Looking to do a T.E.F.L course which one is the best ?

**Marmite the Dog** · 04-09-2011, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by DrAndy

maybe teaching English as a foreign language requires a different set of skills?

All it needs here is to be able to get the students to relax and enjoy themselves. The level is never going to be very high, so all these 'I've got a Phd in applied linguistics' crowd are quite simply wasting their and the 'students'' time, unless they're stumble upon the handful of Thais who would actually benefit from that level of English instruction.

**bedu** · 29-09-2011, 10:34 AM

Someone mentioned 'Why not TOEFL?' and then 'Why not IELTS?'.

Well, this is a thread about TEFL questifications, not tests of English for non native speakers, that's why.

Further, someone else said (can't be arsed to scroll through the thread to look up the name), about the CELTA and it doesn't teach you how to teach kids.

Well, the A at the end of CELTA stands for Adults. If you want to teach kids (children, not the billy goat variety), you can get a YL extension tagged onto the end of the CELTA.

Really ladies, bitching about this and that, when the OP wanted help about deciding which course to do.

I mean everyone slates Ajarn.com, as a place for fuck-ups to compare shitty qualifications, but it seems that this TD thread is doing the same.

I think we'd all agree (although this being TD, maybe not!), that having 'proper' Education certificates (Grad Dip / PGCE) is in general better than a TEFL, however if you do not have said paperwork, better to have a TEFL than nothing at all.

I wonder if the OP got a TEFL in the end?

**Bettyboo** · 30-09-2011, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by Vientianeboy

Disagree totally. The CELTA does not really teach you how to teach. Depending on where you do your TEFL certification, you will end up being a much more rounded teacher. Personally I have not found that the acronym CELTA opens any more doors than a decent TEFL.

Absolute bollocks...

Originally Posted by kingwilly

I love these ajarn fights about is a 3 week TEFL as good as a 1 month CELTA??

This VB chap is particularly funny.

Originally Posted by elche

I'm afraid to say that many of you are or at least appear to be functionally illiterate. When you are making simple errors in choice of word, tense, basic verb-noun agreement, and spelling, I sense you have more ambition than ability. A program with an entrance exam and a final exam would go a long way to ensure quality English teachers are available.

So many errors here...

You need to 'embed' your embedded clauses within commas ('or at least appear to be' - this clause is not compounded); with 'errors' as your head noun, you should be consistent with your list, thus 'choice of words' should be changed to 'word choice' - and don't forget your comma to introduce the list; 'I sense' may be used in this sentence if you were writing a novel, but you cannot 'sense' if somebody has correctly chosen: words, tense, etc; there are other basic errors too, but I can't be bothered...

Did you study education or literature? It certainly wasn't linguistics...

**Bettyboo** · 30-09-2011, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

all these 'I've got a Phd in applied linguistics' crowd are quite simply wasting their and the 'students'' time

That's not very nice, Marmers...

Who's gonna write the textbooks or understand the cognitive and comparative sides to advance the field of EFL/ELF/ESL? The muppets back in the US and UK haven't done a very good job of it!

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

they're stumble upon the handful of Thais who would actually benefit from that level of English instruction

I understand your point, but it's misguided; some of the very worst teaching is conducted at the 'initial' levels - pick up one of the textbooks used for primary and secondary school kids, they're truly awful, as are many/most of the teaching methodologies that underlie the texts.

**ralphlsasser** · 30-09-2011, 01:20 PM

I went to Tefl International in Ban Phe. Dave the instructor is tough, but one of the best in Thailand. He expects a lot. But, if you do your work, you'll learn so much. I taught 10 years before coming to Thailand and he taught me a whole new way to teach. Soe one mentioned one visiting one of the islands. You will not have time to go during the course if you do the work expected. BTW, a TEFL, Celta, or any other course is not required to teach in Thailand. At least when I retired in 2010. But taking the course will give you the real time in a classroom in front of live students. You also must pass that part. I can't say enough good things about Ban Phe, but as I said, it's tough. Good luck!

**ralphlsasser** · 30-09-2011, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by ralphlsasser

I went to Tefl International in Ban Phe. Dave the instructor is tough, but one of the best in Thailand. He expects a lot. But, if you do your work, you'll learn so much. I taught 10 years before coming to Thailand and he taught me a whole new way to teach. Soe one mentioned one visiting one of the islands. You will not have time to go during the course if you do the work expected. BTW, a TEFL, Celta, or any other course is not required to teach in Thailand. At least when I retired in 2010. But taking the course will give you the real time in a classroom in front of live students. You also must pass that part. I can't say enough good things about Ban Phe, but as I said, it's tough. Good luck!

**Bettyboo** · 30-09-2011, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by ralphlsasser

Dave the instructor is tough, but one of the best in Thailand.

This is just a wild statement... Dave may well be a great instructor, but you have no way of comparing him with others, so such statements undermine your post.

**Rocksteady** · 04-11-2011, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by Spitfire

You can do a CELTA in Bangkok, Chiang Mai or Phuket, it's a one month course, 9am-5pm, lots to do and lots of observed teaching. The reason it's (CELTA) given more credit internationally is because you can fail it, can't fail a TEFL.

I second this route. Indeed, I've been down it myself. forget about those mickey mouse places that charge you a similar price to a celta or trinity cert - especially the one you mentioned near Koh Samet, if you are looking for value for money (i.e. it opens doors once you have the cert)

**Deronda** · 13-10-2012, 01:37 PM

I have been thinking about doing Text 'n' Talks six week course in Khon Kaen. Has anyone here done that particular course? Any comments about it and living in Khon Kaen for the duration?

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