TESOL/TEFL Certified Canadian Looking for an Opportunity

 Personal experience: How I got the TESOL certificate to work in China

To work abroad, a teacher needs an international TEFL, TESOL or CELTA certificate. When I just graduated from the magistracy, I knew for sure that I was not ready to part with China, and teaching was my passion. So I got the TESOL certificate and with it work and visa permits.

I used a Chinese search engine (百度 百科 - analogous to Wikipedia) and found out everything about TESOL. In one article I found an organization that provided training for this program, the American TESOL Institute. They offered different types of certification - for teachers of children and adults, general certificate, advanced level. I chose the TESOL Advanced Certification "General".

When choosing a center, it is important to remember that TESOL and TEFL are not a TOEFL or IELTS exam, but just the name of the program - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages ​​and Teaching English as a Foreign Language. There are many organizations where you can get training and certification online or offline. But when choosing an organization, ask for accreditation.

For example, the American TESOL Institute is accredited by several organizations, including the ACE (American Council of Education), IAO (International Accreditation Organization) and the Chinese Embassy in America. He also enjoys authority in China. I know that in the CIS countries you can get a certificate, for example, through SkyEng.

I received my certificate more than 3.5 years ago. It cost about 2,000-2,500 yuan (about 20,000 rubles or $ 300). The prices are the same now: from 15,000 to 40,000 rubles.

When I took the certificate, face-to-face courses were more expensive (3,000-5,000 yuan). But in my city they took place only at a certain time, and I would have to fly to Shanghai or Beijing. I don't see any reason to overpay for full-time courses, you will receive the same certificate as in online courses.

I had 3 months to study (it depends on the organization). During this time, we went through the history of pedagogy and various teaching methods. Full-time training takes about a month. To obtain a certificate, you need to complete all training modules, complete assignments and write an essay. There are about 20 modules in total. Each unites several topics TESOL/TEFL Certified Canadian Looking for an Opportunity  and consists of theory in different forms - an article, a chapter in a textbook, a video lecture.

We had mandatory assignments: multiple choice tests, answers to questions, essays, and a retelling of what we read. During the training, it was also necessary to develop several curricula and a course. After completing all the tasks, access to the next module was opened.

The last stage is a large essay (1500 words) on a given topic (in my case, "Prospects for the development of teaching English").

Teaching and all materials were in English. For those with a level below proficient, it is almost impossible to get a certificate. The curator assesses language proficiency and lowers the score for mistakes.

I liked the program and it was not so difficult to cope with all the tasks. But to get a certificate, you need to spend time, and in some places and put more effort.

The disadvantage of this certificate is that, for example, I was denied by the British Council precisely on its basis. The organization works with Cambridge and prefers CELTA. Organizations that offer TESOL certifications track and offer interesting jobs around the world. Therefore, after receiving the certificate, you can find a job right on the same site.

By the time I received the certificate, I had a specialized education and teaching experience. I am not sure that a beginner without a pedagogical education, having completed the online TESOL course, can safely go and teach anyone. However, without the TESOL course, this will not be possible.

I believe that a TESOL / TEFL certificate is a good investment for all English language teachers. The certificate confirms professionalism and opens up new opportunities for working in other countries or serious language schools and universities in their homeland.

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