The background of TEFL courses and why you might take a TEFL course?

Many would argue that the English language drives the world of today - from international business through to entertainment and music. Chances are if English isn't somebody's first language it'ill be their second. Such popularity has given rise to a huge demand for English teachers around the globe and, fortunately for native English speaking travelling to South America, there's considerable opportunities to teach English. However, the schools, colleges and professional education providers in Argentina and Chile almost always require TEFL certification or experience.

The standard training that's required to teach English abroad is referred to as TEFL or TESOL training. There's a subtle but important difference between the two:

TEFL: Teaching English as a Foreign Language (teaching English in non-English speaking countries)

TESOL: Teaching English as a Second Language (Teaching English in a country where English is the first language)

The two terms are often interchanged leading to confusion. The focus of the below is on TEFL courses, the correct training for those teaching in South America. (Note: TEOFL is simply a test for those learning English)

Teaching a language can be tough, and whilst some may find it easier than others, you do have to put in some work. Even if you have a natural affinity for English, you may struggle to teach it.

If you are coming to South America and seriously considering teaching English, you should seriously consider a TEFL course and learn how to teach. If teaching English is an ambition, their are four main reasons why you should think about doing a TEFL course: 

1. You'll become a capable teacher with the right skills to manage in a classroom. As a result you'll be more attractive to employers and at the end of the day you'll be able to command a better salary. 

2. You'll have access to numerous teaching resources upon graduation, meaning you'll be better equipped to teach.

3. Your trainer and training centre will open doors for you - remember you'll be entering a competitive jobs market and, if you want to secure a good teaching position, you'll need all the help you can get.

4. You will make friends and develop your contact base which, no doubt, will make your time in South America much more interesting.

Unfortunately, TEFL training - as an unregulated industry - attracts many sub-standard and occasionally shady ventures who are out to make a quick buck. But you don't need to worry, this website only accepts verified TEFL training institutes who have demonstrated their competence.

Online courses - Our view: 

In terms of online courses, you can include online TEFL tuition as part of your training but we'd strongly advise that you don't rely 100% on online tuition. As cheap, convenient and flexible as an online course may be, most employers unfortunately won't even consider interviewing you. Put yourself in the place of the student; would you pay good money to be taught by a teacher that's been trained by a computer program? There's no harm in supplementing a course with some on-line exercises, indeed this will give you additional opportunities to hone your skills, but you will need some real trainer-to-trainee, face-to-face tuition if you're going to be able to make an impression in a classroom. This is especially the case if you are planning to teach under 18s.

Where can I study a TEFL course?

You have two main options when deciding where to take your TEFL course. You can either choose to study in your home country before heading to South America, or alternatively, you could study in one of the great cities of South America. While in certain cases it may be wiser for you to take your TEFL course before you leave home (because of time commitments for instance) the preferred option should be to study TEFL in South America. This is because:

a) Studying and living abroad is, let's face it, much more fun. You'll be partying, travelling and immersing yourself in the culture of a vibrant and engaging culture.

b) Generally a TEFL course in a Latin American country is considerably cheaper (20%-40%) than the equivalent course with the same number of training hours back in the English speaking world. Not because of a lesser quality, but rather because the cost of running a training centre is much less in South America.

c) Another advantage is that TEFL training in South America is geared towards the continent's classrooms and better prepares you to teach in that environment than, say a TEFL course in Florida or London would. It also helps you understand differences in accent and dialect - A TEFL course in Buenos Aires will, for instance, make you aware of how Spanish speakers struggle to pronounce the letter 'H.' Ultimately, undertaking TEFL training carried out in the region you plan to teach, will prove to be more relevant and will help you in the long run.

Within South America almost all TEFL training centres are located in the capital cities. CatchtheLingo currently offers TEFL training centres in both Buenos Aires, the culturally rich, energetic party capital of Argentina and Santiago the refined and elegant first city of Chile. Both are superb locations that offer a low cost of living combined with a warm welcoming reception for foreigners.

How much will a TEFL courses cost me? 

The standard, one month TEFL course will cost you US$1,400 - US$2,000. You can be assured that all TEFL courses offered on CatchtheLingo are offered with a best price guarantee, and are serious training programs offered by professional organisations. Taking a TEFL course is no doubt a significant outlay of money in the short term, but when you consider the number of hours teaching (120 -180) and the specialised nature of the education, the cost is justified. Also, as with many forms of education you should view this cost as an investment. A TEFL course will improve your chances of finding employment as an English teacher and will ensure you are paid well. Studies show that after 6 months of work as a professional teacher, the cost of a TEFL course (including the opportunity cost of not working while studying) is repaid. Often the cheapest course is not the best value. Look carefully at what exactly is included in the course and try and judge the quality of the course (see section below on the accreditations) 

As with any form of investment in education you need to look at the fundamentals before passing judgement on the cost of the course. When you are viewing a CatchtheLingo profile page, examine how many hours of supervised teaching are included; check the maximum number of students per trainerl; read the trainer profiles and examine their experience and finally, have a look at the photographs and videos offered in the media tab. 

