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Thank you for the view and comment. Glad you got so much from it.

I'd agree that the rates being paid to teachers are hardly eye-watering, or at least not in a positive way, but that is the whole point of my channel really. I'm not giving people advice so they can get a $2 an hour gig... yes, those actually exist for (mainly) filipinos to teach Chinese kids online. I'm giving advice for people who want to get taken seriously as a teacher. So perhaps your analogy holds... I wouldn't advise someone to go to culinary school if they want to work in McDonalds. But if you want to work in a Michelin starred restaurant... You can do a cheap or even free tefl and fight for the scraps or you can do a CELTA and start to have more choice about the work you can do. You're unlikely to become rich out of education, so the next best thing you can get out of a teaching career is choice.

The two courses that are best recognised are the Cambridge CELTA and the Trinity CertTESOL. Both can be done in many countries around the world and even online. You're looking at around £1300 for either course. Personally I would say the CELTA edges it because it has slightly more recognition, although I've often made the point that I would never work for a school that didn't understand what Trinity CertTESOL is because that would reveal that they didn't have a clue.

It's a smart idea and I think I was trying to hint at that, but... you can't have everything perfectly ready because you will likely have to change things, based on the input of your tutor and you may just find that your lesson has a fundamental flaw - which might be more difficult to change if you designed it a long while ago. What I'd suggest though is that in the time between CELTA and Delta, one of the things you should be doing is "collecting" sequences that work well and are communicative. The more of these sequences you have up your sleeve, the more you'll be able to draw on these ideas to find solutions to the problems you identify in the background essays. Of course, you also need sequences that aren't just the commonly used games and fillers like hot seat or taboo - that's not really going to fly on a delta.

@@AlexWallsELT Thanks 👍

I disagree with much of what you say, but I have said it a hundred or more times before... If you're a native speaker and you think that getting a qualification is just a formality and that you should be given a chance to learn how to teach at your students' expense, then by all means, go and be one of those teachers. Don't bother applying at any school where I work. If you want to be taken seriously as an English teacher, go do a CELTA or Trinity CertTESOL. The "content" differs because on these courses you will actually teach real students and be assessed by experienced teacher trainers. There is a standard and people (not many) do fail if they don't come up to that standard. And many employers these days know why these qualifications are valuable and will hire teachers with them over teachers without. And if the school is accredited their accreditation body may insist on hiring people with particular qualifications or justifying the hire if they don't have them.

@@AlexWallsELT I’ve listened to you speak, and your accent sounds British or from a similar region. Your personal standards may work well in native English-speaking countries, but schools in Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Lithuania, and most schools in Asia, which are non-native English-speaking countries, do not prioritize whether your certificate is from a professional school. As long as you are a native speaker, that’s what matters most. Personally, I feel that teaching English to native English speakers (L1) is not as fulfilling. Most of the people in your comment section are from non-native English-speaking countries, and suggesting that they need to spend thousands to get a certificate like yours to teach is doing their countries a disservice. This is just your personal opinion, so please make that clear to them.

@@milibambino Yes, you're right, I am British. Quite what that has to do with anything, I don't know. I guess you seem to be putting 2 and 2 together and getting 5, since you seem to think that my experience might be limited to working in the UK and teacher English language or literature (English to native speakers as you call it), rather than English as a language. And you'd be wrong on both counts. I've spent over 12 years working in 5 countries in Europe and in Asia. In fact, it's a little odd if you think the CELTA qualifies me to teach English language or literature in the UK, except possibly in FE. In a mainstream school, I'd need a PGCE, which I don't have. My channel is watched by a number of native and non-native English speaking teachers, and any opinion in them, like with any other youtube video, it is up to the viewer to decide whether they agree with that or not... just as you have decided you don't. And that's fine... start your own youtube channel if you want. I've said repeatedly in many videos that it is possible to find work without a CELTA, especially in certain parts of Asia. However, if you listened to my content in its entirety, you should be able to see that the reason why I encourage teachers to get a CELTA is not necessarily because they have to, although it is increasingly asked for, is to set a higher standard if they want to be taken seriously and to go further in the profession. Not everyone has the money to do it - sure. Not everyone has the money to go to medical school, but I wouldn't advocate for anyone to become a doctor without it. You won't find me handing a scalpel to someone without a medical education but from a poor background and telling them to just "have a go" in the interest of fairness. But for some reason I should encourage people to get substandard qualifications to teach English? Why not? It's just a bit of a laugh, isn't it? No student in any of these nations is spending 50% or more of their wages to learn English, are they? None of them are relying on it to get into a good university, get a good job, and lift themselves out of poverty, are they? I'd say the disservice is the number of native English speakers who think that armed with that alone, or some piece of paper they got by answering multiple choice questions, they are somehow qualified to teach. I see the encouraging of raising standards as a service. Perhaps you are one of the above mentioned natives that see it as a challenge to your livelihood? I can but speculate. And as far as this being "just" my opinion, it isn't. If you attend conferences, webinars, etc, you'll find there are a lot of people with recruiting responsibilities that think like me. Some of the biggest chains (present in many countries around the world) require CELTA such as the British Council and International House. It's far from just my opinion. So I will continue to spread my message as I see fit. But thank you for the view and the comment all the same.

