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Where can I major in both TESOL and Japanese?

Reputable Tefl/Tesol certification for teaching English in Japan?

  • I'm an Asian-Canadian Joint Honours Political Science & History major yearning to travel to Japan for a year and gain some valuable experience teaching English abroad (with the intent of possibly pursuing a M.Ed soon afterward). I'd like any advice of reputable (and hopefully affordable) TEFL/TESOL certificate courses I can take while I'm still in Canada. Do schools/langauge centers/companies in Japan covet some over others? Or do they simply require you to have any sort of certification that shows you are able to instruct English lessons? I ask because I would ideally like to save as much money as possible before leaving for Japan, and some of the intensive TESL courses are quite pricey. This doesn't necessarily mean I want to do a course online, in fact, I'd much prefer not to -- but are there affordable and reputable in-class options? I'd be willing to take the classes in either Toronto or Waterloo. I've been looking into Oxford Seminars offerings in attaining a TESOL certificate because its reasonably priced (around $1100) and its curriculum fits into my busy school schedule. However, it seems kind of condensed and I'm unsure if it would adequately prepare me for the real world of teaching abroad. Is/has anyone used Oxford seminars to gain accreditation as an English teacher in Japan? Would you recommend it? Keep in mind I'm not looking to make this a career (for now) but rather as a step away from academia for a year to immerse myself in a different experience. I just need to know how stringent the Japanese are at vetting TEFL certificates. Please help my anxiety hah. Hope to hear back.

  • Answer:

    Just so you know you don't actually need a TEFL cert. to teach in Japan. The most reputable courses are CELTA courses. I paid a similar amount for my TESOL cert. and you can read what I thought about it here: http://eslinsider.hubpages.com/hub/TEFL-TESOL-Courses-Are-a-Waste-of-Money I interviewed a girl in Korea who didn't say very favorable things about Oxford Seminars. You can find some places in here to get a job in Japan: http://eslinsider.com/starters-guide Some of the big Japanese companies mentioned in that offer training. Beware of the TEFL providers that tell you that you need a TEFL cert. to teach in Japan. They are just out to make quick money. http://www.tesol-law.com/Vol_2_2008_tda.php

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A 100-hour course like the one offered by Ontesol will give you the necessary training and credentials to start your career. Ontesol also offers an advanced program that is recognized by TESL Canada upon completion of a 20-hour Practicum. TESL Canada, Trinity CertTESOL and CELTA are the most recognized TESOL courses.

TESOL Expert

I recommend American TESOL Institute. http://www.AmericanTESOL.com

Hi there, It's great you're looking to teach English as a foreign language. I'd advise that with any TEFL course it's a good idea to chat to people who have completed the specific qualification. How did they find it? Did they find work and was it recognised? Chalkboard is great for this. It's an online community dedicated to teaching English as a foreign language. It's full of people who are teaching all over the world and will be able to share advice about TEFL qualifications. http://www.onlinetefl.com/tefl-chalkboard/?source=yahooanswerssocial The e-book, TEFL Uncovered is also really useful, it contains a review of the different courses available as well as advice about finding good work and tips and contacts to use when applying for jobs. http://www.onlinetefl.com/contact-tefl-team/tefl-ebook.html?source=yahooanswerssocial Hope this helps and good luck!

itoiTEFL

Well almost any decent TEFL certificate is fine. Although when it comes to individual schools there may be preferences based on the experience of the owners, there's no set list of accepted or not-accepted certificates. Overall perhaps the best certificate out there is the CELTA which is an intensive course costing 1000 dollars plus. It is well regarded around the world but I would personally suggest it only if you have a couple of years experience. It's pretty full on! If you concerned about cost and are looking at an entry level job then, as I mentioned, almost any reputable certificate will be fine including online ones; the ICAL cert is 265 USD and we have plenty of graduates working in Japan with this. Good luck!

ICAL TEFL

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