Unfortunately there has never been one single regulatory body for the TEFL industry, notes Jimmy Krangol. Right now there are numerous TEFL schools springing up everywhere, all claiming that their course is better than the rest or, that they offer the most accredited TEFL certificate.

It can be a daunting task trying to select the right TEFL course in a minefield of choices. So how can you tell the good from the bad? The answer is actually quite simple. Don’t overlook the obvious! Here are the 5 things to look out for when choosing a TEFL course……

1. How Does The Website Look? -

Is it professional looking, well organised? If a TEFL organization cannot organise a website properly then you can’t really expect them to organize a four week TEFL course!

2. Spelling & Grammar -

I’m always amazed at the numerous spelling and grammar errors on many TEFL websites. Do you really think these TEFL schools are capable of training you to be an English teacher?

3. Criticizing Competitors to Win Customers -

This is common practice for many cowboy schools who struggle to get enough students to fill their empty courses. They usually ask if you’re looking at any other TEFL schools and once you mention a name, they discredit them claiming the certificate isn’t accredited, or something along those lines.

Any reputable organization will focus on the features/benefits of their own course and won’t directly criticize their competitors or get involved in a slanging match.

4. The TEFL Trainer’s Experience -

A good trainer usually means a good course. Ask for details of the trainers experience and qualifications. Get some telephone numbers or email addresses of previous candidates and contact them for feedback.

5. How Many Students Attend Each TEFL Course -

Any more than 16 is far too many. Many international TEFL courses have 30+ students on each course, which is one reason why they’re so cheap. You cannot possibly receive quality TEFL training in such a large group of students. You Get What You Pay For!

So what about the actual TEFL certificate?

A Word of Warning; Weekend TEFL certificates may be a good introduction to TEFL but they are no longer accepted for teaching Jobs in most countries, especially now in Thailand.

The term ‘Accredited’ is used freely but it holds little essence. Most employers will expect you to have around 100 hours of classroom instruction and 6 hours of observed teaching practice with real students under your belt. They will prefer to see how you perform in a classroom and so the type of certificate you have isn’t always that important to them.

Make sure you choose a reputable TEFL course which has at least 6 hours of observed teaching practice with real students This will give you the confidence to walk into a roomful of expectant faces and not run out again screaming!

Good Luck!

About the Author:

Jimmy has extensive experience teaching English as a foreign language throughout Asia. Based in Thailand, Jimmy works as a freelance Education Consultant for a number of TEFL schools around the world. Feel free to contact him with any comments or suggestions at www.worldteflschool.com

What to expect from your four-week TEFL course by Bruce Haxton.

So you’re interested in Teaching English as a Foreign Language [TEFL] but you don’t know which course might be for you? Or maybe you’d just like to know more about what to expect on day one on a course you’ve already booked? Well, there are a variety of courses to choose from including online courses, 20-hour weekend courses, combined online and classroom TEFL courses, 4-week intensive certificates, and a 10-week diploma. The content of all of these courses is broadly similar, but the depth of training varies from course to course. Below are some descriptions to give you an idea of what you might expect on your TEFL Course.

Learning through doing activities

Probably the very best thing about a TEFL course is that the learning happens through actually doing activities, rather than long theoretical explanations. This is true even at diploma level, although discussion forms a greater part of the study on diploma courses, since by then you’ll have plenty of teaching experience and your aim is to perfect the skills you have. In all cases, your tutors want to encourage you to think about what they already know, so they provide plenty of opportunities to chat things through with others on the course. You and your fellow tutees will be given the chance to try out different exercises and materials, which usually involves interacting with each other. This is invariably terrific fun, so although you’ll feel tired, it’s more likely to be from the challenge and excitement than anything else.

