So confused!

[babeinchrist]

Okay, first let me give you some background (this will help you answer my questions later). My family and I are moving to Mexico City to live and work as missionaries for the next 4 years. It has always been my dream and passion to teach English there as a foreign language. Soon, I am going to begin an AA degree in general studies with a minor in social sciences at Taylor University's virtual campus. It's an accredited degree, and it's an actual school in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Anyway, I am unsure how to go about getting a certificate to teach English as a foreign language. So I started looking online for schools that offer online certificates, and man is it confusing. I really have no idea where to begin. I do have some teaching experience in that I have been a permanent substitute pre-school teacher for the past two years (where I helped plan lessons, do classroom management, and of course taught the children), and I have some informal TEFL experience. I found a couple of schools online that I really like, but I don't want to get into something without knowing if it will help me.

The two that I found online were:
I to I
http://www.onlinetefl.com/

Global English
http://www.global-english.com/index.html

What do you think of these programs?
And will I be qualified to actually teach with my AA degree and an online certificate in TEFL/TESOL?

Thanks!
- Cassie

[ichini]

Both the i-to-i and Global Engish TESOL course are top quality online courses. Many students go thru these places and I rarely hear bad news on them.

You have probably noticed the demand for TEFL qualified teachers, hence the reason why you are now looking into these course. Years ago, there wasn't such a requirement, but now, it seems every job ad requires a TEFL certificate.

Best is to look at the contents of both the i-to-i and Global TESOL and choose the one that best suits you.

Good luck!

[babeinchrist]

Thank you so much for responding! This helps me out a lot.

[babeinchrist]

What about this online school?
http://www.intesolinternational.com/index.shtml

[ichini]

Another good provider you have listed. I know now why you are so confused which course to take.

The i-to-i is the most popular, but does not necessarily mean it's the most suited to your needs.

The INTESOL course is great because you can upgrade your qualifications to a Diploma level if you require it at a later stage. Most likely just a standard TEFL certificate would be fine though. Even if you apply to universities to teach, a Diploma is still not enough. You would need a Masters in Education to have a chance at getting the highly lucrative University teaching jobs.

Parts of the INTESOL course that stand out to me are:

• Comprehensive grammar guide
• Teaching resource pack for your first few lessons (lots of lessons and activities)
• Use of INTESOL Course Director and /or Personal Tutor as a referee for job applications.

Why don't you email them at tesolsample@intesolinternational.com for a sample of their course?

To be fair, the i-to-i course also offers the above inclusions.

To sum it up, I do like the i-to-i course better only because it has a better name in the industry and is more recognised. If this is not enough of a reason to clinch your decision, I suggest comparing the modules offered.

INTESOL

• Module 1 - grammar-tasks on the understanding of grammar, tense & structure - to be completed with the use of a grammar book.
• Module 2 - phonetics - tasks relating to the phonetic alphabet(given), stress & intonation.
• Module 3 - lexis - tasks relating to the presentation of vocabulary, compound words, word stems, language appropriacy & frequency.
• Module 4 - basic principles - answers from your own experience, the course materials & handbook on
  1) the blocks which may prevent learning
  2) motivation
  3) communicative competence.
• Module 5 - reading and listening - tasks based on exploitation of authentic materials i.e. magazines, newspapers, radio broadcasts etc.
• Module 6 - speaking and writing - tasks based as above but with a more productive bias - getting your students to produce language
• Module 7 - visual aids - study of all the audio-visual aids available. Production of your own flashcards and aids to be used with a simple flannelgraph.
• Module 8 - error - looking at authentic student errors, classifying them, using a correction code, producing remedial exercises and improving your own practice.
• Module 9 - classroom management - task relating to student teacher relationships and how to achieve genuine communication inside and outside the classroom.
• Module 10 - lesson stages and plans - putting all the above into a lesson; timing; warm-up; input; practice and production stages of your lessons.

i-to-i

• Module 1 (2-3 hrs approx) : Student Motivation, Teacher Roles & EFL Methodology
• Module 2 (6-8 hrs approx) : Grammar Awareness
• Module 3 (3-4 hrs approx) : Classroom Management & Student Levels
• Module 4 (6-8 hrs approx) : How to teach Grammar
• Module 5 (4-5 hrs approx) : How to teach Vocabulary
• Module 6 (3-4 hrs approx) : Observe & analyse a teacher in action (on DVD ROM)
• Module 7 (1-2 hrs approx) : How to teach Speaking and Writing Skills
• Module 8 (4-5 hrs approx) : How to teach Reading and Listening Skills
• Module 9 (5-6 hrs approx) : Games & Lesson Planning
• Module 10 (1hr approx) : Information & Resources