Worried about choosing the wrong TEFL course? Here are a few common mistakes to avoid.
If you’re looking for a TEFL course, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Whether you go for in-person tuition or online there are all sorts of providers. They range from every price point and offer courses in a variety of formats. Unfortunately, not everyone ends up happy with their selection. Here are a few common mistakes.
Going Cheap
As with everything, prices vary from one provider to another. Some legitimate courses do offer lighter and slightly less expensive courses for those on a budget, but you do get what you pay for. If you see one provider offering a much less expensive option than the general market, it’s worth working out where the savings come from.
Online courses are often more affordable, but they may be more limited in scope. In some cases, bargain basement courses offer extremely poor-quality content. Some training may be better than none, but if you don’t get a recognised qualification at the end of it, all that money will have been wasted.
Taking a non-accredited course
One of the first things you should check is for accreditation. Without any solid way to verify courses, this is the only way to see if the marketing material reflects the content of the course. Any company that has been accredited will have had their course content assessed and approved.
At the WTEFLAC each course provider was assessed against their code of practice. They would check the accuracy of marketing materials, the qualifications of their tutors, the nature of the course content and the amount of one-to-one teaching experience offered.
No live teaching practices
There’s no substitute for live teaching practice, but not every course offers this. Any online-only courses focus on theoretical teaching. While this is very convenient and can be done entirely from the comfort of home there are things you can only pick up in a teaching environment. Teaching English to foreign speakers is particularly difficult because there is no shared language. You have to find a way to get your ideas across to people and to deal with situations that only arise in the classroom.
Lack of work placement
Whenever you pick a course, it’s worth thinking about the endgame. Whether you’re looking to teach people in the USA or find work overseas, a course that provides help with a work placement is immeasurably more valuable.
Aside from anything else, these guarantee a high-quality course that is recognised by companies in the wider world. They generally forge partnerships with institutions to find placements for students.
If you leave with just a qualification and nothing else, there’s no way of knowing if the course you complete will truly help you achieve your career aspirations.
TEFL and TESOL courses, therefore, come in all shapes and sizes. They may be expensive or affordable, in person or online. Whatever you choose, take time to think about what you hope this course can achieve before making a decision.