The finer points of TEFL certification - accreditations and different certifications.

There is no one curriculum nor is there one minimum standard that needs to be reached for someone to be considered TEFL qualified. There are many courses of varying quality which claim to produce graduates ready to teach English as a foreign language. Generally, reputable schools will seek a candidate who trained on a program with:

1. at least 120 hours of training (in most cases 140 hours will be needed)

2.  at least 5 hours of supervised teaching

3.  is from a well known TEFL provider (any of the providers hosted here)

While there is no curriculum, there are several international bodies who accredit TEFL courses and you should keep an eye out for these accreditations.

CELTA accredited:

CELTA stands for Certificate in English Language To Adults and is awarded by Cambridge University. Less than 15% of TEFL programs are CELTA accredited partially because gaining CELTA certification is a great expense and burden for the TEFL training centre. Within the UK, CELTA has been approved by the qualifications and certificates authority (QCA) which effectively means the government of the UK recognise the value of CELTA.

Some employers, mainly because of the international reputation of Cambridge University rather than the actual substance of the qualification, consider those with a CELTA certified TEFL course to be the cream of the crop in terms of teaching candidates. Note: DELTA.courses are not to be confused with CELTA certified TEFL courses. A DELTA course is for those with significant experience teaching English and is also accredited by Cambridge ESOL department.

College of Teachers UK accredited:

A large institute with a venerable history, the college of teachers is a professional awarding body by royal charter. A TEFL or TESOL course accredited by the College of Teachers will have already received accreditation from a local academic institute and must include lectures, workshops, tutorials, private study with easy access to a tutor and will always include at least 120 hours of contact with the trainee. This certification is popular with training centres and is proof of a solid course with a good foundation.

Trinity accredited:

Trinity College London also certify TEFL courses although the popularity of this accreditation is declining, particularly in South America. Not received as well by employers as CELTA courses but nonetheless a stamp of quality on your TEFL course.

As a candidate you'll find it easier to find employment if you have a university degree under your belt. For the lucky few, a masters in education will ensure you get the perfect job. Saying all this, a 19 or 20 year old with good results in SAT or A levels who has the right attitude will also be able to secure employment. 

Using CatchtheLingo to find and book the right TEFL course. 

CatchtheLingo was founded by those who travelled and lived in South America to make it easier for you to study and work in South America. We set up the webiste after we realised that comparing courses and institutes was a real challenge with complex marketing messages and unclear information.

This site gives you information on TEFL training institutions in a clear structured manner.

We have verified every TEFL training institute hosted on this site by visiting these institutes, acquainting ourselves with their organisations and making sure that each of them deliver what they offer.

Each institute that met our criteria has been set up with a profile. This profile gives information on the school, their history and the present state of their organisation alongside photographs, videos and information on the location of their institute. In addition, critical information on their trainers and the details of the actual course you may be considering is made clear. 

Because the site uses a fixed structure, comparing schools is much easier than undertaking individual searches via Google, for example. You can quickly see what accreditations two schools have obtained or compare the maximum number of trainees that each school accepts in a group. Also the fact that the price quoted on CatchtheLingo is the full price with no hidden surprises should help to ensure your confidence.

To book your place on a course you need only pay a 10% deposit. The remaining 90% you simply pay the institute on arrival. The advantages of using CatchtheLingo to book your course are several.

1. We offer you telephone and email support (based in London) and will use our power to protect your interests in the case of a legitimate problem with the training institute.

2. We are a community website where you can review your course and help others book the course.

3. We offer a cancellation and changes policy that is more favourable to you than you'd receive if you book directly. 

and of course it costs you nothing extra to book through us...

Combining a TEFL course with learning Spanish

Taking a short Spanish course while in South America should be considered by anyone considering a TEFL course. While employers often prefer English teachers who don't speak any Spanish (so that they can be assured their students will be forced to speak the language they are learning), if you are faced with teaching absolute beginners it is advisable that you're able to communicate at least the very basics in Spanish. 

And of course, the fact that you will be living in a Spanish speaking country, there can be no doubting that catching a few words of the local lingo will make life massively easier. The simple fact is, that unlike many non-English speaking countries in Europe and Asia where you can get by without speaking the local language, South America, (especially once you leave the big cities) is unmanageable without some words of Spanish. This website, by bringing you directly to the Spanish schools of South America, offers you the cheapest courses on the internet. We have over 20 schools offering over 100 courses so have a browse - no doubt you'll find a course that's perfect for you.

As with all our guides, we don't claim to be the absolute experts and we welcome input from the community - email us at info@catchthelingo.com