Spanish qualifications
|
Q.
I am a 24 years old native Spanish holding a Bachelor of Arts in English Language, Literature and Culture(obtained in 2007 in Spain) and a 120 hours teaching certificate (called C.A.P), of which 40 hours are in English teaching plus 32 hours practice in a Spanish second-level school (both observation and practice). I am currently doing a nine months internship in a language school in Ireland as a EFL teacher, finishing in few weeks. I am pursuing to gain more experience and qualifications and an English speaking country seems the best place to me. However, I do not know if with my CV at the moment and the experience gained here and that I had back home will be enough to be considered as a candidate for any teaching position. I have been told to do the CELTA certificate before applying to any position. I have also been told that I may have few problems since my qualifications have been awarded by a Spanish university and not an Irish or UK one. I am just getting bits and pieces of information here and there...any recommendation? May I have any chance with my background? Any answer very much appreciated.
A.
It seems a good decision to gain more experience in English-speaking countries and prospective employers should see that you are serious about forwarding your TEFL career. It might be worth enquiring with the British Council to see if they have official equivalences for CAP and your degree.
By being a native Spanish speaker, you also have another skill to offer schools, in particular, those with Spanish-speaking clients.
|
Suitability of my degree
|
Q.
Hi I am about to do a sociology degree. Is that a suitable degree for TEFL?
A.
Few TEFL employers tend to specify first degree content but simply tend to see a degree as a benchmark.
|
Do I need a degree?
|
Q.
I was just looking through your website as I am interested in teaching english abroad. However, I do not have a University degree. I notice that despite your website claiming this is not essential, most of the job adverts say a degree in required? Is a TEFL course enough to gain the skills to get a placement?
A.
While it is not absolutely essential to have a degree to be able to obtain a teaching position in some places, it is becoming increasingly necessary if you want to have a pick of the good TEFL jobs. It is also a government requirement in some countries.
|
Teaching English in Malaysia
|
Q.
My husband and myself are looking to move to Malaysia to live and work there. We are interested in securing appropriate qualifications in order to be able to teach english in Malaysia. We have UK Bachelors degrees and I have a Post Graduate Diploma in Law as well.
Any information will be most helpful.
A.
As native or near native speakers of English, it may be possible to obtain EFL teaching positions without a specific TEFL qualification. However, in the interests of your potential students and also to widen your opportunities, it would be a good idea to undertake a certificate level entry qualification, which includes teaching practice, before applying for teaching posts.
|
Teaching without a degree
|
Q.
Hi, my name is Jon and I live in Toronto, Canada. I am interested in
teaching english abroad and do not have a university degree. Is it
possible to teach abroad without a degree? Certain colleges in
Toronto offer TEFL certification programs and claim you can teach
abroad with this only. If this is true, do you have a preference in
the institution I have earned it with? What schools have the best
reputation? Is this considered when you hire someone? If you could
reply to my messege when you have time, i will be very grateful.
--
A.
More and more countries require a first degree as a necessary qualification to obtain permission to teach. There are still a few who do not but to have much choice in the overseas jobs market, we would suggest you obtain a degree first
|
Training to teacher train
|
Q.
Hi, I am interested in Teaching English as a FL and I need to complete a course. However my long term aim would be to teach others to teach EFL. What course would you recommend to reach this level.
A.
The ability to train teachers to teach English as a Foreign/Second Language will be based on both your initial and further training together with considerable teaching experience. The first step is to select a suitable preparatory course which includes teaching practice with a recognised certification, e.g. CELTA. This should allow you to enter the profession. Once you have two or more years\' teaching experience, you can progress to a diploma or Masters level qualification, again with much practical content. At this point you should try to obtain a teaching position with a school or organisation that also trains teachers and where you may be allowed to observe their training courses and perhaps shadow some of their trainers with a view to gradually being included in the training team.
|
TEFL accreditation
|
Q.
Hi there - a number of internet sites offer TEFL courses and I'm keen to know what accreditation should I look for on their sites? Is there an official TEFL logo that I should look for?
A.
I'm afraid there is no one universally accepted accreditation in the world of TEFL. Also some employers are looking for newly qualified staff and will accept training at a post graduate certificate level. Others require more in-depth knowledge and experience and opt for a qualification at diploma or Masters level.
|
Qualified for TEFL?
|
Q.
I am an eighteen year old Irish girl. The only qualification I have is my Leaving Certificate. I plan to complete a 120 hour TEFL course with the intention of teaching abroad and experiencing a new culture. I just want to know, before I spend money on this course-is there actually any chance of finding anyone who would employ me considering my age and lack of experience?
A.
Most countries require a first degree in order to issue a work permit to teach English. Some do not but it could be difficult to find work unless the course provider also offers job placement to successful candidates.
|
City and Guilds cerrtificate recognition
|
Q.
Enquiry:
I have recently completed a City and Guilds TEFL course (100 hours)but I am not sure where this course fits in with certification and diplomas, they all seem to be be Trinity or Cambridge related. Is the City and Guilds course recognised by employers in UK and Europe?
A.
The first place to ask the question is to City and Guilds itself. Then I would suggest you contact the British Council to consult them on the certificate's equivalence to other recognised UK TEFL qualifications.
|
TEFL without tertiary education
|
Q.
I'm currently applying for university to begin my tertiary education and am considering going down the tefl career path. I am willing to complete the necessary course which will allow me to teach but without any university education am i likely to get jobs? can i even begin a career teaching english abroad without a degree. Any answers greatly appreciated, also was hoping to work in Chile if this can narrow it down a bit. cheers
A.
While it is possible to acquire a teaching post without a degree, most respectable TEFL courses are designed to be at a post graduate level. Also more and more countries require a first degree as a minimum for a work permit to teach English.
|
![The English Studio, London. Trinity College Certificate in TESOL £690 [Click]](http://www.tefl.com/app/img/banners/englishstu_vmRjq9.gif)