Introduction to grammar

We all know an incredible number of words (about 50,000 on average) and grammar is simply the means for stringing this vast vocabulary into some kind of order so we understand each other. There are patterns and rules to think about, but you won’t have to learn it all in one day! Your tutor will use activities applied in a real EFL classroom and will usually break down the learning into manageable chunks. Many trainees are fascinated when they find out all the interesting reasons for why we say what we say. A Weekend TEFL Course will touch on a few aspects of grammar, but you can expect to study in much more depth if you supplement this with an online TEFL course or do an intensive 4-week course. Even in these comprehensive courses, you won’t fully learn grammar’s intricacies, so much of the teaching will raise your awareness and guide you on to further study. Tutors are very patient and understanding when it comes to this aspect, so don’t worry if you find it a bit tricky.

Pronunciation information

Just think about how to say this sentence:

“Get me some bread,” said Fred.

At a glance you can see that similar sounds have a different way of being spelt. We’ve got get, bread, said and Fred all with an /e/ sound. Any TEFL course will provide fun activities for you to help your students practice the pronunciation of individual words. This is important because, as you can see, spelling often isn’t a great deal of help! As mentioned above, the longer your course, the greater the level of detail on pronunciation. We also have to think about intonation, stress and the many other aspects of pronunciation. To prepare you for this highly enjoyable feature of the course, here’s a tongue-twister:

What noise annoys an oyster most? A noisy noise annoys an oyster most.

Teaching reading, writing, listening and speaking

English language learners also need help developing skills to cope with reading, writing, listening and speaking in English. Perhaps you’ve had training in how to write an essay or a letter yourself. Any good course will offer specific tips for helping your learners cope better with these aspects of using English. As always, expect the activities to be motivating, fun and interactive as you build your own awareness. You can also expect tips on how to use music in the classroom as part of your course.

Experience how language learning feels

At some point on any face-to-face TEFL course, you will have at least one lesson in a foreign language. You don’t have to be any good at languages yourself to enjoy this part of the course, and if you find it all gobbledygook – never mind! It’s your chance to experience what it feels like to be a language learner – something that helps every teacher to empathise with their learners. It’s also a great way to learn tips on classroom organisation, for example, how to give instructions clearly using mime and gesture and so on.

Learning by watching

Having the chance to do some classroom observation is an integral part of any course. Online courses often give you video clips to watch, so you can begin getting an idea of what lessons are like. On weekend courses, you will watch your peers teach at various times and on CELTA or Trinity CertTESOL courses, formal classroom observations are an important part of the learning. This safe environment makes it much easier to analyse what is happening in the classroom than when you are standing at the front, concentrating on leading the lesson. You’ll learn loads from this aspect, whether it’s picking up tips from watching an excellent teacher, or empathising with someone whose activity is not going as well they had hoped. And don’t be afraid of making mistakes yourself – it’s all part of the learning process! Nobody expects perfection and it can fun if the odd bit of controlled chaos breaks out!

Teaching practice with feedback

On any classroom TEFL course, part of your day is given over to guided lesson planning and you will be given materials and suggestions to teach from. Many tutees enjoy creating some of their own materials during lesson planning in order to make the lesson come to life. After preparing, it’s time to attend lessons, and these vary significantly according to the course you are doing. On a weekend course, your students are likely to be others doing the course with you whereas on 4-week intensive and 10-week diploma courses, you will be teaching real English students. The important factor is that you stand in front of a class and teach some aspect of the English language. Your aim is to use the ideas from earlier in your course to get them practicing in a fun, engaging way.

Analysis and evaluation

Some of your peers and your tutor will have been watching your lesson. So after teaching, there is the chance to get feedback on how it went. You are also encouraged to evaluate your own experience, focusing especially on what went well and considering any changes you would make if you had the chance to do it all over again. This part can be very encouraging as you’re often your own worst critic and don’t realise just how well you performed. It’s a great feeling to put your training into practice and motivate your students to learn.

So, what are you waiting for? If you haven’t already done it book a place on a TEFL course and get ready for an exciting, interesting, tiring, amusing and challenging experience!

About the Author

I believe that teaching English abroad is the perfect opportunity for any English speaker to explore the world. If you’re a fluent English speaker, a TEFL course is your ticket to the journey of your life. I work for www.onlinetefl.com.

