Some clips of Flight of the Conchords. "Business Time" and "Jenny" are partcularly great. Two very talented and funny Kiwis!

Sunday, January 27, 2008

i-to-i TEFL - Up to their Old Tricks



Come Into My Parlour Said the Spider to the Fly......

This outfit are cowboys and dangerous to boot. Check out the tales of woe from the Chinese section on the TEFL Blacklist and compare it to the absolute idiocy they claim below. As with Cactus Tefl it's all about selling courses, in the case of i-to-i of less value than parrot droppings. Do NOT be conned by the bullsh*t below. The TEFL schools in China are in dire need of some form of accreditation not the teachers.

You may get lucky and find a decent school. But google the hell out of it first or you could have a very very nasty experience.

Why is it that such outfits as i-to-i who know that TEFL in China can be very dodgy print such rubbish just to make a cheap buck.

Shame on you i-to-i.

EFL teachers avoid them and their rubbish curses (what a freudian slip! I should of course have written courses but curses is more appropriate) like the plague. If you seriously think a weekend course will teach you how to become good teacher then dream on because they are taking you for mugs and making megabucks. They are a total disgrace.

As for the four week tefl course. These cowboys sell loads of weekend courses. Here's what they have to say....

Become a fully qualified TEFL teacher in just 2 days

We've been running Weekend TEFL courses for more than a decade and in the last year alone we have trained more than 4,000 new TEFL teachers. Our courses are accredited by two leading independent organisations and our TEFL certificates are recognised by thousands of language schools worldwide. You can do a Weekend TEFL Course in the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, Ireland and Greece.


Spotlight Asia
Seeing as its Spotlight Asia month we thought we'd give our monthly update a bit of an oriental theme, so you'll find it's packed full of information about one of the world's most popular TEFL destinations - China!
China
If you're looking for the complete cross-cultural experience then you need to consider China. This incredible country boasts a unique and intriguing cultural heritage. It flows through every strand of modern Chinese society, from architecture and fashion to crafts and lifestyle. TEFL teachers will find themselves on a journey of discovery, as they live in the local community and work with the local people.
A few words from China…
I've always wanted to go to China so after spending three years studying history at Hull I decided to reward myself with a well-deserved holiday. I went away for two weeks and I loved every moment of it. When I got back I tried to settle back into life in England but all I could think about was going back - so here I am, three months later, teaching in X'ian!
The city is great, it's so filled with history that I never get bored. I've been to the Terracotta Warriors museum which was great and I even met some of the i-to-i volunteers there! I've done a bit of travelling on weekends too but I'm just as happy to go out walking in the hills. It's really beautiful here - nothing like living in Hull - and I can't get over how green everything is. I'm finally starting to get to grips with the language but I can't say I'm very good. It's given me a lot more respect for my students and I'm a lot more sympathetic now, but I don't think I'll ever be fluent!
The teaching is going really well too. It was a bit scary at first but I soon settled in. It doesn't feel like a job, more like an extended game, which is just what I wanted.
Dawn, 23, Cambridge, UK
Jobs in China
Immerse yourself in one of the world's most fascinating cultures by choosing a teaching opportunity in China! With such a rich cultural history, China offers one of the most incredible travel experiences available and teaching English will give you a unique perspective as you explore the land and work with its people.
Our Paid Teaching Placements have been specially designed to make finding work abroad as stress-free as possible. We'll train you, find you a job and even pick you up from the airport so you remember your first hours in China for all the right reasons. Click here to find out more.
TEFL Abroad courses in Beijing
China's sprawling capital, Beijing is everything you could expect from the world's fastest growing economy; a center of commerce, culture and community which throws up surprises at every street corner. In this incredible setting you could find yourself learning all the skills you need to teach English as a foreign language.

What you'll get:

4-week intensive 120 hour TEFL/TESOL course.
An internationally recognized certification.
At least 8 hours of practical teaching experience in a real TEFL classroom.
And much, much more…
Click here to find out more about our TEFL Abroad courses.


TEFL News
Increasing demand for TEFL certification in China

Demand for TEFL teachers in China is extremely high but with no laws covering the qualifications required to teach English problems have inevitably arisen. Prospective teachers without TEFL qualifications or a thorough grasp of the English language have invaded the market, lowering the standard of teaching and creating a bad reputation for foreign teachers. Demand remains high but employers are becoming increasingly suspicious and it is now vitally important that TEFL teachers searching for jobs in this area of the world make every effort to impress their prospective employers.

Taking a TEFL course with a respected TEFL provider is the first step toward proving your commitment to quality teaching but if you want to avoid the problems entirely you might want to consider one of our Paid Teaching Placements. We work hard to build strong relationships with language schools around the world, so that you can secure a TEFL position with as little stress as possible.

We've developed a four step guide "Your International Career in Four Easy Steps" to show you exactly how to do it. Click here to take a look.


_________________________________________________________

Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain


  1. The Index
  2. Most Recent
  3. Nominate a School for Blacklisting

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

hi
i am planning to do a 120 hour course from i-to-i... I am a bit worried dat mayb this institute is a scam.... i googled through but i have not heard of any scams apart from yours.... cud u pls advice.
Thnx

Anonymous said...

hi
i am planning to do a 120 hour course from i-to-i... I am a bit worried dat mayb this institute is a scam.... i googled through but i have not heard of any scams apart from yours.... cud u pls advice.
Thnx

Anonymous said...

Hey,

I would highly recommend choosing another program! Try a TESOL program. I currently have an i-to-i certification and I believe there are better courses out there. To be honest, if your really looking at becoming a serious teacher I'd get a degree in the field you'd like to teach in. It will open more doors and provide you with better pay. A TEFL/TESOL qualification would be perfect to get you started and you could probably enroll in an online masters certification or what ever you may need. Hope that helps. Do a great deal of research before choosing!