On-line TESOL certificate

[sara.fazeli]

hello teachers
i am beginning my search into finding the right on line TESOL certification program and was hoping someone would have some insight into any online programs that will be the most beneficial and recognized, the internet always makes me a bit wary, so any advise would be much appreciated! if i have the opportunity to get a certification through a university, would that be best? thanks so much!

 

[Tdol]

Which university?

Many people have a low opinion of online courses, and if the course doesn't have a teaching practice element, it will be regarded by many as second-rate, or worse. Some providers are trying to offer decent courses, but there are so many bad ones that they have a bad reputation. There are, however, blended courses, like the CELTA online, and some include video observation. If it does't have video observation as a very minimum, then the course is not worth much in the eyes of many employers. If a teacher hasn't been observed working in a classroom, why should an employer consider letting them loose on their students? Many won't.

To be honest, I would recommend the CELTA or an equivalent course (around 120 hours of training and 8 hours teaching)- that's what employers are looking for.

I looked to see if I could find any employers looking for people with online qualifications and couldn't find a single one, though I did find people who wouldn't consider applicants with them:
CELTA vs Online TESOL and TEFL Courses

60% of jobs I looked at on another occasion specified the CELTA or the Trinity College course.
Some qualifications are more equal than others - Tdol's English Language Blog

 

[5jj]

I agree with Tdol. I'll just add a couple of thoughts.

There is no doubt in my mind that some courses of 100+ hours with 6+ hours of observed teaching are as good as some CELTA and Trinity courses. Unfortunately, even if you find one of these, you may find that some employers will not accept it.

Be wary of courses that claim to be 'accredited' or 'validated' Some crediting/validating bodies are simply a dubious invention of the schools themselves. CELTA and the Trinity Cert TESOL are recognised by organisations that are themselves recognised by the British government.

The words 'internationally recognised' mean very little unless you know who the people/organisations recognising the qualification are.

 

[Tdol]

I agree- I don't want to sound like a CELTA shill, but I can't see any reason to take any other course. It's the number one qualification employers ask for. Trinity comes a respectable second.

Some the equivalent courses will be OK, but I saw one recently that was actually more expensive than the CELTA available in the same town, which strikes me as very bizarre.

 

[Tomger]

If I graduate with a Bachelors Degree in Linguistics and a minor in TESOL, would it be worthwhile to also get certified through CELTA?

I can't imagine it being necessary, I just think that more qualifications couldn't hurt.

 

[5jj]

If your minor included observed teaching practice, it might be accepted. However, We all know what CELTA (and Trinity) courses expect of their trainees. We do not know about University minors, so there is no guarantee.

 

[Tomger]

The minor would include a specific number of practicum hours in an ESL classroom, yeah.

I suppose I should also point out that I intend to teach ESL overseas after I graduate, so I was wondering if potential employers would be satisfied with the Bachelors or would it be advantageous to have the certificate as well.

Thank you for your response.

 

[KarriBlanchard]

I second the other replies here - do a CELTA and not an online course. You will find a job after an online course, but not at a reputable and serious institution.