Want to know how to succeed in the TEFL job market? Bruce Haxton tells you how.

So, you’re thinking about doing a TEFL course, and it won’t be too long before you’ve got your crisp new TEFL certificate in hand – but what are you going to do with it?! Get a teaching job abroad and jet off into the sunset – that’s what! But how to get there? Never fear: here are my five simple tips for TEFL job success:

Tailor your resume to TEFL

We’re sorry to say it, but employers don’t want to know about that ska band you were in back in school. Keep it short and sharp – just cover what the job advertisement asks for in simple, direct language. Focus on skills that schools will value, like leadership, organisational and communication skills and how you’ve demonstrated you can use them.

Do your course with a provider that has a job placement service

Get your TEFL course provider to do the legwork for you! Many companies have TEFL job placement services which will match you with relevant suitable contracts on completion of your course. Just make sure you’re eligible to use it before you sign on the dotted line!

Always deal with a real person

Want to know where most of those applications addressed to ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’ end up? That’s right… the bin! One of the best routes to job success is to build up personal relationships with recruiters to make sure your application ends up in the right person’s hands, rather than the trash.

Use your mouse

The internet’s a marvellous thing – where before you might have had to traipse around a city handing out your CV, you can now get access to tens of thousands of TEFL jobs at the click of a mouse. Sites like www.tefl.com list positions from all over the world, which are just waiting for enthusiastic EFL teachers to fill them!

Keep it simple

Very often the person who’ll be reading your job application won’t have English as their first language. They won’t want to tackle an application full of flowery language – they’ll want one that’s simple to read and direct. If they can’t immediately see that you’ve got the skills for the job your application will probably end up being binned!

And remember, if finding a TEFL job feels daunting, the odds are with you: there are 20,000 TEFL positions posted online every month, meaning fluent English speakers with TEFL certificates are like gold dust in many countries!

About the Author

Bruce feels that teaching English abroad is the perfect opportunity for any English speaker to explore the world. As long as you’re a fluent English speaker, a TEFL course is your ticket to the journey of your life.

Linguistics is a fresh and contemporary introductory textbook for all students of linguistics and language studies. Firmly based around taught courses and catering directly to student needs, it addresses all of the topics that a student will need in their initial and subsequent study of language.

With key terms, further reading, questions at the end of each chapter, exercises and key paragraphs in stand-out boxes, this is a firmly pedagogic text that takes difficult concepts and explains them in an easily understandable way, with examples taken from a range of languages across the world. Global in its scope and comprehensive in its coverage, this is the textbook of choice for linguistics students.

Are you looking for a well-balanced and informative introductory text? The book will make it clear to students what it means to say that linguistics is thee science of language.
M.A.K. Halliday

The text does a good job of explaining and demystifying difficult terms and concepts, and contains exercises designed to sharpen exam technique. It also has a very good supporting companion website with videos, questions, diagrams and other extra material.

Imprint: Continuum
Pub. date: 15 Jan 2009
ISBN: 9781847063670
408 Pages, paperback
£21.99

By Bruce E Thompson

Every year thousands of adventuresome souls leave their home country for six months or more with goals of teaching English abroad. Yet a common question for those without experience teaching English abroad is, “will an online TEFL certificate (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) be sufficient?”

The answer varies depending on your short or long-term goals, the country in which you intend to teach English abroad, and ultimately the requirements of the teaching institution.

1. Evaluate your personal goals (professional TEFL teacher / TESOL teacher)

If your goals are for teaching English abroad for 3 years or more, you should strongly consider taking an in-classroom TEFL course of 120 hours and a minimum of 6 hours of practicum. Some countries and schools will require this. You should also consider taking a course that provides you with a CELTA certificate.

2. Evaluate your personal goals (short-term teaching opportunity, cross-cultural experience, learning the local language, etc)

If you are not seeking a 3-5 year term as a “professional” TEFL teacher, an online TEFL course could very well be sufficient to prepare you for the time in front of your students.

