best efl teaching course in bangkok

[Guest]

Currently working in Thailand and want to go on a CELTA soon.

Just wondered about people's thoughts as to the best course on offer?

ECC? Text/Talk? Others...??

I like to know your experiences before I take the plunge and give away my well-earned cash.

[ultras67]

Hi

Ive gone through the same as you.

There are only 3 courses worth anything in international terms.

1) ECC CELTA - BKK

2) VIALINGUA TEFL -Phukett

3) TEFL Intl - Ban Phe

All have the 100hr course work and practical teaching hours.

All the others are cut down versions and may not be recognised by employers. ( It will also depend on what you have already in th way of qualifications and experience )

I thought about ECC but they dont have the best of reputations. The course seems to be very strict in the methodology and they dont seem to be a great employer ( although I was tempted by their offer of the half back if you work for us deal )

Vialingua didnt really give me comfortable answers to questions and their course details didnt seem too good.

TEFL Intl seemed to be in a better location ( do you really want to study/live in BKK with its pollution, traffic and so on ?)

the course details seemed good, clear answers to questions asked. Drawbacks - their qualification is what could be described as an equivalent. Its not bad but doesnt have the brand impact. Its like Wendys v Macdonalds. One is known all over the world, the other is equally as good but not as well known. All the adverts will look for CELTA / Trinity or equivalent.

I made my decision with someone with 25 years college and school experience and plumped for the TEFL Intl.

The course starts next month so cant give you first hand experience.

Look at

ajarn.com

or eslcafe.com

or stickmans site chopsticks.net/stickman for more info

the bun fights on the ajarn discussion board make this look like a mensa meeting sometimes. v sad, it makes life for us newbies very difficult to cut the meat from the crap.

Best of luck whatever you decide

[gummigut]

It is surprising how few first hand accounts there are about the English language training courses. We do have one though in the trip reports by ITSMEDAVE. Give it a read, something like TEFL Int'l exposed or some such.

<<burp>>

[jingjoh]

I have just sorted a placed for a friend in the SIT TESOL course run by the University of Queensland in Bangkok. Its a full course like the cambridge course, recognised everywhere, the lecturers are flown over from the Queensland university for the month full time course. You have to go through the usual test, interview etc to get a place. Its one of the best language courses to do for obtaining meaningful jobs.

[itsmedave]

I am only an expert on the TEFL Int'l course in Ban Phe (as Gummigut said, you can read my report on it) but just a few more points about it.

Ibn Stickman's latest column he writes that the International part of Tefl Int'l is truly taking hold. In the next few months, they will have schools opened in at least 5 countires around the world...possibly 7. Also, the folks in Ban Phe have been crowing lately that their certificates have made it to the big leagues in that Kao San Rd now counterfeits them. All this gos to show that their recognition level is on the upswing. Also, the vialingua course is being absorbed by Tef'l Intl.

On another point where it was asked "Do you really want to study/live in Bangkok?" my answer is YES, absolutely I want to live here. But studying here is another matter. It's 8 hours a day of work plus 2 hours of homework, and the relatively desolate Ban Phe with its lack of distractions make it far easier to get that studying done than if you did it in Bangkok. The beach is nice too.

Just a few thoughts.

[awayguy]

I had a chat with the guy who runs the CELTA course at ECC. He admits that ECC does not have a great reputation as a place to work - mostly, he says, becasue the tuition fess they charge cannot support high enough salaries for their teachers.

 

 

 

He reckons their CELTA course, trainers, facilities etc are all up to standard and this is monitored by Cambridge who administer the courses worldwide. He seemed pretty straight and I would consider doing the course there (but might prefer some European city).

 

 

 

Bottom line: TEFL Intl. is probably all you need within Thailand and may offer a better environment in which to study. The CELTA would probably be better if you plan to teach outside Thailand. ItsMeDave suggests that TEFL Intl. is becoming better known overseas.