A few questions...

[pandabear89]

Frist of all I'm new here so hiiiiiiiii etc.

I've been considering moving to China to teach english for a while now but I was curious about a few things..

I've searched for various TEFL courses and whatnot online but the only ones i can find seem to be "intensive 4-week courses", I was wondering if anyone knows of any longer courses whether it be TEFL,TESOL or CELTA whatever as I find it hard to imagine 4 weeks of training being enough after having no teaching experience at all. Either way if anyone could recommend a particular website for any of these it'd be much appreciated as there are literally thousands to choose from and besides from the price difference i can't really tell which ones are good and which ones aren't..or even if there is a difference really..

Another thing I was wondering is how much qualifications in peoples respective home countries count towards getting a job if I was to have a TEFL certificate, as I didn't go to college or university and my grades in High school weren't great..

[kdavid]

Teaching is a job where you're constantly receiving on the job training. The best way to become a good teacher is to start teaching. As I like to say, it's "trial by fire"

Of course, you need training and feedback from the start. It's important that the TESOL course you choose provide you with an optimum amount of teaching practice which is evaluated by trained professionals.

Most TESOL courses out there are just four weeks. A lot is covered in a short amount of time, but extending a course like this from four weeks to five to six would leave a bit too much dead air.

I know a bit about this as I own and run a TESOL course training school here in Harbin, China.

As for qualifications, the more, the better. You'll be heavily restricted without both a TESOL and BA. One will make you a bit more attractive, and both will give you the most opportunities. If going back to school isn't an option, you should seriously consider a TESOL course.

[BeijingDaniel2011]

There are some TEFL courses which only take a weekend but I think these are more open to uni students. This, however, is purely ceremonial and I don't imagine you'd learn much doing it.

I learned everything about teaching on the job but I struggled at the beginning so I think I would have benefitted from some training. This would probably also mean you could demand more pay. I'd follow KDavid's advice and do a course while you're here.

[CharlesLi]

Sorry to bring back a dead topic - I'm in a similar position to OP except that I already have teaching experience and a non-teaching degree.

I know for a fact that I can find teaching gigs in China with these qualifications.

Apart from making you look more employable, I'm wondering if doing one of these 4-week courses has any practical utility.

I'm seriously considering doing a CELTA, but I am struggling to understand how the extortionate fees could possibly justify any benefit derived from the course.

I want to ask those who've done these courses if they had noticed any improvement in their teaching abilities.

Did doing the CELTA also teach you things you wouldn't be able to learn on the job?

[kdavid]

I'm seriously considering doing a CELTA, but I am struggling to understand how the extortionate fees could possibly justify any benefit derived from the course.

CELTA is for teaching adults. If you're going to work in China, you're almost guaranteed to work with children. As such, the CELTA may not have much value for you.

I want to ask those who've done these courses if they had noticed any improvement in their teaching abilities.

You're going to get out of any training what you put in to it. Perhaps the most counterproductive approach you could adopt would be that of someone who already knows it all.

Certainly, having some experience will give you an edge on others, but don't let that keep you from listening and learning.

[CharlesLi]

As such, the CELTA may not have much value for you.

I will be teaching pre-college/post-secondary students, so it will have value

Perhaps the most counterproductive approach you could adopt would be that of someone who already knows it all.

I've touched on L2 acquisition theories such as Chomsky and Piaget in college and I've had experience teaching english to various age groups.

It will be hard to follow your aforementioned advice if I decide to take the CELTA, which is why I'm really stressed out trying to decide.

I've exhausted the search function and it seems to be a pretty even split between those who recommended it and those who don't.

[travelgirl]

can someone explain what are all those qualifications?

[kdavid]

can someone explain what are all those qualifications?

CELTA: Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults

TESOL: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

TEFL: Teaching English as a Foreign Language

TESL: Teaching English as a Second Language

CELTA is a brand. Some schools choose only to accept this certificate as they see it as more widely known.

TESOL/TEFL/TESL are all basically interchangeable terms.

As mentioned above, and in the acronym, CELTA training trains one to work with adults, while TESOL, etc. trains one for all ages and levels.

A CELTA would be most valuable if you only planned on teaching adults. A TESOL would be more comprehensive, and prepare you for teaching all age levels (granted the syllabus/instruction actually covered it all). With that said, not all TESOL programs will prepare you for all age groups, so it's important to evaluate a course's syllabus before making a decision.

[travelgirl]

thank you for your answer.

And to take one of these certificates what do i have to do?if i have the English proficiency of Michigan or Cambridge am i eligible to take the course?