TEFL Why Complete a TEFL course?

A TEFL course is a very unique course in that once qualified the world is literally your oyster!! Or as quoted by TEFL International ?the world is your classroom? (2)

For all those hungry for travel but thought they were too old, for those who didn?t want to book the standard RTW trip or waste a year of their life saving for it!, for those that want to travel whilst learning a new skill, for those that want to seek out the more remote parts of the world and experience living in and with different cultures, for those who want to meet like minded people, for those who want a career break, for those who want a career!, for those who want to better their teaching skills, for those who want to make their dreams come true, for those who just want to get away from their normal life, for those who want to retire?the list is endless, for all the above the TEFL course is perfect!.

TEFL opens its doors to everyone and offers them something that I think no other course can.

(1). ?Taking a TEFL certificate course or TESOL Certificate course provides the opportunity to teach English overseas, travel and work around the world, to gain knowledge and experience of foreign cultures and languages and to embark upon a career in teaching. You really can live abroad and work abroad with an internationally recognized TEFL certificate or TESOL Certificate. No previous teaching experience or specialist qualifications are required. The only requirement is fluency in English.? I know from looking in The Guardian and The Independent that the only jobs that offer you exotic locations abroad all ask for umpteen years specialist experience and that very few offer you internationally recognized qualifications and I haven?t seen any that actually give you a choice of working in any country in the world!! Ok so they might pay a great deal more and you might get 30 days paid holiday a year but as a TEFL teacher you are paid well relative to the living costs of your chosen country and who needs 30 days when you only work 20 hours a week plus all the school holidays?

The TEFL course has to be the only course I have come across which has so many different options if you wanted to do this course abroad, at home, online, in 1 month, in a weekend, in 40 hours. There are so many options that even those with a very busy lifestyle could fit this course in. However, I personally think that the 4 week intensive course is the best if you can afford to take 4 weeks out in an exotic location?tough choice hey?

The 4 week course offers you the best of everything, exceptional teachers, observed practical teaching experience, teaching methods and probably most importantly an insight into what the job is actually about. I first signed up for a TEFL course with i-to-i, it was a 40 hour online course with an option of attending a weekend away somewhere in the UK. I was then apparently qualified to go off round the world and teach. The reason why I cancelled this and in the process lost 200 pounds was because I just couldn?t get my head round the fact that after 40 hours of sitting in front of a pc answering grammar questions I was going to be able to do a good job. After all the last time I was in the classroom was 10 years ago as a student!!

1 week after I should have been in Thailand teaching using my non- existent teaching skills I found the TEFL International website and signed up instantly for the 4 week intensive course in Thailand. I do not think you can comment on how good a course is or recommend anyone else to take it unless you have actually done it yourself. Having nearly completed the course I can certainly confirm that the TEFL course is a very valuable and worthwhile course for anyone interested in teaching, travel and culture. I am finishing the course as a very confident and competent teacher and I have a very different outlook on teaching than I started with. I can now see why people do it for years.

1. http://www.teflcorp.com/

2. http://www.teflcourse.net/

Author: Laura Fowler

Date of post: 2007-02-06