How do I chose a TEFL course - TESOL/ Celta..?

[Grockle]

I am an experienced primary school teacher but want to diversify. My local language school say they want teachers with CELTA or TESOL qualifications. I want to be able to teach children (maybe adults too... or both)

How do I train? I can't take 4 weeks off work to do a full time course so am looking at online. Is that sufficient? With CELTA its online plus saturdays at school, teaching.

online is ok if it is an accredited course with teaching hours, for CELTA the accrediting body would be RSA/Camb , and for TESOL it is Trinity. If it is neither of those, do not bother.

Would the British Council be able to advise? Worked in language schools for many years (admin) but loved it. I hope you find something suitable.

sorry hit send too soon.
TESOL would be more useful for getting work in e.g. teaching immigrants, a lot of CELTA is more geared towards your summer students.

Hmm... I live in a touristy place and we have LOTS of students who come over to attend language schools. Most are high school aged. So, woild TESOL be better for that or would CELTA be better for opportunities?

if you live in one of the more popular summer school locations, (eg Brighton?) there are lots of language schools but heaps of competition for jobs and it is quite agist (age-ist?). think temp contracts, cover work, etc.
TESOL covers more and is as well regarded in the language schools as CELTA afaik, and would also prepare you more for work in the FE colleges.
with your PGCE and teaching exp. you would be v well set up.

I would point out that some of those language schools are horrendous, the teachers are not treated well and there is little job security. For example a dank basement with one pencil tied to a table to do your preparation, along with a broken photocopier (I still have photocopier nightmares!); sour and cynical colleagues, and an hourly rate that has not gone up in fifteen years. on the other hand if you could get work on a 'pre-sessional' or summer course at your local university it is pure joy and lovely resources, and a v g hourly rate. It really does vary wildly.

Work would be sporadic but my local school take students year round.

I might just email them my CV and see what they say.

do that grockle, in fact send your CV to as many places as possible. Do not wait for posts to be advertised.
Send a paper CV to the 'director of studies' and mark it 'private and confidential' so they will actually see it. then follow up with an email and / or phonecall.
they might take students all year round but will have a hardcore of permanent staff for the winter months and take on extra summer staff when thing go a bit wild.