Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone had done a TEFL course? I'm desperately trying to increase my teaching experience but find it impossible to find work without any qualification and/or loads of experience. Would teaching english as a foreign language be a good thing to put on my CV for university teaching posts? Or will I just waste time and money?
Any advice gratefully received!

I have TEFL and 4 yrs teaching experience. Wouldn't do TEFL just to get university teaching - I really doubt it would be that helpful. But I have used it to actually earn some money (not a lot though, I warn you), for example, while waiting for funding between MPhil and PhD. TEFL cert is quite a light weight taching qualification and if you stay in the profession seriously people do the TEFL dip or masters. The teaching experience has been very helpful to me when teaching undergrads - but unfortunately, teaching experience doesn't seem to be a high priority in recruitment.

Thanks Smilodon! I admit the prospect of earning some money and having something to fall back on during the dreaded (and looming!) post-submission phase is tempting.

I agree that teaching experience isnt a very high priority - but we do seem to need it all. Papers, teaching experience, conference presentationa, collaboration and brilliant ideas of what research to do next. All on top of the thesis!

Good luck, and thanks again

I used it overseas - that's fun if you find yourself with a few months to kill.

I have a TEFL certificate too. It is useful for TEFL jobs but if you are looking for other teaching jobs then just experience is probably better than a cert with no experience. Of course, a TEFL cert will also help you get TEFL teaching experience...

If you are looking for just a few months of TEFL work though it might be a bit expensive especially as in some countries, it is pretty easy to pick up work without it. Not well paid work though.

True - competition for TEFL work in popular places is strong and the better jobs go to experience and sometimes local knowledge/language. Even in the UK, experience overseas is preferred espeically in the better paying schools. So go somewhere hot and cheap to get some experience

tefl is good. I did it as a career for 10 years, with a Dip and Masters on the way, and ended up in teacher training (still do some TT part time). It's one of those things you can do for a few months for a bit of sunshine, money and experience, or stay at it longer and get some quite good jobs.

It's good experience though, especially as more and more UK Uni students are from overseas. Showing you have experience of teaching non-native speakers is a good thing.

Worth doing a course though. Jobs you get without are lower-paid, and you do actually get some good advice on a course, even though it is lightweight. Go for CELTA or Trinity, some countries will only accept these two.

I was thinking of doing this for teaching experience, but the CELTA course is over £1000. Are there any cheaper options?

Not worth it to be honest. Most places will employ someone with a CELTA or Trinity over someone with another qualification. Shame, cos some of the others are just as good in terms of training, they just don't have the reputation.

Are you in the UK? Try a Further Ed college, they can often be cheaper.