| In the Teaching English as a Foreign Language | | | | former students if in any doubt and see how well their |
| Profession, a good TEFL course certificate is one of | | | | course has been accepted in different teaching |
| the best springboards to success. Finding an English | | | | situations. |
| teaching course is tough to do in a marketplace with | | | | Paying a high training fee to get started in a generally |
| dozens of competitors, no real international oversight, | | | | low paying field of work never makes sense. |
| large marketing budgets, and internet forum shills. | | | | Tip #4 is know the real total cost of the TEFL Course |
| Luckily, you only need five tips to find a great course. | | | | When pricing a course, you need to keep several |
| These five tips will help you evaluate TEFL courses | | | | factors in mind. Of course you want to know the |
| and come up with a suitable short list of courses that | | | | course pricing, but remember a typical course will |
| fit your needs and desires. Many new English teachers | | | | require your full time attention for 4 weeks. During this |
| need significant grammar study. | | | | time, you won't be able to work elsewhere. If you take |
| Tip #1 is to check the grammar content of the course. | | | | the course locally, you may not have to increase your |
| Many of us didn't study a lot of grammar back in high | | | | living expenses, but if you have to take the course |
| school or college. While we may be able to know the | | | | elsewhere, you need to add in the additional cost of |
| rights and wrongs concerning grammar rules, we don't | | | | living to the total price of the course, not to mention |
| quite remember the rules or even the effect of the | | | | transportation costs (air, train or bus tickets) to the |
| rules. English as a Foreign Language students need to | | | | course center itself. |
| learn these rules and you as a teacher need to know | | | | With just a few caveats, internet feedback is a great |
| the rules well enough to teach them. A good course | | | | indicator of TEFL course quality. |
| will have a grammar module and should provide you | | | | Tip #5 is to get internet feedback about the courses |
| with specific methods for teaching grammar concepts. | | | | you are interested in. You can get this feedback by |
| One of the big reasons a lot of new teachers take a | | | | simply Googling the school's name or visiting internet |
| Teaching English as a Foreign Language course is to | | | | teaching forums. Generally, if the feedback on internet |
| prepare themselves for teaching their first English | | | | teaching forums are positive about a course, then |
| classes. | | | | probably the course is a quality course and vice versa |
| Tip #2 is check how much observed teaching practice | | | | if the feedback is negative. One thing to keep in mind |
| a course provides. A good course will have observed | | | | when getting information about a teaching course on |
| teaching practice. This is a chance for you to teach a | | | | the internet is to pay attention to who is paying for the |
| class and be evaluated by your trainer. You receive | | | | advertising on the forum. Another thing to keep in mind |
| constructive criticism, ideas for improvement, and | | | | is that some course providers are accused of posting |
| confidence to teach classes solo. You get the practice | | | | incognito on internet expat teaching forums giving |
| you need to confidently conduct classes. | | | | either positive feedback about their course or negative |
| There is no international TEFL accreditation agency. | | | | feedback about competitor courses. |
| Tip #3 is to check out the recognition of a course. You | | | | If you follow these five steps, you'll have a better |
| need to see how long the provider has been in | | | | chance at having a great TEFL course experience |
| business, what qualifications the trainer has completed, | | | | and you'll be on your way to an adventurous career in |
| and how many students have completed the course. | | | | teaching English as a foreign language. |
| It's a good idea to ask for contact information of | | | | |