3. Consult with your recruiter and/or the local teaching institution

The people in these organizations know what is required and what will be accepted or not regarding TEFL / TESOL certification. Additionally, TEFL courses are most likely offered in the country in which you want to teach; ask these contacts for recommendations

About the author

Bruce Thompson, Founder and Managing Director of TeachingChile, is a U.S. citizen residing in Chile that has been dedicated to programs involving teaching English in Chile. A 19-year veteran of international business, his recent years in Chile have involved recruiting and placing native English-speaking teachers into Chilean schools and universities, and developing TEFL training programs in Chile. Teachers interested in Chile can view a Cost of Living Guide in Chile

By Chris Soames

Courses, courses, everywhere!

Today, if you searched for a TEFL course, you would be faced with a bewildering array of choices. Many companies advertise a variety of TEFL courses: online courses, weekend courses, a combination of online and weekend, not to mention the 4-week intensive courses held in local and exotic locations around the world. In fact, search for too long on the Internet and you can be forgiven for feeling like a small child that’s stumbled upon Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory!

Think carefully about the type of course you choose…

Before committing yourself financially to a course of any kind, you’ll need to consider your options carefully. Factors such as the country you want to teach English abroad in, how far you wish to pursue a TEFL teaching career, the financial resources you have at your disposal, time, and preference of study, will all influence your final decision. If you want to teach for a year or less in an exotic location, you may not need the full 4-week course; a weekend certificate could be enough. So do some research: email or ring up local language schools or ask on Internet forums!

I’m broke, and I’ve already booked my plane ticket!

If time or money is an issue, or you just want an inkling of what TEFL teaching involves, then weekend courses are a good option, and do not tax the pocket too heavily. Starting at around £200, these courses offer a taster of the full TEFL course, and cover the main core skills you’ll need as a TEFL teacher.

The TEFL tutors on these courses are experienced teachers, and should be able to answer most questions or concerns you may have. Weekend courses are around 20 hrs long, and provide a valuable forum for gaining and sharing ideas, and you may find, they give a much-needed boost to your confidence.

Don’t chance the cowboys!

Be careful; there are cowboy operations, so whichever course you choose, make sure it is independently accredited or the certificate you receive at the end of the course may not be worth the paper it’s written on. I would advise sticking to established companies, as these offer good support and are well organised. Weekend courses are held at least once a month in most cities all over the UK, so you’ll have no problems booking a course near you.

Home study, or tutor?

If you’re self-motivated and prefer studying in the privacy of your own home, then online courses are an efficient and inexpensive way of brushing up on your grammar. Online courses can be completed in your own time, cover theoretical aspects of English teaching, and help you to master the intricacies of English grammar. However, I guarantee you will learn much more from a TEFL tutor, and if this is your first foray into teaching TEFL, I recommend an online course as an ‘extra’, rather than a sole method of study. Contact with an online tutor can’t compare to the immediacy and interaction of a real ‘live’ qualified tutor.

But will I get a job at the end of the course?

Worried about financial security? Then consider studying with a company that guarantees you a job on successful completion of their course. These courses usually combine a weekend with an online study program, and the companies offer support and help in finding accommodation, relieving you of some of the stress of moving to a new country.

What about TESOL/CELTA qualification or ‘equivalent’?

You may have seen jobs online or in the newspaper requiring these qualifications as a minimum. The Trinity TESOL, and the Cambridge CELTA, are the two ’standard’ internationally recognised qualifications, and are usually taken as a 4-week intensive course, although it is possible to do the course part-time over three months. These courses will set you back at least £900; so if you are cash-strapped check first whether you’ll require this qualification. Be aware that some organisations such as the British Council, and certain countries require these qualifications as a minimum, plus a first degree to boot. There are ‘equivalent’ accredited courses of around 120 hours, but you should make sure these are accepted by language schools in the country you intend to teach in.

