TEFL vs CELTA Certification For Teaching English in Asia – Which Should You Choose?
TEFL vs CELTA Certification For Teaching English in Asia
Back in 2013, right before I left to start teaching English in South Korea, I took the month-long CELTA certification.
These days, after years of living and teaching English in Asia, my company Ninja Teacher now primarily offers TEFL / TESOL certifications. In fact, our training team is led by our Head Trainer, a DELTA-certified, qualified CELTA tutor, who previously taught CELTA courses but now prefers the TEFL curriculum we’ve developed for teaching learners throughout Asia.
Why is this? And what should you know about the differences between the two commonly referred to teaching certifications? Most important, which is best for teaching English in Asia?
Here are a few points about an in-class TEFL/TESOL vs CELTA to help you make the decision about which one is right for you.
A Quick Explanation Of The Terms
TEFL – Teaching English As Foreign Language
TEFL is a term often used to described the teaching English industry as a whole. It is also a type of teaching English certification. There is no single authority that issues TEFL certifications, which is one of the reasons the standards of courses can vary, making it important to ensure the course you choose provides a high-quality education with experienced and qualified trainers, a teaching practicum, and job placement support.
TESOL – Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.
TESOL is another widely used term and, like TEFL, it can be used to describe both the industry as well as a certification. It is also considered to be an umbrella term that incorporates TEFL as well as TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language). TESL has more to do with teaching English to second language English speakers within an English speaking country, as opposed to in a foreign country.
Because we’re dealing specifically with teaching English abroad, TESL isn’t a commonly used term. Therefore, while TESOL is technically a broader term, TESOL and TEFL essentially describe the same type of teaching qualification and are often used interchangeably, with little to no differences you need to be aware of.
Our programs at Ninja Teacher offer combined, internationally accredited TEFL/TESOL certifications.
CELTA – Certificate In English Language Teaching To Adults
The CELTA is Cambridge’s teaching English certification and is regulated through Cambridge. The course was primarily designed for working with adult learners, and is a UK document that must be legalized in the UK when applying for a work permit in Vietnam.
Pros and Cons of TEFL and CELTA
Student Age
The CELTA training methodology is geared towards adult teaching, whereas an in-class TEFL typically focuses on preparing you for several age groups, with practical classes with a range of different ages including Young Learners (YLs), teens and adults.
While there are some adult teaching jobs in Asia, the vast majority of positions are with Young Learners. It can be a challenge to adapt the CELTA style to meet the needs of younger students, and the expectations of employers in Vietnam. A quality TEFL certification, like our Vietnam TEFL Program, will ensure that you are skilled and comfortable teaching Young Learners (and all ages).
The CELTA only includes teaching practicum with adults and, therefore, leaves graduates with no experience teaching Young Learners before they start their jobs. With a TEFL certification that includes a teaching practicum with Young Learners, you’ll have more confidence to step into a classroom with younger students straight after your course. This is also appealing to employers, as schools expect you to be ready to step into the classroom and start teaching immediately after completion of your course, and hiring managers will appreciate the teaching practicum with Young Learners when considering whether they should hire you.
Teaching Style
The CELTA is a heavily academic course with a strong focus on grammar and linguistics, but lacks as much emphasis on practical skills and activities that are necessary to conduct an engaging class confidently.
The TEFL program at Ninja Teacher covers important pedagogy and methodology, as well as a strong focus on learning and practicing the real-world skills that you’ll utilize each day in the classroom.
The CELTA is lacking when it comes to preparing teachers for classroom management for Young Learners and planning lessons that utilize engaging activities which are essential when working with younger students, the primary market in Vietnam and much of Asia. The syllabus has also not been updated significantly for decades, nor has it incorporated recent developments in the field of English Language Teaching.
Our Vietnam TEFL Program covers topics that will enhance your professional development and ensure your success, such as: teaching Young Learners, working with students with Special Educational Needs, classroom management for Young Learners, student-centered lesson planning and more. It is also being regularly updated to include the most recent updates in the industry, such as using technology in the classroom.
Contextual Relevance
One of the biggest drawbacks of the CELTA is that it is Eurocentric and not contextually relevant to teaching in Vietnam and across Asia. The CELTA was created as a course that primarily focused on preparing new teachers to teach adults in European countries, and the curriculum has remained largely unchanged over the years. As such, it does not address the challenges of teaching English to learners in other countries (or to Young Learners) as effectively as TEFL courses usually do.
