ESL Jobs Forum

[lizletus]

I need some advice quickly. I have been researching TEFL/TESOL courses and have a college degree but no formal teaching experience. I want to teach in Latin America and I speak Spanish. I have somewhat narrowed my search down to three schools: 1) Global TESOL Institute, a Canadian company that teaches 5 days in class and the rest is online/correspondence (and you set up your teaching practice at your leisure), 2) The 4-week SIT TESOL course with Rennert Bilingual in New York City, and 3) ITTO in Guadalajara, Mexico, also for four weeks and guarantees placement in Mexico or outside by the end.

My preference is towards a 4-week course, but the Global TESOL course, being mostly online, is much cheaper and flexible since it is online. I am not sure if online courses really go as in depth as courses that are entirely in the classroom.

I would love to hear any specific information on any of these programs, as well as general information about how having a certificate really prepares you for teaching.

Also, how easy is it REALLY to find a job in the area of your choice with a certification and not much formal teaching experience? Is it better to do a course with an organization that guarantees placement at the end?

Thanks!

[rmarqua2921]

You have a fourth choice in Latin America in Mexico, IECTC located in Ciudad Guzman, Mexico. They are certified by an international certification group called Via lingua. Their course is an in house course of 4 weeks, and at least ten hours of practice teaching as required by Via Lingua. Check them out at http://www.vialingua.com/ The advantage to their program is international certification. You can get more information at rmarquardt@ictc-efl.com.

It has been my experience that anyone who knows English can get a job teaching English in Latin America. The problem is the pay, and I think it is well documented that someone with an EFL certificate is going to get the better paying jobs.

I don't think it makes much difference concerning the school which offers guaranteed employment. I graduated from ITTO and at least half us didn't get the jobs we wanted. Some were offered jobs for less than 3000 pesos a month, even in Mexico it is difficult to live on those wages.

Furthermore, ask for the credentials of the instructors? When I went to ITTO one of the instructors had a bachelors degree and the other had a medical doctor's degree. Hardly someone I want to teach me how to teach students.