A long-term investment

If you intend to spend a few years abroad, then the weightier courses are often a worthwhile investment. Having one of these qualifications looks impressive on your cv, and coupled with a year’s experience teaching, you will be viewed by potential employers, as a good candidate.

Where can I do these courses?

There are Cambridge and Trinity approved centres in many towns and cities across the UK, and worldwide. The ‘equivalent’ accredited courses are often cheaper, and some private companies run good quality courses. If you are undecided whether or not it is worth taking this qualification, or do not have the time or money, consider taking this qualification abroad when you are already teaching. There are approved CELTA and TESOL centres in most major cities across Europe; also in India, Russia, Thailand, Japan, and China.

Sharon K Couzens de Hinojosa, the creator of and writer for TEFL Tips, discusses the merits of TEFL certification.

As far as visa requirements go, while countries may require a degree, I don’t know of any that require you to have a TEFL certificate. Although TEFL certs won’t help with visa requirements, they will make your life much easier as a teacher. Intensive TEFL courses, whether they be CELTA, Trinity, or any other course, will teach you how to teach English. Knowing the language and being able to teach it are two different things. There’s nothing worse than having a student ask you to explain something and for you to not know the answer.

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These courses will teach you things such as grammar, how to teach vocabulary, language level, popular activities, different methods, and more. Not only do they help you learn about what to do in the classroom, the course trainers can give you advice about which countries to teach in, what to look for in a contract, and may even offer job placement. They’re a great way to get your foot in the door. If you decide to make teaching English your career, you should try to get higher qualifications as well, such as a PGDE or MA.

If you want to take a TEFL course, read Choosing a TEFL course to find out what you need to look for to find a good course. If you can’t take a TEFL course due to time, money or other reasons, don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world. There are plenty of other ways to learn about TEFL. See Learning about TEFL and Teaching.

About the author

Sharon K Couzens de Hinojosa is the creator and writer for TEFL Tips, The LA Job List, and The Ultimate Peru List. She enjoys answering people’s questions about TEFLing and Peru.

By Luke Fisher

We’re once again joined by Luke Fisher, who delves into the world of teacher training courses in this article:

The various types of TEFL Certification available make it important to research all possible options before learning to teach English as a second language. As there are many types of courses available you can usually find one that will suit both your timing and the method that you prefer for instruction. In the past there have been two options when it comes to taking a TEFL course, the first is classroom style and the second is an online course. Currently, about 30,000 people per year become TEFL certified with 5,000 completing in-class courses and 25,000 completing online courses.

There are a number of options in terms of TEFL certification. The training methods vary due to the nature of the course itself, the main difference being the method of course delivery. An in-class 4 week course is face to face where trainees are taught along with their peers and includes the very important component of teaching practice with real students of English. By Contrast, an online course is by nature completed independently with the support of an online tutor either via email or chat. Although an online course is a convenient option in terms of cost and accessibility, the draw back is that no teaching practice can be completed due the course being online. Instead, a CD of teachers teaching are viewed and commented on.

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Typically, a TEFL certification course is 4 weeks long and is more than often completed in the country where you plan to teach English. The course is fairly intensive and is designed to give a sound foundation and introduction to teaching English as well as teaching practice with actual students of English. Teaching skills, knowledge and experience are improved after the course when actually teaching. The most popular locations for TEFL certification are Thailand, Spain, Italy and Costa Rica.

Another option is TEFL certification online. The main advantage of this type of course is its flexibility and price. The course can be taken from pretty much anywhere with a pc and can be completed at a self dictated pace. The course can be completed in anything from 2 weeks to 6 months depending on the time that you have available. Not having to attend a training centre overseas for 4 weeks obviously makes this type of course a much cheaper option.

One further option is a Combined TEFL course. This is a combination of the two methods above. Trainees complete the online TEFL certification course and then attend a training centre for two weeks for further training and teaching practice. This is a good option for those that do not perform to their full potential in intensive environments. The teaching practice component of the combined course is offered in four locations: Thailand, Italy, Spain and the USA.

