderful, and I don't really want to leave. The city I live in has no teaching certification courses. Online seems the way to go, because I could stay and do it in my spare time. I could do online right now, and then later grab a CELTA or whatever. There's a lot of Online courses, does anyone know of any that are decent and not too expensive?

Any recommendations/warnings/thoughts for this young, dumb, and ugly rebel without a cause?

[roddy]

The most widely accepted TEFL course is the one-month, full-time, certified CELTA or CertTESOL. Anything else might help, but in terms of global recognition and the mobility that brings, is going to be a distant, distant second. That's not to say the other courses aren't useful - but if you're a DoS choosing candidates with certificates you do, and don't recognize, which CVs are you going to keep? What else will get you into British Council schools?

[chloechandra]

CELTA is the one. Internationally recognised and a Cambridge extra mural course which looks good on your CV. It's a truly incredible course and will open your eyes to a lot about teaching. Only place you can do it in China is Language Link.

[Baggerking]

Thank god I am not far from Language Link in Bejing. I am a little concerned however, because their website does not work...

I am going to try www.linguaedge.com because it's completely online, and pretty cheap. I don't expect the certificate to really do anything for me (I already have a job I like) I just think that the course may help me become a better teacher. I understand, I can do that online at the overwhelming PLETHORA of teaching advice websites, but after some in-class practice I have decided what works for some doesn't work for all. I think I need theory more than a lesson plan from some other dude on the internet trying to do my work for me. Don't get me wrong, I think I am a damn spiffy teacher, but it kind of breaks my heart when I see students spending loads of money on me and there's something more I could be doing for them in the 15 hours a week I'm sitting in the office trying to look like a foreign statue.

I do have a month off coming up soon, so I will do CELTA then or when I am done with my current job and want to move on.

If anyone has a better suggestion as far as a online course goes, I would greatly appreciate any help. I have a feeling that when it comes to these online courses, there are too few applicants, and far too many thoughtful prospectors. My case is rare, and these online courses fulfill my needs, but from the lack of solid, actual review information I am getting the feeling that no one actually DOES these things, because... well... it might be kind of stupid. Paying for Self-Education? Am I crazy or what?

[roddy]

To be honest, I wouldn't do it. Join some teaching forums, put your lesson plans up for comments, apply the ideas you get, maybe get hold of some teaching textbooks, something like this or this. If there are any more experienced teachers at your school get them in to observe a lesson.

[anonymoose]

If there are any more experienced teachers at your school get them in to observe a lesson.

If there are any more experienced teachers at your school go and observe some of their lessons.

[peekay]

I am a little concerned however, because their website does not work...

Seems to work: Language Link Beijing.

[chloechandra]

Hey,

I cannot tell you how valuable the CELTA course is. And, it cannot be done online as there are 8 observed classes and a lot of it is feedback on your teaching from qualified tutors. If someone is offering it online i would be cautious about whether it is a genuine celta accredited centre. if not, your certificate will be worthless with the more prestigious teaching establishments such as the british council and international house. as i say, the only accredited place to do it in china is Language link - http://www.languagelink.com.cn/ and an assessor from cambridge comes to evaluate EVERY course. The tutors are also excellent there.

I learnt so much from this course, and it is really interesting. It is also held in very high acclaim all over the world. The methods they teach you in CELTA are quite unlike other tefl courses (whichI have also done) as there has been a lot of research done by professors of cambridge uni and the british council as to the best ways to teach and analyses of how students learn. from this research they have created a course, and it's one of the most valuable courses i have ever done.

So... my advice is do it!

Chloe