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| Accreditation TEFL |
There is an abundance of TEFL courses available to future English teachers interested in teaching internationally. Unfortunately, not all courses are created equal, so you have to make sure that the course is up to the standards set by a TEFL Accrediting Organisation. Making a hasty decision can lead to a stifled and stagnant career, low job prospects and low pay as well.
One of the first things you’ll want to check up on is making sure that the TEFL course is at least 120 hours. In order to be accredited, a course has to be at least 100 hours of academic training and anywhere from six to 20 hours of practice teaching actual ESL students. A standard full-time TEFL course lasts four weeks long. A part-time or online class will usually take about two to three months to complete. Any course that lasts fewer than 100 hours and doesn’t offer teaching practice will not reward you with internationally recognized certification.
A course that has been audited by a TEFL Accrediting Organisation is one that you should be looking for. Courses and schools that have been evaluated by an accrediting organisation have undergone a rigorous review both academically and professionally. TEFL accrediting bodies to keep an eye out for include NCFE, ACCET and College of Teachers. Beware of any schools that don’t have a true accreditation. Some institutions have started putting together their own accrediting body on their website in order to give themselves a fake accreditation. Look for accrediting bodies with more than 20 or 30 organizations and have been opened for more than five years since those hold the most credibility and respect in their field.
A high-level TEFL course should be taught by a high-level instructor. If you’re taking a university-level
course, then you should have a teacher who has a master’s degree in TESOL or equivalent training and experience. You’ll also want a teacher who has experience. If the course has a mentor or tutor whose qualifications aren’t fully listed, then that may be a course that you want to stay away from. A course that has been evaluated by a TEFL Accrediting Organisation may cost a bit more. Qualified teachers have more of a right to ask students to pay more for their level of expertise. While you want to save as much money as possible during the process to become a qualified TEFL teacher, you shouldn’t be afraid to spend money on quality. Cheap courses may indicate that they are taught by teachers who aren’t fully qualified.
Before you start your TEFL homework, make sure that you do your homework about the class before you enroll in it.
Students considering enrollment in the TEFL Institute of Chicago (www.teflinstitute.com) which CLAIMS to be accredited by WTEFLAC should proceed with greatest caution. Careful research on-line will reveal countless negative reviews on this organization. (YELP, www.glassdoor.com, www.goOverseas.com, www.facebook.com/TheTruthAboutTEFLInstitute). Fraudulent business practices are obviously the hallmark of this organization.
ReplyDeleteIndividuals who HAVE been defrauded by TEFL Institute should IMMEDIATELY contact their Credit Card company or issuing bank/credit union and DISPUTE the charges made to one's credit card. The key word is DISPUTE, and it is your legal right. FRAUD or failure to deliver promised services are LEGITIMATE reasons for initiating this FREE dispute resolution process which is guaranteed by Federal Law. While the investigation is underway, charges are reversed in your favour.
DO NOT register or pay money to TEFL Institute without doing your homework. You along with hundreds of students (and dozens of unpaid teachers) will regret your decision!