Best TEFL certification
The truth is that there is no best TEFL certificate, unfortunately as English is spoken in so many countries, it is impossible to name a supreme arbiter.
So the best TEFL certification is one that will fill the following criteria:
- To help the certificate holder find a teaching position
- To keep that teaching position.
This may seem a little simplistic however it is anything but. TEFL teaching is a multimillion-dollar business, which is mainly run by entrepreneurs rather than state owned institutions and the client more often or not is a paying one.
This means that the future employer has to be sure that his paying clients are not only going to enjoy the course but also they are going to learn. If they do the clients will not drop out and will recommend the course to their friends. Obviously the jobs offered are seasonal and precarious and only the cream of teachers of English as a Foreign Language will secure the well-paid posts. The others will only find part time seasonal work. Therefor the best TEFL certificate is the one that will enable the holder to teach English and get results. One can discard the majority of TEFL certificates available as they are based on teaching English as a dead Language. That is to say that the certificate holder fills his or her students full of theory, which cannot be put into practice.
The majority of TEFL Certification courses advocate learning grammar rules with little or no attention given to listening and speaking. Todays recognised exams demand a high level of listening and speaking aptitude. The old school way of listening to a question, translating it into the mother tongue of the student, thinking of an answer and translating it back to English does not work. The best TEFL Certification includes placing the accent of having the same level of speaking and listening as reading and writing. The worst courses are probably the most established ones where the material is not adapted to helping foreign students find work, which requires a high standard of English.The best courses are the ones that will ensure that the clients of the language schools are happy with the results. Basically the TEFL diploma covers the essentials of teaching English with an accent on interactive classes with a lot of student participation.
So what is TEFL certification ?
Basically it is the diploma that is given once the student has learnt the following skills
- Preparing Lesson Plans
- How to improve the students auditory capacity
- Teaching pronunciation if you can’t say it properly you cannot remember it
- Use of vocabulary with lots of phrases to discourage literal translations
- Teaching reading techniques
- Teaching writing, brainstorming, connectors etc.
- Teaching grammar using concrete examples rather than rules full of exceptions
- Managing all types of classes
- Identifying good Teaching materials and Activities
- Detailed knowledge of various Examinations
Anyone can get on stage but you have to perform, Do not think that having a TEFL certificate gives you the right to a job. You are dealing with the private enterprise. So if you are wondering how to get TEFL certification please click on this link so you can find out the way to get the Best TEFL Certification.