The quality of training and certification received when completing a TEFL course relates to the time involved in training and the amount of teaching practice hours completed. The 4 week in class TEFL course and the combined TEFL course involves approximately 130 hrs of training and 6 to 10 hrs of teaching practice. The industry standard recommendation for an in-class course is 6 hrs of teaching practice. The online course involves 100 hrs of training and post course options for in class components of teaching practice either locally or abroad.

About the author

TEFL Course is a leading provider in global TEFL Certification and TESOL Certification. TEFL Course will help you find TEFL Jobs in a range of countries.

By Gil Lavi

Technology keeps churning out innovations that promise to change, improve, or make our life easier. One of these revolutionary and ambitious technologies pledges to change the way we write English, whether or not we’re native English speakers.

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Since the first word possessors surfaced a few decades ago, developments in the field of English grammar software have taken up the ambitious challenge of transforming our English writing into correct and rich by using advanced Natural Language Processing.

How Does it Work?

Most professional grammar processing solutions rely on a smart English analyzing engine which is constantly fed with a massive quantity of accurate words, sentences, and phrases―simulating the human mind―and eventually rolling out an updated online grammar dictionary that compares the user’s existing written text with the analyzed results, suggesting corrections.

Top Benefits

(1) Upgrades English writing – professional and accurate.

(2) Saves proofreading time and most importantly, embarrassing grammar or spelling errors.

(3) Improves overall English writing skills.

Choosing the Right English Grammar Software

Many English writing solutions are available today; however, several key issues must be carefully examined when choosing your solution. Make sure the solution you choose:

(1) Is based on a smart, auto-updated online grammar dictionary.

(2) Supports any text-based applications.

(3) Provides an intuitive user interface and includes the following features: proofreading, automatic punctuation check, online spell check, online synonyms dictionary and text enrichment.

(4) Provides you with ready-made templates for various purposes, such as business correspondence, thank you notes, and memos.

(5) Includes translation features that enable instantaneous translation of any given text.

About The Author

Gil Lavi suggests learning more about English Grammar Software and explore the latest solutions in English writing.

The recent appearance of online colleges and university programs has undoubtedly provided fantastic opportunities for many people to earn college degrees who would not otherwise be able to obtain such qualifications. For many people, college or university tuition fees can prove to be prohibitively expensive. The one main advantage of an online degrees program, therefore, is that it costs much less.

Additionally, most online MBA degrees programs give you the option of paying per course, making it possible to earn your degree at a pace you can afford. Furthermore, due to the fact you are learning from home, there is no accommodation cost to pay, and, as all of your reading material is on the web, so there’s no need to buy those pricey textbooks.

EarnMyDegree.com is site whose goal is to match people’s educational goals with their personal goals. This site can help if you want to search for a degree by subject, level, online school, or if you just wish to study at a nearby college campus. EarnMyDegree.com features hundreds of online business degrees programs across numerous accredited online colleges as well as traditional schools.

A further benefit of earning qualifications such as online business degrees through online programs is that you can do it at your own pace. As teachers of English, we are busy professionals and, in many cases, busy parents who can earn degrees while also attending to our day to day lives. With the help of EarnMyDegree.com, teachers can study whenever it’s most convenient for, in the evening, on weekends, even during between classes.

Thinking about the courses at EarnMyDegree.com, it’s clear that as long as you have computer access from your location, you can study there. This therefore allows for a level of freedom and a flexibility that’s simply not possible when earning a degree on campus at a traditional bricks and mortar university.

Other benefits of earning a degree through one of the many online college and university programs features on EarnMyDegree.com are numerous. Many people, even us English teachers, are stuck in careers we don’t like, or are unable to be promoted within our organisation, because they lack a college degree. Employers value employees with college degrees for good reason: college graduates tend to be more thoughtful, more creative and more diligent than other employees.

Finally, online degrees programs enable students to think critically and creatively, and to be able to analyse information in an intelligent way; skills which can prove invaluable in the modern work environment. Not only do job chances improve with online colleges and university degrees, but you can expect to earn more money as well.