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Post by Miss Motz on Mar 4, 2006 15:17:31 GMT 7
I'm looking at doing a TESOL course through either Globaltesol or Teach International. Has anyone done these courses?? Good or bad points for either??
Thanks
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Non-Dave
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Try Not! Do - or Do Not... There Is No Try!
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Post by Non-Dave on Mar 4, 2006 22:09:30 GMT 7
I don't know anything about Globaltesol, so this is a somewhat one-sided opinion, however...
I strongly recommend Teach International. I did the course in Brisbane last year and got a lot out of it (apart form the certificate). They focus on ESL issues rather than teaching you how to be a teacher, have lots of good resources available to to graduates and the facilitators all have extensive ESL experience. I had lots of similar feedback form other TI grads who did the course at other times and in other cities. So my recommendation would be...
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Post by Miss Motz on Mar 5, 2006 7:14:07 GMT 7
Thanks ND, I've had similar feedback form other sources as well so TI it is. Did you do the foundation or one of the certifiates?
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Post by Mr Nobody on Mar 5, 2006 10:20:55 GMT 7
I did the cheapest, nastiest, lowest level course I could find on the internet that was recognized. I can get jobs here no worries, but then, I already had done some teaching, so I didn't really need anything more than a peice of paper.
Money was short, too.
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Post by Miss Motz on Mar 5, 2006 10:23:35 GMT 7
I'm in the process of getting a degree but I need that piece of paper I'd think to get a decent job thats not in some hell hole  |
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Non-Dave
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Post by Non-Dave on Mar 5, 2006 11:01:35 GMT 7
So you don't want to get a job in Melbourne. That's good...
I did the plain basic Tesol course - they didn't have the other certification levels. If ESL teaching is going to be your career they other certs may be of value, if you just want to get a job just do the basic one. Doesn't make any difference to the employers here (imho).
I've PM'd you some info to help get a discount.
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Newbs
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If you don't have your parents permission to be on this site, naughty, naughty. But Krusty forgives
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Post by Newbs on Mar 5, 2006 15:48:31 GMT 7
Divine Miss M, I've posted my thoughts on courses, etc. before, so I too shall PM you with a few thoughts.
Non-Dave does the phrase "world's most liveable city" conjur up any meaning in your banana bender brain? (Nice bit of alliteration, don't you think?)
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woza17
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Posts: 2,203
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Post by woza17 on Mar 5, 2006 17:25:10 GMT 7
Wll said News Go Demons  |
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Non-Dave
Barfly
Try Not! Do - or Do Not... There Is No Try!
Posts: 701
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Post by Non-Dave on Mar 5, 2006 20:32:18 GMT 7
Wishful thinking?
Meaningless rhetoric?
Owner of an umbrella factory?
... sympathy.
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Post by OZgronk on Mar 9, 2006 21:19:09 GMT 7
Mrs Ozgronk and I did the Global Tesol course in Brisbane and it was a lot of fun.
It was over 3 nights plus a full weekend and there were 20 on the course aged from 19 to mid 50s.
That gave us the basics, and since then we have done several extra on-line specialist courses with them on teaching Adults, Children, Adolescents, Tutoring etc, (which are all basically the same stuff...but all the certificates look impressive)
The course however, doesn't in any way, shape or form prepare you for the experience of teaching in a Chinese Middle school.
The course instead concentrates on techniques that you would use perhaps in a small private school situation where you have your own classroom to decorate how you want, and with just 20 students or less.
Nevertheless, it was useful and it certainly taught us some good tricks and how to prepare decent lesson plans.
Aftersales service from Global was quite rudimentry.....questions were answered by supplying URLs to the likes of Daves ESL etc.
Whoever you take the course with, just pay for the basic course to give you a bit of paper to wave about, that's all you need...thats our thoughts anyway.
We probably got far more useful ideas from our agent when we arrived here, during a 5 day orientation course that was aimed squarely at the local situation, but we still refer back to our manuals from Global which are supplied in PDF form on the web from time to time.
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Post by joe on Mar 9, 2006 22:16:46 GMT 7
Haven't done either. Did a different one.
The key to any and all of it is, teaching English in English.
While teaching the students you are using what the students must learn, therefore... show them first, make them do it second. Find out what they don't know and find a way to let them know it, practice it, make it real.
Courses, if they are worth something, show you how to deal with language being a practice, not an exam.
Right?
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Post by Dr. Gonzo on Mar 12, 2006 10:23:22 GMT 7
MM, once you've got a degree, you can do a post grad certificate, diploma or masters in TESOL. Online. Through Macquarie and several other Oz universities. No money needed until you're back home earning a decent salary. AND you get a qualification that is useful in English speaking countries. TEFLs ain't.
Ask me how.
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Post by Miss Motz on Mar 12, 2006 11:55:41 GMT 7
Oky doky then I pose a question, If I were to come to China with no TESOL cert and still 6 months to go on my Social Science Degree, what kind of job would I be looking at?? Obviously the lack of qualifications would exclude me from quiet a few jobs. I do plan on doing a post grad cert in either education or TESOL. So is doing the course a waste of money?? If so how will I know 'how' to teach ?? I don't want to get into a classroom and have absolutley no idea  !! I'm open to saving money 'specially the kinda money you have to part with to do these courses. |
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Post by joe on Mar 12, 2006 16:17:26 GMT 7
In my humble opinion, as a man sadly lacking Uncle Gonzos long and wide qualification, a tefl certificate fits one for a position where one may work ones ass off for the betterment of one's employer. A CELTA or a TRINITY will be like boot camp and the jobs you can get with it will pay a lot (relatively speaking) and use up your time and burn you out in a year or so, but it'll be fun. In other words it'll set you up for a year or so of intensive work if you want it. It'll also set you up for a year or so of laid back work in a university and will minimise the number of rookie mistakes you make, and it'll let you get into a bit more work and play satisfaction.
To set yourself up for a longer run in more than one country you need stamina or an actual post grad cert. But for China work, a post grad cert might well be a waste of time.
In a nut shell, telf certs are what they advertise themselves to be, a jump start on an esl classroom.
Either way, a tertiary diploma or degree is a legal requirement for a job in China. Whatever employment you get will have to have someone looking the other way. I have no first hand knowledge of how secure nor how plentiful such positions are.
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Post by joe on Mar 12, 2006 16:41:18 GMT 7
Kinda all of which begs the question:
so what work do you want in China?
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Post by con's fly is open on Mar 12, 2006 22:56:56 GMT 7
What Joe said. I recommend the TESOL cert heavily: 1. It is legally necessary in order that someone legitimately hire you. 2. It is terrific training, if there's classroom practice. I did my first tour of duty without one (they hadn't put in the mandatory law yet), ad I was lost for the first two months. Trust me, you don't want to go there.  Get the TESOL. Or TEFL. Or whatever. You won't regret it. |
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Post by Dr. Gonzo on Mar 13, 2006 9:39:19 GMT 7
In the short term, go with the CELTA. Its got some clout on the world EFL stage. A very experienced [English teaching that is] ex-colleague had to get one before he could do a 1 year exchange in Japan. He said it was tough, but worth it. THEN get some Aussie post grad qual. You can work in migrant ed and international student schools back home. The work's OK, the pay's sufficient: it beats most of the alternatives.
Trust me. I'm a teacher.
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!!