I get that some places will hire you without any certification at all, but that doesn't make it right, nor does it mean a person should do it just because they can. There are people who have unprotected casual intercourse with strangers because they can, doesn't mean it's a good idea...
TEFL education doesn't have to be in a classroom, besides that's not even feasible schedule-wise for everyone which is why online programs are here for us. Not being in a physical classroom isn't the problem with the $19 cert, it's the fact that the cert is low in quality and won't give you anything valuable in terms of learning that will be a helpful teaching tool. If your son is successful teaching, he's doing so because he's a natural (he'd have to be), not because of that $19 cert which is so devoid of true educational value. Just about every program (and every regular public and private school for that matter) has lesson plans and things laid out, but that doesn't ensure effectiveness as a teacher, if it did every teacher would be great but we all know that's not the case at all. There is more to it than just following a plan.
There are plenty of online TEFL schools that will give a person a quality TEFL education that will prepare them for teaching.
While I agree that the ROI for an ESL degree makes it not worth it, that's only because universities and colleges do offer TEFL certification programs that are much cheaper (a few thousand dollars in many cases), and because places with great reputations in the field like Bridge and i-to-i exist and charge only a few hundred dollars for a TEFL certification that will be respected internationally.
If someone wants to just get a rough sketch idea of TEFL they should pay $0 and go to a place like Alison and get the information and certification for free. At least Alison isn't faking accreditation and I can bet that Alison provides a better product with videos and all. Won't beat or prepare you like a full-fledged TEFL school, but it would be a nice curiosity quencher.
TEFL education doesn't have to be in a classroom, besides that's not even feasible schedule-wise for everyone which is why online programs are here for us. Not being in a physical classroom isn't the problem with the $19 cert, it's the fact that the cert is low in quality and won't give you anything valuable in terms of learning that will be a helpful teaching tool. If your son is successful teaching, he's doing so because he's a natural (he'd have to be), not because of that $19 cert which is so devoid of true educational value. Just about every program (and every regular public and private school for that matter) has lesson plans and things laid out, but that doesn't ensure effectiveness as a teacher, if it did every teacher would be great but we all know that's not the case at all. There is more to it than just following a plan.
There are plenty of online TEFL schools that will give a person a quality TEFL education that will prepare them for teaching.
While I agree that the ROI for an ESL degree makes it not worth it, that's only because universities and colleges do offer TEFL certification programs that are much cheaper (a few thousand dollars in many cases), and because places with great reputations in the field like Bridge and i-to-i exist and charge only a few hundred dollars for a TEFL certification that will be respected internationally.
If someone wants to just get a rough sketch idea of TEFL they should pay $0 and go to a place like Alison and get the information and certification for free. At least Alison isn't faking accreditation and I can bet that Alison provides a better product with videos and all. Won't beat or prepare you like a full-fledged TEFL school, but it would be a nice curiosity quencher.
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