$19 Certificate

[burbuja0512]

So I just decided to do a TESOL certificate, which is really something that teachers of foreign languages use, but there are many reasons I wanted it.

Could be useful for those who:
-May want to travel to another country and teach
-Are interested in teaching or training 
-Are rampant certificate collectors (Yes, I know you are here!)
-Want to learn more about linguistics and a bunch of really nerdy grammar terms that will impress your friends.
-Will be working with those who speak English as a foreign language and want to better communicate with them.
..and more!

Anyhow, the certificate shows 120 hours, but it took me the better part of the afternoon.   Also, I have been involved lately in a bunch of forums with ESL teachers and have found out that this is valid.   MANY teachers who spent over a thousand on their certificate are less than thrilled... to say the least.

Enjoy!

https://www.groupon.com/deals/internatio...cademy-787

[leland.kirk]

Great find! Is there much of a difference between TESOL and TEFL that you know of?

[bjcheung77]

TEFL refers to teaching English as a foreign language: programs in countries where English is not the primary language and is not a lingua franca. TESOL, which stands for teaching English to speakers of other languages, is a general name for the field of teaching that includes both TESL and TEFL.

TESOL and TEFL are pretty much the same - Interesting info below.
Review: http://www.eslinsider.com/blog/internati...rse-review
Comments: https://www.reddit.com/r/TEFL/comments/4...ely_cheap/

[leland.kirk]

Found another Reddit post that implies the accrediting organizations for several TEFL/TESOL providers (including this one) are made up by the providers themselves. I don't know that there's an accreditation standard for these or anything, so I highly doubt it'd ever come into question, I just thought it was interesting:

https://www.reddit.com/r/TEFL/comments/7ayjzm/tefl_courses_w_fake_accreditation_a_list/

[Ideas]

Yeah, unfortunately I think they own or have a big part in the "accrediting organization". You can kind of tell which "accreditors" are not working with multiple places, etc.

[burbuja0512]

I'm pretty sure there isn't an accreditation standard because teachers with thousand dollar + certificates are working side by side with others who paid next to nothing.

In many cases, the employer could care less because they just want a native speaker with some sort of credential. And you definitely don't need advanced linguistics to teach the basics. So with this certificate, both employer and teacher are happy.

But I thought it was fun.. Some of it was very simple, but I loved the grammar nerd stuff.

[RANSOMSOUL]

My daughter did the same Groupon and used it for a summer online teaching position that once submitted gave her a bump in pay from $19 to $22. She was also able to knock it out in a full day of effort. That's a pretty awesome return on a $19 investment.

And, yes, I knocked it out to because, well, cheap certificates are fun to collect

[burbuja0512]

I should also add that on the same forum where I found this Groupon, I have learned quite a bit about teaching English as a foreign language. There are many, many people there that have masters in TESOL and other certificates that cost thousands. Overall, the demand for native speakers in other countries is so high that it seems like a poor choice of degree if your goal is to work either online with a foreign English school or physically in another country. They just want a native and your certificate is the icing on the cake.

This comment of course does not apply to university teachers, or people who want to teach ESL right here in the United States in-person. But over the past week, I've talked to quite a few people who are deeply in debt for their masters in TESOL and have the same $20 an hour job that someone with no bachelor's, but a $19 Groupon has. That's what I love about this group - we work together and help each other get SMART credits. Know what you're getting into before you pay the price, and then pay a LOW price whenever possible!

[eLearner]

TEFL refers to teaching English as a foreign language: programs in countries where English is not the primary language and is not a lingua franca. TESOL, which stands for teaching English to speakers of other languages, is a general name for the field of teaching that includes both TESL and TEFL.

TESOL and TEFL are pretty much the same - Interesting info below.  
Review: http://www.eslinsider.com/blog/internati...rse-review
Comments: https://www.reddit.com/r/TEFL/comments/4...ely_cheap/

Interesting, and damning. I wouldn't waste even the $19 on it. You're not going to learn how to teach ESL with that. Plus, their accreditors are fake.

If a person in the U.S. wants a TESOL cert that is legitimately accredited by a USDOE recognized accreditor and is actually done properly, go with Bridge. They are ACCET accredited and they have agreements with several RA Universities. There are also colleges and univerisities online that have TESOL certificate programs so that's another route. It won't be cheap but it will be real and you'll actually learn something which is the point because you are dealing with people's lives/futures when you teach and you should actually know what you're doing.

[rachel83az]

I got that IoA certificate when it was $5 or $7 (I forget) on Groupon. It's not even worth that. The course is terrible, the quiz is terrible, I learned nothing new. A MUCH better (though more expensive) option is i-to-i.com It's often on sale, so it's not a horrible price.

I'm currently working my way through the 300-hour option (got distracted by finding this place, lol) and I can tell you that I learned more just glancing over the handbooks they give you than I did with the whole IoA course. It's probably not as legit as other places, but it seems legit enough for most purposes. Unlike IoA, you have to write out lesson plans and do coursework in order to get your certificate. Not sure it's worth $800, but I think it's probably worth the current price of $320.