So whats' the difference between TESOL, TEFL and CELTA?

Basically, they are all the same courses with different initials, TESOL is encountered more in America and with large public colleges in UK. TEFL is more common in U.K. The subtle difference is that TESOL refers to all learners whose first language is not English and TEFL refers to "foreign" students. Some may say that a TESOL course covers more than a TEFL course. The CELTA (Certificate for English Language Teaching to Adults) is essentially a TESOL certificate course and was the first offering of this type of teacher-training course, because CELTA was the first, it is very widely recognized by name.

The course is not hard to complete, all you need is a willingness to learn and an ability to think laterally to deliver meaningful lessons. The Onsite course is very intensive with regular assessments, studying Onsite can be easier than distance learning as you would study within a group and also have a tutor on hand to strengthen your knowledge. The distance learning course is somewhat easier as you can study at your own pace then undertake the teaching practice session, the main drawback is that you study alone and without group support. All students will receive a CD full of resources, too many to mention here but it is like an bank of lesson plans and lesson resources like flash cards etc., which will be incredibly useful in your first job!

Anytime is the best time to study as there are always jobs available all year round. Thailand, China, South Korea, Vietnam and many more countries all need English Language Teachers. Sometimes people get a little jittery about moving overseas to work, this is quite normal. We have considerable experience of work in Asia and we promise to help you as much as you need. Working overseas can be a wonderful experience which will broaden your horizons more than a humdrum 9 to 5 job with tghe odd trip to a tourist area, every can. When you are an English teacher overseas, you will live the life in a new culture, make new friends, see places that will make your eyes pop and make your friends at home jealous and get paid......

Within reason, age is not a problem, ,many young people enjoy a year or two off working overseas as do many retired people, all you need is to be receptive to learning and the ability to teach students. Also you do not need to be able to speak Thai or Chinese etc. in class and out of class, well , you will learn to speak Thai or Chinese etc., by immersion out of class mainly by buying things and picking up phrases here and there. Thailand has a requirement that new teachers have to undertake a Cultural course, this has to be really good for the teacher to assimilate..

If you plan long term work overseas, then you will need a work permit to be applied for by the employer, in this case it is advisable that you have a degree of any discipline as many of the Asian countries don't issue work permits to anyone without a degree. Of course there are probably ways around this but you, as a non degree holder, would be at the mercy of the employer.

There are many benefits you can expect in your new career from assisted accommodation and flight reimbursement are just two possibles, teaching hours are on average 30 hours a week plus lesson planning for decent pay and good holidays for travels.

Golden rules, don't work for any school that is not Government Registered, always read the employment contract carefully, note that the employer pays for the work permit - you do not pay for the work permit and lastly ask us about employment first. We are not perfect but we know a lot of the pitfalls and we want you to enjoy your new career.

It is our aim to develop excellent teachers, who will have the ability to deliver superb lessons and to be able to develop non-rigid lessons that will make the students learning experience extremely rewarding and successful.

You may have more questions, so please feel free to email us and we will do our best to give you answers.