On the Ninja Teacher TEFL program, teacher trainees will observe and teach real students of different ages and levels in language centers in Ho Chi Minh City. Our course includes practical teaching hours with a range of age groups, including teaching practice with Young Learners (who make up about 90% of Vietnam’s English teaching market).
In the CELTA, trainee teachers conduct all of their teaching practicum with adults, which doesn’t translate directly to the student group you will likely work with when teaching in Asia. In addition, observations may not even be of live classes, but completed by watching (often decades old) video recordings of adult students in European classrooms.
Accreditation & International Recognition
The CELTA certification has a strong reputation due to the Cambridge branding, and the CELTA is a good qualification to have on your resume for jobs in Europe and the Middle East.
On the other hand, TEFL is the most commonly completed qualification to gain employment in countries such as Vietnam, Korea, China and Thailand. While employers usually do their due diligence and avoid hiring teachers with cheap, low quality TEFL certifications, a high quality TEFL course is accepted by nearly every major employer in the market.
On the CELTA, external moderators evaluate the tutors and your written work, which ensures standardization across organizations that run the CELTA. The quality of training may still vary from location to location based on the competence and enthusiasm of the tutor conducting the training, though.
There is no standardized TEFL / TESOL authority, which does mean that courses may vary in quality. However, you can recognize a good TEFL / TESOL course if it has external accreditation, a highly qualified training team, sufficient practicum teaching experience and positive reviews online. Our TEFL / TESOL course in Vietnam awards an internationally accredited, US-issued certificate, and is highly regarded here in Vietnam, where we have a reputation for providing employers with some of the best trained teachers to enter the market.
Securing A Job & Employment Opportunities
While many people claim schools prefer the CELTA in countries like Vietnam, we find jobs for graduates of our TEFL / TESOL course at the top schools in Vietnam, with no difference in pay to those with a CELTA, and are currently able to offer a job guarantee to all those who complete our certification, a perk which is not offered by the CELTA.
The CELTA program is a stand-alone certification, and does not include support with the other aspects of moving abroad, including finding employment. Graduates are left to navigate the market independently after completing their CELTA, which can be challenging if you aren’t aware of the ins and outs.
Our in-person program at Ninja Teacher not only provides support with all the preparations to start the course (including guidance on important preparations like document authentication, obtaining a visa, and booking your accommodations), but we also provide a full job placement guarantee for all graduates of the Vietnam TEFL Program. The course includes an in-depth and collaborative process for job placement, educating you on the teaching market, helping you build your CV, and determining what schools are the best fit for you. We submit your application directly to the hiring managers at Vietnam’s top schools and budding start-ups, and support you along the way as you navigate the hiring process, ensuring that you receive a suitable offer (usually within 2-3 weeks of completing the course, and sometimes as quick as just a few days!).
In addition to preparing you for the realities of the classroom and the contexts you’ll be teaching in, your first teaching English qualification should be to help you get your foot in the door and land the best possible job you can to start with.
Community & Support
As mentioned above, the CELTA program is solely a certification course, and does not include the same level of support and community events that you’ll benefit from on our Vietnam TEFL Program.
The program at Ninja Teacher is designed to go above and beyond just a high-quality teacher training — we know that in addition to your professional success, it’s also important that you start making friends and building a community in your new home.
The Vietnam TEFL Program graduates around 100 trainees per year, and we have a thriving social network of alumni who join community events (including the Welcome Evening for your TEFL cohort, which is a great chance to not only meet your classmates, but also others who have completed the program before you). The course is very collaborative, which fosters a supportive and inclusive environment where trainees typically make great friends while completing their program together.
Having been based in Vietnam for nearly a decade, the Ninja Teacher team are experts on administrative items like visa and document preparations, teaching dress codes, and where to find important items and services throughout your stay in Vietnam. We include comprehensive guides to help you settle in to life here, and are happy to share our insider knowledge (like favorite restaurants and cafes) with new trainees.
Our team also provide in-depth, helpful guidance on the job search process and anything relating to starting employment, obtaining your work permit, and everything that comes after your course.
Conclusion
While the CELTA has some positive attributes, a good TEFL / TESOL course will provide you with essential skills which are lacking in the CELTA curriculum, particularly if you intend to start your teaching career in Asia. The Ninja Teacher Vietnam TEFL Program is a comprehensive course and teaching qualification that includes high-quality training with a focus on teaching Young Learners, which make up the vast majority of the market in Asia, alongside a wealth of support and an exciting community.
You can learn more about the TEFL / TESOL course we offer here: Vietnam TEFL Program
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