Well the biggest problem is always which passport you hold. If you don't hold a passport from one of the big 6, then do you have the right to work in any of those places? If you do, then they may still hire you. In that case what they will typically want is a CELTA. Your bachelor's degree is not irrelevant, but it doesn't really tell them that you can teach. The middle east will likely want a masters degree too.

Thank you! Do you think it's possible that I might struggle to find a teaching job after obtaining the CELTA certificate because I'm not from one of the big six countries?

@@ednaogala3570 I'm sorry to be the one that says it, but yes. If you don't have the right to work in another country already, the CELTA is unlikely to give you that right. I'm not saying it is fair, just the way it is. You may be able to find another way to get a visa, for example getting to a country on a student visa, but you'd have to look into whether that's a good move or not.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, I find them very helpful.

Depends what you're comparing it to. Compared to the UK/US it's lower. Compared to China or Russia, it's higher. Of course Argentina, as with most of South America, has been through a period of quite heavy inflation in the past few years and especially since I made this video it has hit 200%.

@AlexWallsELT I live in New Zealand and travel to Argentina every year. Unfortunately I can't say it's cheaper than New Zealand.

Individual experience will always vary but cost of living index comparisons put Argentina as cheaper than New Zealand. Partly it depends though whether you're willing to go native or not - if you stand out as a tourist you will also get taken advantage of.

You are right though , perhaps I didn't express myself well, I wouldn't steal the job from him. Anyways , it won't stop me from doing the Delta. One bad manager shouldn't dictate our career path. Thank you, Alex

Hi. Yeah, since I recorded this series, they've already changed it - at least they have if you're using Zoom workplace. So yes the icon just says "share". When you click it you should get three options near the top of the window - screens, documents, advanced - the whiteboard is under "documents". If you open the whiteboard and choose new, it gives the option to use the classic whiteboard. Personally, I preferred the old whiteboard too, but I think they both have their uses. It would be great if they made the old whiteboard easier to get to (personally if I was them I would invert the colours and call it blackboard, and put it somewhere as a feature for teachers). The new whiteboard is a bit more like an IWB in the classroom, but the old whiteboard is better for the 'chalk and talk' moments.

Not sure what to say about the other problems. One of the problems I've had with sound before is because I use a good microphone, Zoom sometimes assumes that is the device for the speakers too. Also I frequently have two webcams attached too and sometimes have them open in other programmes, so you need to make sure your webcam, microphone and speakers are set to the right devices.

Glad it was helpful!

Hi Joaquin, as I say these titles can mean different things in different places, but my guess would be that the Academic Specialists have a narrower range of functions than the manager, probably more related to course design and teacher training, while the manager might have some more HR, operations and staffing responsibilities.

@@AlexWallsELT Thank you for your answer and your time. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Thank you

@@JoaquínB-l5q Good luck, let us know how you get on!

Well all the students I met seemed happy enough with that. I guess by the time they are signed up to the platform, they have been told this and sold the benefits.

No, you don't need to speak the student's first language. It has long been argued by methodologists whether it is actually helpful or not, but the general consensus is that you don't need to speak a student's first language (although knowledge of their first language and how it is different to the target language is often helpful).

The speaking clubs I have been part of have generally been in the context of a language school, i.e. a commercial business. Therefore, they are usually quite reluctant to provide students with alcohol, since they are not licensed too and there could be all kinds of issues such as making sure any under 18s are not given alcohol. However, one thing that alcohol does is to lower our inhibitions and many people say that they are better at speaking a foreign language when they have had something to drink. That's probably in part because of the false confidence (or Dutch courage if that's not politically incorrect yet) we get, but probably also because of the relaxing surroundings people tend to like drinking in. So, in short, I think anything that helps students to relax and be more confident is worth exploring, providing it is appropriate for the context you work in (i.e. not with under-age students or where the majority of students might have a religious aversion to alcohol), and if done in the course of a business, legal requirements are followed.

You'd have to contact an IELTS centre, although I do believe they prefer a degree because the highest levels are typically awarded to university-educated speakers.

