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PGCE with languages - qualified to teach in TEFL environment?

  • 18-07-2011 7:44pm
    #1
    StickyMcGinty
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,835 ✭✭✭


    Hi All,

    Friend of mine recently completed a PGCE course in Wales (Spanish and Business) - obviously a major component of which was teaching languages in a classroom.

    She rang around a couple of language schools but they've said that she requires a TEFL qualification to qualify to teach. Is this a requirement in Irish language schools or would it be worth trying to convince them that a PGCE with languages provides similar qualification?

    Any and all help appreciated.
    Tagged:


Comments

  • #2
    Rosita
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,147 ✭✭✭Rosita


    No harm in trying to convince and there is no doubt (I know this as a language teacher who did the PGDE and a CELT (tefl) course) in my experience of teacher training that the skills taught were the same communicative approach.

    I am assuming the person in question would have done language teahing training in a separate module to teaching Spanish? Certainly when I did a language in UCD in the PGDE the emphasis was on the literature etc. and how that would be taught. There was a separate module for teaching the spoken language which covered all languages. It would be important to demonstrate that there was such a module covered in the course.

    But my instinct is that there are far too many TEFL graduates around for a school in Ireland to be likely to employ someone without specific TEFL training.


  • #3
    eager tortoise
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 209 ✭✭eager tortoise


    As far as I know, English language schools in Ireland are required to employ teachers who have done ACELS accredited TEFL courses.ACELS is the body that oversees English Language schools in this country. I tried without success to find a TEFL job prior to doing one of these courses, and that was always what I was told, that the schools wanted to see an ACELS cert.
    Most of the courses ACELS endorse are 4 week/120 hr TEFL courses. However,
    seeing as your friend is a qualified teacher she might look in to doing the 1 week ACELS accredited course for qualified teachers who want to teach TEFL in the summer. This is what I did. The course is fine, as in not very challenging! It is not cheap, I think about €300 and obviously quite short, but you get the bit of paper and that is what the language schools want.


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