TEFL Courses in Bangkok - Anyone have personal experience?

[donald1]

I will be moving to Bangkok near the end of the year. I plan on teaching English and I am told the process will be
much easier if I hold a TEFL Certificate.
I have the option of doing it online while I am home and waiting for the move or I can do it 3 weeks when I arrive
in Bangkok.
I appreciate any helpful information about this from people here with knowledge of it. Private Messages most
welcomed. Thank You.

[dab69]

perhaps a better place to ask
would be ajarn forums - two different ones-
http://www.ajarn.com/

http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/
or, seeing an old link posted below this post
tefl-jobs-thai-special-project-t12114.html (http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/tefl-jobs-thai-special-project-t12114.html)

[donald1]

Thanks Dab69. I have already checked on there.
I am asking for a more personal experience not a website dealing with TEFL as a product.

I have to say that I have received private messages with such experiences; some good and some not so good.
Thanks for those guys.

...I plan on teaching English and I am told the process will be much easier if I hold a TEFL Certificate....I have the option of doing it online while I am home...

Even if one is a qualified teacher already, one can not gain bona-fide TEFL accreditation via a purely online Course - and quite rightly! In order to be awarded any respected TEFL/TESL qualification, there has to be some genuine and independently observed assessment of the teacher's ability to teach the material and to interact with students.

However, it's possible to pay money to a multiplicity of dubious "institutions" who advertise online - and thereby gain a certificate which is not worth the paper it is printed on. It may even be possible to find a school in Thailand which might employ someone with that type of defective or inferior qualifications.

Sorry - but as far as online TEFL courses are concerned, that's all there is to it.

As far as TEFL courses undertaken in person when in Thailand - I cannot comment on the content, but this would probably be your best bet as at least you are there in person and available to be assessed - and presumably you can quiz them as to the robustness of the qualification they award.

Assuming the BKK course is genuine and leads to a qualification you have a chance of actually using (as apposed to a worthless piece of paper), I suspect a pre-existing formal Teaching Qualification would also be required - common sense tells you an unqualified person cannot learn to teach to any genuine and independently accredited standard in 3 weeks!

:hello2:

[dab69]

funny, I always wanted to be a teacher and thought I
would someday move and actually use my (other) degree with ED minor
for something.
kept putting this off.Teacher pay in USA is too low. Recently looked into this- I find that mandatory retirement is 60
in TH and I wouldn't have too many years of employment left upon arrival.

go for it and good luck