Too Many Online Courses, Which Should I Take?

[Rhyf]

I am looking at changing careers after working for a civil engineering firm in Japan for ten years.
I would like to obtain TEFL certification online but there are just too many courses to choose from.
How can I tell the good from the bad?

[gfell]

The majority of the online TEFL courses are quite good. They all offer similar features.

I would lean towards the more popular ones such as:

1. i-to-i
2. ICAL or
3. Global TESOL

The above online courses are well known in the industry. Keep away from TESL courses that don't have much of a name behind them.

i-to-i is the most popular amongst teachers. They have been around for more than 10 years and also offer weekend courses.

[Rhyf]

Thankyou gfell.
Most of the courses I have looked at run to 40 hrs while others offer 60 or 100 hr programs, is this something that should be taken into consideration?

[Hypiereon]

Sorry, but the only difference between a 40 hour course and a 60 hour course is the 20 extra hours they say it should take you to do it, and the extra money they charge you for the priviledge of having it on your certificate.

I'm not saying that you wouldn't learn anything from the course material, far from it. Any little thing you can pick up to help you along is worth it, but the best information tends to come from other teachers who have been in the field a while (2 or more years) and not an online course.

However, when it comes to making a difference on a resume, it doesn't. That's just the short of it. Having one DEFINITELY makes your resume more appealing, but the number of hours is simply not even a question they have. Yes or No are the only answers they're interested in. Taking the extra hours certainly won't increase your pay/benefits either.

[Rhyf]

Thanks Hypiereon.

[Rhyf]

O.K. I think I'm gonna go with Ical being as it's 8000 yen cheaper than i-i, and I like the purple and yellow colour scheme.
Any final advice?

[gfell]

The ICAL TESL course is a good choice.

hypiereon summed it up very well! Longer courses by 20 or so hours wont improve your chance in gaining a higher paid teaching job. Schools will only want to know if you have a TESL Certificate or not. If you do, then they will want to know if it's a TESL course they have heard of. That's why I recommended to go with well known TESL courses.

Be sure to choose the TESL Course with the subjects that interest you most. I wouldn't base your decision on web colours or price, since most prices are all very similar. Whilst the ICAL course may be 8000 yen cheaper, it should be only a small factor when making up your mind.

[Rhyf]

Thanks,
I was just kidding about the colour scheme, but since you say Ical is a good choice, I think I'll go for it.
Thanks again.

[gfell]

Don't know if it helps or not, but when you apply for the TESL course with i-to-i, you can get a 10% discount with our code "aacircle".

It’s 10% off any of the TESL courses that involve a weekend course. These are:

• 20 Hr Weekend TEFL Course
• 40 Hr Weekend TEFL Course + GAM
• 80 Hr Online TEFL Course + Weekend TEFL Course + GAM

Weekend has to take place in Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne.

[Hypiereon]

The best advice I can give anyone is to do it for yourself. If you're taking the EFL online courses JUST to get a teaching job, then by all means choose whatever one you want (cheapest and shortest sounds good), but if you're planning on using what you have learned, go with one that has a widely known reputation.

Get the Certificate for what it can teach you, and do it for yourself. Going into a classroom without knowing what you're doing rips off the school, and will only frustrate you in the long run. Not that someone couldn't pull it off, but I've never actually seen it happen. Most people I see stomping out of a classroom swearing at their students have no training and were only coming for a year anyway. They were more interested in getting to see China at the school's expense, and the demands of teaching eventually wear them down because they were not adequately prepared.