Tesol Or Celta?

[LibbyB]

Where did this thread I started yesterday go?
Anyway, I shall ask again:
I am a 23 yr old Australian with a degree, and I need some advice on which of the English language courses are best for finding work in Australia and overseas.
I would appreciate any advice offered.

[gfell]

Hello LibbyB!

Hmm... it's strange as I remember replying to your thread. Anyway, here goes again.

If you already have a degree, then that's great. Many teachers do head overseas with a degree and no TESOL or CELTA training and still find a job. If you do get some sort of teaching qualification, then obviously this will be like icing on the cake and open a few more doors for you.

CELTA probably has the most prestige attached as it's issued by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES). It's a 4 week full-time course. As the name suggests, the UCLES belongs to the University of Cambridge, hence the prestige.

TESOL is merely an English acronym and the word doesn't belong to any set institution. A TESOL certificate wont have set standards, and it will largely depend on the school doing your training. The same goes with TESL and TEFL. Any school can issue these certificates. So if you decide on a non-CELTA course, then be sure you are going with a reputable school.

It all depends on how far you want to take your teaching career. If you want to teach overseas for 1 or 2 years, then even an online TESL course would be sufficient.

I hope this explains your question.

You can see www.aacircle.com.au/tesl_tefl.htm for further information and a listing of providers.