Questions concerning TEFL/TESOL

[squall_stanley]

i take interest in getting TESOL certificate,
> especially in my own country, Indonesia. I am not a graduate since i
quit
> from my university due to financial reason,then i only possess high
school
> diploma. I have almost two years working experience as an english
private
> teachers for adults and professionals.
> the questions are :
> Will i be eligible to teach english abroad with my qualification
after
> completing TESOL/TEFL course? and which kind of course would you recommend : onsite training or online training?
> Your response is greatly appreciated.
> sincerely,
> tenny stanley, male 26

[ICAL_Pete]

Being certified will certainly make you more marketable and, perhaps more importantly, it will prepare you for the job. However your level of proficiency in English, and the fact that you don’t have a degree will represent a problem when applying for work outside your own country.

As for whether to opt for an onsite or online course, that really depends on how much time, money, and commitment you are prepared to invest. Online courses offer a great training opportunity at entry level. They can provide a thorough grounding in a new career and the right tools to approach a new profession within a manageable amount of time and finances.

[squall_stanley]

your reply is greatly appreciated. i am planning to enroll TEFL certification in Indonesia held by Brewster Institute, i found about it when i browsed. What do you think about this Brewster Institute? Is it credible enough? Thank in advance.

[ICAL_Pete]

This particular institute has received negative feedback on and off over the years, and you should be wary of it.

Check the ESL Teachers Board to read some of the comments people who took their course left there. I's worth a read.

I would have given you the direct link to that page but when I try and paste it in it gets jumbled up with some meta text. So if you are interested just P.M. me and I'll email it to you.

[Tdol]

I read the debate about Brewster a couple of years ago and there was a lot of negative stuff said about them. Online training is an area that is not regulated as you can set the training up in any country. Always check the accreditation carefully and search the internet for negative feedback. There are decent internet training providers around, but there are also a lot of cowboys.

Here's the link Pete wanted to post: ESL Teachers Board, English as a second language, ESL job overseas, ESL teachers, free ESL materials, free list of international ESL schools. Learn English free.

If you want to ask discreetly about a course, feel free to PM me.


ICAL_Pete, BTW do you know if the separate site that Free-ESL set up about teacher training, etc, still up? I lost the URL a couple of computers ago and can't remember the name so can't search for it.

[ICAL_Pete]

Originally Posted by Tdol

ICAL_Pete, BTW do you know if the separate site that Free-ESL set up about teacher training, etc, still up? I lost the URL a couple of computers ago and can't remember the name so can't search for it.

Not sure which Free-ESL separate site you are referring to but I visit Free-ESL regularly and their home page is at Free-ESL.com : Default

Hope this helps

[Tdol]

Thanks. It wasn't that. They set up a forum and articles on teacher training a while back, but I can't remember the name.

[squall_stanley]

wow, i couldn't thank you more for your help by replying my post. Hopefully i could make a decision wisely and give a second thought bout this brewster institute. btw, how many non-native english teachers that you know who are currently teaching outside of their own countries? that's what's bothering me so much since i am neither native nor a degree holder.....I'd like to teach overseas (outside of Indonesia).
Would you please name one of the institute that could help me to make my dreams come true?
thank you in advance, guys

[ICAL_Pete]

I have no concrete figures to offer as to how many non native English speakers teach outside their own country but I know that competition from qualified native English speakers is high. That doesn’t mean you should give up hope but it’s going to be tough. I would personally try and build up as much teaching experience as you can in your own country, possibly with reputable schools than might have a good standing in other countries too, and at the same time study towards your TESL Certificate. Once you have build up your resume then you can start looking outside Indonesia.

As for a good quality teacher training course which you can easily take from Indonesia, take a look at the ICAL TESL/TEFL Certificate course at
http://www.icalweb.com

[Tdol]

In some parts of Asia, many Filipinos are employed as teachers, though there are issues about parity of pay; many are paid less. I believe that in some schools in Indonesia, they are paid less, so check things carefully first.