TESOL/TEFL courses in Beijing

[vejby]

Hi all,

I'm trying to find a TESOL/TEFL/related course that will commence in April in Beijing. The market for these kinds of courses is rather big and opaque it seems. Are some of the courses no good or should I just choose the cheapest one? I want to teach for a 6-12 month period and have no intentions of making it a long-term career goal, so I'm looking for a course that'll fit this objective

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

I've exchanged a few emails with this company http://www.tesolcourse.com/tesol-courses/ and they seem rather professional. Has anyone taken their 4 week course?

Thanks!!

Vejby

[Maiqi]

Hey Vejby,

Have you considered not taking a course at all? If you have a university degree, there are many teaching jobs available to you in China. If you don't have a degree, it's a bit more difficult but still possible to teach oral english. I would be weary of some of these TESOL courses so you are right to be cautious. Check out DavesESL cafe or serious teachers for jobs and learn as you go.

If you just want to teach for a year or two and don't plan making a career out of it, my advice is to just find a job right away and save your money. If you really want to learn TESOL/TEFL do it through a well-known, reputable institution and make sure you get some useful credentials out of it.

[kdavid]

Have you considered not taking a course at all?

Though I've been teaching since 2005 I'm still shocked every time I see something like this. A lot more goes into teaching than just showing up.

Someone interested in teaching, for however long, should approach the job as a professional. In order to have the best experience, and make a positive impression on your students, you need to be a good teacher. The first step in becoming a good teacher is to get professional training.

@vejby

Though not in Beijing, my school's TESOL course may be something you're interested in looking into.

[vejby]

Thank you both for your replies! Very helpful

I have a BA degree in English and an MA degree in another subject but after talking to a few potential employers in Beijing it became clear that I'm required to hold a TESOL/TEFL certificate to get a position there. I guess it makes sense on some level as they want to make sure I can teach students with no existing English qualifications. Therefore I have to get a certificate before I start working.

kdavid, thanks for the link. Your school looks very interesting. Unfortunately my course has to be in Beijing as that's where my girlfriend lives ;) Do you happen to know any good training centres in Beijing by any chance?

Vejby