Professionals willing to step a level up in their career have settled on a TESOL Certificate program for assured success. An independent certificate program in TESL and TEFL has become increasingly popular to grow in your profession.
One who is planning to enroll and pay for the TESOL must delve into the course details to ensure that all the good things come to his/her way. It is to be noted that when you pay less for something, you get something cheap in return. Hence, one should never consider the price when applying for the certificate program. Here are a few aspects of the tesol certification online that one should definitely consider when planning to apply for the program.
Length of the TESOL Training
In view of the minimum standard required for accreditation, the length of a TEFL or TESOL Certificate program should be 100 hours, excluding 6 to 20 hours devoted for teaching practice in peer groups. This is to say, the certificate is internationally accredited only if the minimum length of the course is 120 hours.
Furthermore, online certificate program should comprise of interactive online classes that last about 2 to 3 months. It is always advisable that the TESOL training courses that end in less than 100 hours with no practical training are not internationally recognized. So, be cautious about the schools and institutes that claim of providing 120-hour training, but lack in providing interactive instructions.
Teaching Practicum
Most of the internationally accredited schools do not give recognition to TEFL courses, which do not include a live practicum of at least 6 to 20 hours. On the other hand, teaching practicum helps you learn the skills required to become an efficient teacher.
Some schools and institutes claim of incorporating teaching practicum in the course, but, they actually include practicing teaching with other teachers in the training. Such courses do not meet global standards and thus potential employers worldwide do not recognize the course.
Worthiness of Instructors
Without a doubt, only a highly qualified and experienced instructor is eligible to teach a professional and university-level certificate program. An individual with experience and training in the related field is always given preference. And, a professional with good experience teaching English as a second language or a foreign language turns out to be the best choice for the position. At the same time, it is very imperative to be wary of mentors who teach you courses, but are not ready to spell out their qualification clearly.
Accreditation
Accreditation necessitates a rigorous review process by an accredited body (an independent third party) which examines the professional as well as academic standards of the school or institute. All the courses that an accredited body offers are recognized and considered accredited. Without an accreditation, a TESOL school providing a fake accreditation will not be recognized in the field, even if they act like an accrediting body by running a website and having a professional sounding name. In contrast, an accredited body that runs around 30 organizations, but was opened only a few years back will not be respected and recognized in the field.
