ELT World Discussion

[mmcmorrow]

I don't know about you, but there's nothing I love as much on a weekend as a good old-fashioned 'Spot-the-Difference' quiz. So ...

First up, it's the Introduction to TEFL International's course in the former Lying-in Hospital in Waterloo, Central London

"London is an ancient city whose history greets you at every turn. To gain a sense of its continuity, stand on Waterloo Bridge at sunset... To the east, the great globe of St. Paul's Cathedral glows golden in the fading sunlight as it has since the 17th century, still majestic amid the modern towers of glass and steel that hem it in. To the west stand the mock-medieval ramparts of Westminster, home to the "Mother of Parliaments, " which has met here or hereabouts since the 1250s. .. Past them both snakes the swift, dark Thames, following the same course as when it flowed past the Roman settlement of Londinium nearly 2,000 years ago."

Academic course description or mere tourist brochure guff? Ask the hack at Expedia.com (or Fodor's) who wrote the following:

"London is an ancient city whose history greets you at every turn. To gain a sense of its continuity, stand on Waterloo Bridge at the hour of sunset. To the east, the great globe of St. Paul's Cathedral glows golden in the fading sunlight as it has since the 17th century, still majestic amid the towers of glass and steel that hem it in. To the west stand the mock-medieval ramparts of Westminster -- here you'll find the "Mother of Parliaments," which has met here or hereabouts since the 1250s. Past them both snakes the swift, dark Thames, as it flowed past the first Roman settlement here, circa AD 50.

Are they by any chance related?

And do please note the following claim from the same TEFL International page:

"Our school in London is worldwide accredited by the British Council of Schools, and your TEFL certificate will enable you to get a work permit in other countries."

er, what's "the British Council of Schools supposed to mean"? If they really mean the British Council, well, when did they ever accredit schools worldwide? And is "TESL International", "TEFL International" or even London City College (where, apparently, the course is actually run) even accredited by the British Council in the UK? Have a really good look at the following list and see if you can spot any of them there: http://www.britishcouncil.org/accreditation-az-list.htm. I couldn't. And let's not even talk about the work permit claim .... unless they're handing out magic wands down by the Bull Ring these days ...
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[David]

Cheeky buggers! Is this the same TEFL International that we all know and love so dearly?
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[golightly]

Don't diss them or Kalgukshi will lock this thread.
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lak witch mak televizyon

[The Prodigy]

It is outrageous that not-very-nice outfits like that should be allowed to continue and prosper under the Sperling banner.

A real shambles.
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[Jerry]

Fabulous, absolutely fabulous, brilliant.

As Malcom McLaren said about the Sex Pistols " their genius was in their ignorance and self belief, they really thought they were talented"

Good luck to TEFL International, personally I would want the earth to swallow me up.

[David]

The proprietor of TEFL International is a member here and I look forward to his contribution to this ongoing discussion, of which I'm not the instigator and cannot be sued for starting.
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[che1959]

edit!
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[mmcmorrow]

While trainees in many countries have to make do with just the two versions of TEFL International (ie a local commercial company and the online outfit), those based in (or heading towards) India for their training have no less than three TEFL Internationals to consider. And I don't mean the multiplicity of agencies and websites or alternative names that it uses all over the place. No, India has two quite distinct local companies vying for the name as well as the online outfit run variously from Oregon, India, the beach in Thailand and a sub beneath the arctic ice - for all we know.

Anyway, back to India. In the blue corner, there's TFL Training India Private Limited - an organisation with such a streamlined approach, they dispensed with the vowel altogether! This lot work out of the website www.teflindia.com. Unsurprisingly, it's so inaccurate and out-of-date about what TEFL Intl actually offers that you wonder if it's just defunct. It continues to proclaim Wendy Redlinger and Mario Rinvolucri as members of their so-called 'Board', for instance - and a centre in New Zealand that went belly-up last year. But no, the 'apply now' button is bang up to the minute, allowing you to book far into 2009. Trust them to get the money-making bit right! And when I say 'book' a course, I mean, of course, fill in the form with any old nonsense in the confident expectation of being taken on and asked to part with your cash. Funnily enough, there's the old familiar 'non-profit-organisation' label right up there under the logo - nothing about the private company that runs this centre - remember, the one without the 'e'. I guess that must be what is meant by 'oversight'. You have to wonder what's going on with a company that offers 24-hour online response, but can't correct basic errors on its website. If you ask me, if you're going to keep your staff awake at night, at least give them something to do between calls!


Now, let's move over to the blue corner, where we have TEFL Education India Pvt. Ltd, with the website http://www.teflintlindia.org/index.php. Oh, the 'e' is back - is that important? Maybe - just have a good look at that logo too - very familiar, yet gone is the 'non-profit-organisation' and in its place a big fat 'TM' and an ISO number. Its owner, Smita Roy Chowdhury, claims to have registered the trademark in India and to have broken with what she describes as the 'US company' last year (we presume she really means the US not-for-profit). Nowadays, her operation is what she calls an 'independent identity'. Whatever that means. Anyway, she didn't take too kindly to the other lot pushing courses in India using the TEFL International brand, as the footer on this Indian newspaper page makes clear: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080605/jsp/careergraph/story_9363780.jsp .

I'm sure you'll want to join with me in hoping that TEFL and TFL have made up since this little spat. At the very least, let's hope they've come to some kind of custody arrangement over the 'e' - anything else is just not crickt! Who really knows? You'd have to get up real early to keep up with the goings on at TEFL International(s).... everyone, it seems, wants a piece of that not-for-profit action!
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[DaveM]

Looks like you spent a lot of time putting that post together. Have a bone to pick with TEFL International?

I went a school with that name in Ban Phe, Thailand. It was a fun experience and I learned a lot.

[Jerry]

Have you had your cert notarised?

[che1959]

I saw more power to McMorrow, my extensive research backs up everything that he posted. I THINK that the CEO of TEFL International has got some serious issues with control and you can see it by his actions online.

I get a lot of insults against me and heck, everyone of them may be true, but even IF they are, it doesn't change the facts that McMorrow and others have presented. And it doesn't change the fact that I THINK TEFL International is a lying and devious company.

Beware of companies that attack the messenger but not the message that is delivered.

I don't know about the rest of you, but the 4 week TEFL wonder courses were not considered the be all and end all of teaching 10 years ago. It was just a way to get an introduction to teaching. Now, everyone has to have one and having one means you are a qualified teacher. What a crock of marketing bullshit.
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[Jerry]

I could have stayed home and read a book on it. The only thing it did was crack my first time in front of a class ( and I could have done that myself)