@@AlexWallsELT thanks a lot You responded right away You're so reliable!

@@eyyen8233 I try

Thanks for the comment. Hope it helps

Well as I say in the video, not something to replace your day job, but a decent side hustle because it's so flexible. Got a spare half hour? Do a class and make 6 euro. Better than doomscroll on your phone and make nothing.

How long ago?

It took about two weeks for me to hear back.

@@AlexWallsELT it's about a week now

@@dlswebsolutions let's hope they will reply

Do they hire Filipino teachers?

Would love to help, but it depends what you mean by a diploma, which would likely depend on which country's education system you studied in... generally you need a qualification that is equivalent to a degree in the UK (level 6 on the UK qualification framework). I assume that this is an undergraduate qualification and therefore is probably the equivalent to 2/3 of a UK degree, which would probably not be sufficient. If I'm right, which sometimes happens :), you'd need to either find a way to turn that advanced diploma into a full degree, start a full degree but see if you can get any credit for your existing qualification, or look for a country that doesn't require a degree to get a work visa (but not many such countries).

Thanks a lot, I'm from South Africa and Advanced diploma is equivalent to a degree but I'll check it that applies to the UK and other countries.

@@AlexWallsELTAdvanced diploma in Marketing

@@noxologcabashe4004 I had a look. This might help - www.skylinecollege.co.za/doc/UK%20-%20SA%20Level.pdf. It seems it probably is.

I don't think it's that big a deal. A lot of app based businesses require you to take photos of ID so they can confirm who you are, so this really isn't that uncommon. At least that might go a little way to confirming that it is the person answering the questions that gets the certificate.

@@AlexWallsELT Thank you for your answer. I appreciate your time.

The first question I would ask is whether you have a university degree in any field. If you don't, you will probably find it difficult to get a visa in any other country and so you'll probably be limited to working in South Africa. If you do have a degree, and as I say that can be any field at all, then I would recommend getting a CELTA or Trinity CertTESOL. IH in Jo'burg offer the CELTA - www.ihjohannesburg.co.za/celta/. There are also places you can study it online but that might not be great in SA if you have problems with load-shedding. Alternatively, you could save up the money, go do CELTA for a month somewhere and look for a job there at the end of it (although you will likely have to fly back to SA to get a work visa). Typically a CELTA is 4 weeks full time, but usually there is a part time option if you need to work full time doing something else. Once you have a CELTA, the world is your oyster as they say - you are unlikely to have problems finding a school somewhere that will give you a work visa. My advice though is deal with the schools directly - don't go through agents if you can help it. Big chains like International House or EF (English First) aren't bad places to get your first job and learn the ropes.

@@AlexWallsELT hey, thanks for getting back to me. i do have a university degree and i don't live in joburg, i live in durban. so online courses are my best choice for any sort of takeoff. and why shouldn't i go through an agency? just curious as to why

@@siphesihlemosesmsimango6961 Ok, maybe try these guys then - durbanlanguage.com/. The issue with agents is that some (and it might well be a small minority) are actually just scammers or have practices that may be perfectly legal but cause you problems... a common one is that the agent or school keeps your passport and certificate to prevent you applying elsewhere.

@@AlexWallsELT so places like i to i, telf academy among others are a no go?🤷🏿‍♂️

@@siphesihlemosesmsimango6961 They are not places I would recommend. Firstly, they don't really prepare you to teach since they don't tend to include any assessed teaching practice with real students. At best you might 'teach' a class to the other participants on the course. The trainers on these courses can also be absolutely anybody - there is no minimum standard. If you're not properly prepared chances are you will do a TEFL job for six months, jack it in and do something else, or you might end up doing what I'm telling you to do now. Secondly, these certificates are not as recognised as CELTA. The difference is huge. If you apply for a job with a CELTA, more schools will be falling over each other to offer you an interview. You apply with some other TEFL, you'll be lucky to even get an acknowledgement of your application. The question is do you want to know how to do the job and have options about where you work?

Correct. I am back in the UK, but still very much involved in teaching English.

Sorry to hear you have had a negative experience of the CELTA. You should have been told that it really is an intensive course, regardless of your past experience teaching children. Its not uncommon to spend 8 hours planning one lesson... again something that should really be told to you before the course rather than coming as a surprise. Did you tell them about your disability? I think most tutors would do what they can to make reasonable adjustments.

Thanks for watching! Hope you found it interesting.

Been a while since I made this video, but perhaps I could do a guided example.

Thanks, hope you found the video useful!

