Recommendations: TEFL Certificate in Canada

Regardless of your experience, the Cambridge CELTA course seems to have the most cachet in Vietnam.  It should be available in major Canadian cities.  It is also available (at a lower price) within Vietnam from ILA and Apollo.  Besides the higher price in Canada, another disadvantage of taking it there would be that it is essentially full time for a month so it would be impractical to work at the same time.  I expect you could find a minimal part time course where you are but it would not do you as much good.  Unlike the shorter TEFL courses, the CELTA has a pretty extensive hands on practicum element.  Your university work will look good on your resume but I doubt that it will be much help with EFL in Vietnam where most work is children and teens.

Thank you, I heard that the practical experience is very important

Thigv is right. Bring your original degree certs, police check, and spend first 4-5 weeks in Saigon in CELTA class. Reserve in advance as they fill up a few months in advance. Advantages are lower cost than in CA, they can introduce you to city and culture, meet other foreigners doing the same thing, they will help you get a job after. A softer landing than arriving cold and having hustle for a job yourself. Maybe same deal in Hanoi or other city, dunno.

Thanks for replies. I do know Hanoi quite well and see those courses.
Back to the original question: any Canadians here who know reputable Canadian TEFL?

Get a CELTA certificate. You can google where it is offered in your area.

Strangely enough, CELTA isn't offered in Canada, only "based on CELTA".
Why is CELTA so important. Is it just a quality of instruction thing, or is it based on employers strict preference?

cocobipbip wrote:

Strangely enough, CELTA isn't offered in Canada, only "based on CELTA".
Why is CELTA so important. Is it just a quality of instruction thing, or is it based on employers strict preference?

Cambridge University does not actually teach the CELTA course, except maybe in the city of Cambridge, England, but franchises the course out.  You did not specify what city and Canada is a huge country but here is a provider in Toronto that was the first to pop up on the Go Ogle machine:  https://www.studycelta.com/tefl-canada/celta-toronto/  I am sure there are more and that you can specify the city. 

Notice the price however.  It is $2549.  The CELTA at Apollo in Ho Chi MInh is 37,500,000 VND or $1650.  Teaching House/ILA in Ho Chi Minh City is $1750 for the bare course or $2795 for a package that includes visa, housing for 5 weeks, and a basic Vietnamese language course.  The unlisted advantage is cultural acclimation although you did state that you have lived in Vietnam before.  In your case, I would consider the basic course and save the $800 to cover living expenses for the month.

As far as employer preference, remember that there are no anti-discrimination laws that will effectively protect you.  If you are a Caucasian native speaker between 21 and 40, you may not need a boost but if you are outside any of these parameters, a CELTA could help.