You're considering teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) - as a summer job or for the rest of your life. There are lots of adverts for training courses, but you haven't a clue which one to choose. Foundation Certificate, RSA/CELTA or RELSA? Three days or three weeks? £50 or £250? Do you need to take a course at all?
Most people choose to take a short course, costing from £50 to £160, but this may be a false economy. According to Jim Ferguson, of the Advisory Council on English Language Schools (ACELS), which is made up of representatives from Government Departments, "a cheap course done over a couple of days will not provide you with the preparation you need and you will be very unlikely to find employment in reputable schools in Ireland or elsewhere."
He recommends taking a TEFL training course in a fully functioning English language school: "You will gain insights into the professional life of an established school, benefit from meeting and working with qualified and experienced teachers and experience firsthand what it's like teaching foreign students."
In 1999 an accreditation scheme for EFL training centres is to be introduced. Until then, it's advisable to take a course run by one of the 166 schools which are recognised by the Department of Education and Science for the teaching of English as a foreign language. These schools are members of the Recognised English Language School Association (RELSA).
To get a job in a recognised school, you should have a primary degree (or be awaiting your results) and have completed a TEFL course of at least 70 hours. RELSA has introduced its own 70-hour certificate, which, at around £240, is not cheap. However, it will almost certainly get you a job.
Ian Brangan of Alpha College says: "Over the past five years we have got a job for everyone who comes on the course." He has placed graduates in the EU, eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Jackie Joyce of RELSA warns against centres which claim to run a RELSA-equivalent course at a significantly lower price: "The trick they will use is to count everything from your homework project to you watching a video in class as contact hours."
It's important to ask detailed questions about the course. If you feel that the centre is being evasive in any way, think twice before enrolling. One American teacher regrets taking a cheap 70hour course - "it was useless, it was in a hotel, there were over 50 in the class, and it was all lecturebased."
Niamh, an Irish second-level teacher, took a similar course: "God help the people who weren't already teachers! It really wasn't sufficient to go in and teach a class of Spaniards."
Class size on a TEFL course should be no more than 20, so that you will get individual attention. Check on the qualifications of your teachers. Many courses use several lecturers, but at least one should have an MA in linguistics/TEFL or an RSA diploma. They should all have extensive experience teaching English to foreigners. It's also worth checking to see if all the other students will be native English speakers.
Course content is crucial. It should include lectures, teaching practice, teaching observation and project work - and it should result in individual assessment. Ferguson advises: "Look for a balance between theoretical and practical input. Every course should contain class observation and teaching practice with `real' students in a `real' school. Different levels of students should be observed and taught."
An internationally recognised qualification, and one often sought by schools abroad, is the RSA/CELTA certificate. Tom Doyle, director of the Language Centre of Ireland, recommends this course, which costs £920, for anyone who has decided on a TEFL career and not just one or two years' teaching abroad. Alternatives are UCD's one-year part-time TEFL course and UL's graduate diploma/MA in TEFL.
Although foreign schools advertise for teachers with the RSA/CELTA certificate, they will often employ RELSA-qualified teachers. Doyle believes that international recognition of the RELSA certificate is growing: "There is a fairly constant demand from abroad requesting RELSA-trained teachers and during the summer we can't get enough."
AN extensive job-placement service is a key element of any course and many schools are contacted directly by centres abroad. It's not sufficient to be given a list of schools and told to send off your CV.
"I was given a list and sent off four letters to schools in Barcelona," syas Niamh. "Two came back marked `return to sender.' I feel quite bitter because I didn't get a job."
Primary or second-level teachers with the H Dip and three years' experience who wish to teach children in Ireland's summer camps may not need to take a course at all, because recognised schools have a problem finding enough TEFL teachers for the summer boom.
Tim Connolly of the International Study Centre employs 30 extra teachers in July. "Some are primary school teachers," he says. "They're very good with kids - that's more useful than having taught adults in Spain for a year."
Contacts:RELSA, 17 Lower Camden St, Dublin 2 - phone (01) 4753122, fax (01) 475 3088, email mei@indigo.ieACELS, 36 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2 - phone (01) 676 7374, fax (01) 676 3321The Questions
Before choosing a course ask these questions:
Is the centre recognised by the Department of Education?
How long does the course last?
Does it take place in an TEFL school?
What are the qualifications of the trainers?
What is the maximum class size?
Are all the students native English speakers?
How much teaching practice will you get?
Is teaching practice with real students?
Is teaching observation included?
Is there access to books, videos etc?
Is the course assessed individually or on pairwork?
What does the work-placement service consist of?