EXACTLY .. I think the free TEFL is better than none / and I think even in Algeria the TEFLERS acadamy in Algies still sells that course online for 230Dollars

I don't know... I'd still say that's like saying a doctor whose only qualification is having watched medical dramas is better than no doctor. I believe it was Nelson Mandela who said "If you think education is expensive, try no education". But I'm sure in Algeria many teachers have actually been on some kind of pedagogy degree, so it's not a real comparison.

That is incredibly poor if they are selling a free course for money.

Hello Tha'ir. If you're trying to improve your English level then TEFL, TESOL, CELTA and Delta are all completely inappropriate choices as these are about teaching. If you need a certificate to prove you are C1, then you could consider Cambridge Advanced (CAE) or IELTS, but any course to prepare you for the exam will focus on exam skills rather than developing your English. If you need to raise your language level, Id recommend doing general English courses until you get to the right level.

@@AlexWallsELT thank you for your reply..one more question, when it comes to teaching certificate, which one of these you mentioned above is suitable for me as a teacher of English from Iraq and may want to teach abroad some day ???

I'm glad you found it useful. Make sure you check out the rest of the series.

Where are you from ??

@@yannickyehe1849 Algeria

I'm afraid I can't offer any opinion on this school as I don't know anything about them. But good luck with it.

Bro i applied for the same school. You got accepted?

The CELTA and Trinity CertTESOL are equivalent qualifications. As are the DipTESOL and Delta. Both CELTA and Trinity CertTESOL are considered TEFL-I qualifications by the British Council, i.e. they mean the holder is TEFL initiated. While I haven't done or trained teachers on a Trinity CertTESOL, the content is very much the same. I don't think either delves deeper than the other, only in as much as the trainers in some centres are better than others (there is a minimum standard, but let's face it some are better because of experience, passion, organisation, etc.) and may therefore do more extra such as providing additional supporting reading, information, resources, etc. Unfortunately, since teacher trainers don't seem to be getting paid any more than they were 10 years ago, especially since these qualifications have gone online, there does seem to be a bit of a race to the bottom with both qualifications and trainers only willing to do what they are getting paid for.

I will just have to say that I worked there over a decade ago and it seems the country is very different now. I don't think it's so difficult to send money abroad now.

Too many Brits there for me. I'd rather be somewhere that I can break out of the ex pat bubble a little.

I don't use agencies... I would recommend researching who you can apply to and going direct.

I'm afraid I can't really advise as to any specific places for you to apply to.

I don't get your point. Cambridge do not offer this certificate. They offer the CELTA, which is a completely different course.

You're welcome

Let me know what other content you would find useful too!

I'd agree that PPP is actually not very good. It's place is definitely in teaching beginners that don't really know anything yet, but it's so rare that we teach beginners English (in other languages, it is not rare at all). ECRIF to me looks like what we often call a text-based lesson, which is generally half a reading or listening then into PPP. I guess the focus of it is to move away from teachers presenting de-contextualised language as a starting point, but then once context is established, it moves through those same steps. To be honest there are so many of these acronyms for lesson frameworks - PPP, TTT, TBL, ESA, ARC, ECRIF, OHE, etc. that I'm not surprised that any course doesn't mention all of them. Student-centredness doesn't magically just come from the framework though. All 5 stages of ECRIF could be done in a student or teacher-centred way, the same as PPP. If you want a framework that does tend to promote student-centredness, I'd point towards TBL and TTT, but again... these are only student-centred if the teacher actually understands this concept in the first place. So many teachers don't that you've convinced me... that needs to be the topic of a future video!

No problem, hope it was helpful

I'm afraid I can't really say what is a good move for you.

That's how it used to be, 10 years ago. I believe Uzbekistan has considerably upgraded their banking since then and so it is probably easier now. Even back then, I still managed to repatriate much of my money.

If you want to, I can't stop you

Well, Ive never had a group that didn't have mixed levels. I would try to limit the range of levels for the session if possible. Its easier to work with A2-B1 in one group and B2-C1 in another, but if you have to have them all in one session then you might like to divide them. I would probably still just put them in groups randomly. I think a speaking club should mimic real life at times and sometimes people are going to need to communicate with an imbalance of ability. What I think you really need to avoid is one strong student getting lumped with a weaker student for the whole session. The automatically assign breakout rooms in Zoom is great for this (and I have a video coming out in the next month on these).

You need "automatically" assign, not "manually"

@@AlexWallsELT oops yes, I meant "automatically". Thank you so much for the quick answer!! It's very helpful.

@@SwissGermanBeginners kein problem! Let us know how the speaking club goes!

@@AlexWallsELT will do 😁 it's a Swiss German Speaking Club. There aren't too many of those yet. Actually, I don't know of any other..