TEFL - - Has anybody done this? Would you recommend it?

[Mummycan]

I am thinking about doing a TEFL course so that I may be able to do some work around school work and maybe eventually work with foreign businessman. Anybody done this? Should I do certificate/Diploma/ DELTA.

Any help gratefully received.

TIA
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[Gem13]

I did it - crikey - 9 years ago and really enjoyed it.

I did the CELTA part time over 3 months. I've heard that it is very intensive over a month. You wouldn't be eligible to do the diploma until you have qualified and worked in TEFL for at least 2 years.

AFAIK - the Cambridge/RSA one is the one to do. The Trinity course is not so highly regarded.

[morocco]

I've done it for years - it worked out well for me but that was before I had kids. I started with celta then diploma. You get more money in esol, that's what I do nowadays. Beware that in esol especially it is a lot of extra work outside the classroom and eats into your time. What kind of stuff do you want to know about it?

[Rhubarb]

Any TEFL cert is very useful. Some of them, if you get a high enough grade, can give you a TESOL (I think that's right?) which is a higher qualification than a TEFL.
Definitely worth it.

[Gem13]

[morocco]

hiya gem - you got in before me!!
things are fine thanks, apart from spending too long at work:(

[SenoraPostrophe]

trhub - tesol and celta are equal (just different exam boards) and they are both commonly known as tefl certs. the dip is higher, but most places insist you do the cert first and then teach for a year.

the cert itself is hard work but yes, worth it in general. the problem is that most of the work available is summer only and then full time (or near full time) so not very mum friendly. winter tefl jobs are quite hard to come by without the summer experience iyswim.

[Straightforward]

I did this a while ago but chose a bit of a crap course. My husband works for a company who act as an agency for TEFL courses and I know they are a friendly bunch who'd talk you through it without a hard sell. Their website is \link{http://www.cactustefl.com/here}. Hope that helps - good luck!

[Gem13]

[Straightforward]

Oops - \link{http://www.cactustefl.com\here's that link again}

[Pruni]

No Rhubarb, TEFL is the general area, TESOL is the Trinity qualification and CELTA is the Cambridge one (more common). The diploma is now called the DELTA. Mummycan, you can't do the DELTA generally until you've got two years' teaching experience.
I have the Trinity TESOL cert and the DELTA. Beware, there is little money in this kind of teaching and not much of a career path. Jobs are like hen's teeth and most people bumble along from one two-week contract to the next. And if you want to advertise yourself as a one-to-one business teacher (for example) you have to work quite hard at drumming up business - but it can be done.
I did do the one-month intensive course and it is really intensive! I thoroughly enjoyed it though.

[morocco]

if you do your tefl with an fe college, you can probably pick up a few hours with them during the year to start with if you preferred

[SenoraPostrophe]

that's not my experience, morocco - like I say, winter jobs are hard to come by.

[morocco]

ah but aren't you in sunny climes? come to the north west of England and you'll be falling over yourself for jobs!! wonder why people seem to prefer jet setting off abroad?? ahem!

[SenoraPostrophe]

actually I was talking about when I was a tefl teacher in brighton.

I could walk into a tefl job here tomorrow if I wanted to work 2-4 every day for 6 euros an hour (which is less than the going rate for a cleaner). but hey ho.

[SenoraPostrophe]

also ha! at sunny climes!

well ok, we get more sun than you do - too much in summer - but it's flippin freezing because we're half way up a mountain. nice views though.

you're not in morocco then?

[lucy5]

I think winter work is hard to find unless you live in London. You could do a pgce with tesol which would open the state sector for you. I did this when I was in Uk after having the celta and the delta but you don't need either of these to qualify for the pgce.

[lucy5]

I also think if you can incompany work you can get better money, My current job is €36 an hour but it's only 6 hours a week. Unless you get in with a school the hours can be very scrappy. When teaching abroad, hours can be unchild friendly, such as split shifts, very early mornings and late evenings. In England you would probably start at about £10 per hour, I am guessing though as I havent been in UK for a while.

[shimmy21]

I started with TEFL and taught abroad for a few years. Excellent fun. Now I teach ESOl in the local FE college which is a troubled place to be ATM (funding crisis, jaded staff etc).

I'd echo what Pruni says - don't do it if you want to be well paid, if you want job security or any sort of career structure. On the other hand if you are happy to work on and off for a bit of extra pin money it's fun, interesting and you are teaching people who actually want to be taught. I loved the course I did too.

[Mummycan]

Thanks to everyone for their replies. Much appreciated - I will have another read later and have have a look at your link Straightforward.

MC
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