Take TESOL in the U.S. or in Vietnam?

If you wold like to work in Vietnam, better you join for a Cambridge CELTA here. Some Schools offers it with a one year job contract together.And the fee is cheaper than that in the U.S. Also you will get a good experience here in Vietnam during your study time!

Just make sure its a recognised certificate, some here in Vietnam you wouldnt wipe your bum with.

If you get your certificate at a decent school, whether at home or in Vietnam, then both are equally recognised. It's up to you where you'd rather be based when you take it.

I took my CELTA in Vietnam because there was no course near where I lived in the UK at the time. Taking it here meant I could look for a job right away and it was also nice to learn about Vietnamese learners' specific problems firsthand, however I was slightly jealous of my friends who took theirs at home, secured a job at home and had the school pay for their relocation costs.

charmavietnam wrote:

If you wold like to work in Vietnam, better you join for a Cambridge CELTA here. Some Schools offers it with a one year job contract together.And the fee is cheaper than that in the U.S. Also you will get a good experience here in Vietnam during your study time!

Hi Charmavietnam,

Thank you for your comment.  I am not concerned about the fee because it is not a big difference. However, I can see your point in the experience of learning and teaching Vietnamese students first hand. Of course the one year contract is nice but based on what I have heard so far, I am not sure about the guaranty of the one year teaching contract.

Roe

colinoscapee wrote:

Just make sure its a recognised certificate, some here in Vietnam you wouldnt wipe your bum with.

Hi Colinoscapee

Absolutely!  This is one of the reasons why I am considering taking the course here in the U.S. Of course, this does not mean that all courses here are recognized by the international standard either.  So I got to be careful in choosing the right one.  The most important part of the course that I make sure it must include are the full 120 hours of classroom teaching/learning, many hours of actual hands on in teaching students, and last but not least, I want to learn as much as possible because I want to do an excellent job.

ruthj wrote:

Taking it here meant I could look for a job right away and it was also nice to learn about Vietnamese learners' specific problems firsthand.

Hi RuthJ

Your point is well taken.  Regarding those who took theirs at home and got teaching jobs offered prior to moving to VN, good for them, but I don't think there are too many of those.  I read your profile and it says you have been teaching for 2 years now.  I would love to meet you for coffee, share experiences, and learn some from you as well, once I am settled there.

Thanks!

Take a TESOL course here in Vietnam.  Your Asian ancestry is an attribute..in mine and your opinion.  Sadly, it's not considered favorably to many hiring managers.  If you take a TESOL course here you'll be working as soon as you complete the course.

Take the CELTA and you'll find a job, without any assistance from Cambridge, ILA, Language Link, or.......nope that's all of the providers I can think of!  Oh, the school may offer you a contract, once you're finished.  It will be an offer that is less than the average hourly rate that other schools are paying.  That's been what I've seen and heard from CELTA graduates in the past.

As far as TESOL providers in HCMC, my vote goes to the TEFL International program.  Compass Education recently took over the program, which means a direct line into the public schools, upon graduation.  Want work?  Ms. Daphne will have it for you.

Teacher Mark wrote:

Take a TESOL course here in Vietnam.  Your Asian ancestry is an attribute..in mine and your opinion.  Sadly, it's not considered favorably to many hiring managers.  If you take a TESOL course here you'll be working as soon as you complete the course.

Take the CELTA and you'll find a job, without any assistance from Cambridge, ILA, Language Link, or.......nope that's all of the providers I can think of!  Oh, the school may offer you a contract, once you're finished.  It will be an offer that is less than the average hourly rate that other schools are paying.  That's been what I've seen and heard from CELTA graduates in the past.

As far as TESOL providers in HCMC, my vote goes to the TEFL International program.  Compass Education recently took over the program, which means a direct line into the public schools, upon graduation.  Want work?  Ms. Daphne will have it for you.

Hello Teacher Mark,

Thank you so much for giving me your insights and providing me some options.  I appreciate that you think my Asian ancestry is an attribute.  After reading many posts in various forums on this expat web site, I was surprised at first that many hiring managers do not share this attribute but I soon accepted it as how it is in Vietnam.  In addition to the obvious required BA/BS degree, teaching certificate, and experience, Vietnamese judge you heavily by your appearance (well dressed, clean cut/well groomed , mannerism, and if you look good, that helps too, etc.).  Therefore, I'll focus on what gets my foot in the door.

From your suggestion, I will wait and take the course when I am in Vietnam.  I do have a couple of questions that need your help in clarifying:

1) It sounds like I can choose to take either the CELTA or the TESOL course.  However, does it mean that a CELTA certificate is more preferable or considered a higher standard than a TESOL certificate?  If it is so, then should I (and everyone else for the matter) should consider taking the CELTA course instead?

2) I checked out the TEFL International web site and it looks fine from what I can see.  So who is Ms. Daphne? (is she a program director or a hiring manager at TEFL Int./Compass Education or is she a hiring manager at a different school?) In either case, she sure would take away one of my biggest worries.

Again, thanks for your help. 

Roe

TEFL Int.'s website is an unorganised mess.  If you're interested in their program in TpHCM you should contact Daphne, who appears to be wearing more than one hat these days.

Cambridge has it's tentacles weaved throughout the ESL industry, but they're really entrenched in Vietnam.  They created the PET, KET, First Cert., Movers, Flyers, IELTS and a host of other tests to drive students crazy and for teachers they created the CELTA, CELT to teach children? , the DELTA, which they are falsely marketing as a MATESOL equivalent, and I'm sure they have more in the works.  Add the books that they're selling and you'd see that  they're making a kiling, while making the learning and teaching of the English language overly complicated.  That makes them a problem, not a solution, IMHO.

There iis only 1 CELTA, while anybody can offer a TESOL.  Kudos to Cambridge for protecting their brand.  You have to do your homework, if pursuing a TESOL. Daphne can sell you on their program; I've said my piece.