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Bolivar square in Bogota Colombia

Win a TEFL Course in London or Bogota!

Would you like to win a TEFL course in one of two fantastic worldwide locations?

Cactus TEFL is bringing back our popular Suzanne Furstner Scholarship in January 2016, and this time we are excited to be giving away not one, but two TEFL courses!

Become a qualified English teacher in the vibrant heart of London, or jet off to Colombia’s historic capital to gain your prestigious CELTA qualification – the choice is yours. These are two of the best teacher training courses available and will equip you with the skills and confidence you need to launch a career teaching English.

Scholarship Prizes:

4-week Trinity CertTESOL course in London, UK

4-week Cambridge CELTA course in Bogota, Colombia

Win a TEFL Course – How to Apply:

  • Create a video of 3 minutes maximum on the subject: ‘Why I want to become a teacher’
  • The video can be as creative as you choose, as long as it is relevant to the subject
  • Videos should be posted on YouTube with the following hashtags in the Comments box: #cactustefl #winacourse
  • Check ‘Also share on Google+’ below the Comments box
  • If you prefer to keep your video private, there is an option to select ‘Private’ in the Privacy Settings
  • The link to the video should be sent to info@cactustefl.com with the subject line ‘Suzanne Furstner Scholarship Entry 2016: [your name]’
  • Please specify your preferred course location (London or Bogota)
  • Dates for entry 1st January – 31st March 2016

Winners’ Criteria:

  • The course prizes must be taken in September, October or November 2016
  • The winning videos will be published on the Cactus TEFL website, Cactus blog and social media channels
  • The winners will be required to create a video diary of their course to be published by Cactus.

Suzanne Furstner Scholarship

An annual scholarship that gives aspiring teachers from all the world the chance to win a TEFL course, the Suzanne Furstner Scholarship was set up in 2006 in memory of our much-loved colleague Suzanne. To date, we have sent winners to take CELTA and CertTESOL courses in locations ranging from Spain and Italy to San Franciso and Playa del Carmen.

Remember, entries are accepted from 1st January 2016, so you have plenty of time to start thinking and make your dreams come true in 2016!

Win a TEFL Course: Suzanne Furstner Scholarship 2016

Win a TEFL course in London or South America

Cactus TEFL is delighted to announce that the Suzanne Furstner Scholarship will be back in 2016 – with not just one course, but two courses to be won!

If you have ever dreamed of qualifying to become an English language teacher, this is your chance to win a TEFL course in London or South America. London is our most popular location to take a TEFL course – an exciting city with opportunity everywhere – while South America is exotic and thrilling, and already in the spotlight with the Rio Olympics less than a year away.

Win a TEFL Course: entry requirements

The competition opens in January 2016 and full details will be released shortly, but our sneak preview can tell you this: entrants will need to make a video of 3 minutes maximum to show us why they want to teach English!

An annual scholarship that gives aspiring teachers from all the world the chance to win a TEFL course, the Suzanne Furstner Scholarship was set up in 2006 in memory of our much-loved colleague Suzanne. To date, we have sent winners to take CELTA and CertTESOL courses in locations ranging from Spain and Italy to San Franciso and Playa del Carmen.

Keep posted for more details of the Suzanne Furstner Scholarship 2016!

Cactus TEFL is an admissions and advice service for quality teacher training courses worldwide. Cactus works with well-known course providers to offer CELTA, TESOL, equivalent and online courses in over 90 locations across 36 countries. Cactus TEFL also offers free post-course careers advice and support, as well as access to our very own TEFL jobs board and job alerts.

If you have a language learning or language teaching query that you can’t find the answer to, please get in contact with us either by Facebook or by Twitter, or contact us here.

TEFL Course Abroad: Learn the Language

Taking a TEFL course abroad is a great way to explore a new part of the world and maximise your job opportunities if you wish to teach in the same location

If you are thinking of taking a TEFL course in a non-English speaking country, learning some of the language before you go will make a huge difference to your experience – and make it far less daunting.

Being able to communicate with the locals from the moment you arrive will give you confidence, help you settle in quickly and enable you to really soak up the culture of your host city.

This is especially important if you are planning on teaching in the same city once you have qualified; although you are likely to learn some of the language just by living there, having a good grounding of vocabulary and grammar will make this much easier.

TEFL Course Abroad: How to Learn the Language

An evening language course is an economical and effective way of learning the language before you jet off for your TEFL course abroad.

With courses available in 22 languages and in 17 locations across the UK, there is course for everyone: if you are hoping to take your TEFL course in Prague you can take a Czech evening course, if you have your sights on a TEFL course in Barcelona there are Spanish evening courses at all levels, while those dreaming of qualifying in the beautiful Indian state of Kerala can take a Hindi evening course in London. All courses run for 10 weeks, on start dates throughout the year.

* It’s not too late to book a course starting in January 2016 – to be ready for your TEFL course abroad in 2016! *

Search for your preferred evening course at www.languagecoursesuk.co.uk.

Whatever your plans, Cactus can help you to find the right course for you.

Cactus TEFL is an admissions and advice service for quality teacher training courses worldwide. Cactus works with well-known course providers to offer CELTA, TESOL, equivalent and online courses in over 90 locations across 36 countries. Cactus TEFL also offers free post-course careers advice and support, as well as access to our very own TEFL jobs board and job alerts.

If you have a language learning or language teaching query that you can’t find the answer to, please get in contact with us either by Facebook or by Twitter, or contact us here.

 

CELTA and Trinity: Which TEFL course is for you?

What is the difference between the Cambridge CELTA and Trinity TESOL?

Both the Cambridge CELTA and Trinity TESOL are English language teaching certificates that are accredited and recognised all over the world. As a result there are actually more similarities between the two courses than differences, but we shall look at the finer details of both.

Similarities

–          Both are accredited by highly respected institutions: TESOL by Trinity College London and CELTA by University of Cambridge English Language Assessment (formerly University of Cambridge ESOL)

–          Entry criteria for both includes: being over 18 years of age; having a standard of education equivalent to that required for higher education; a good level of spoken and written English; a good level of language awareness

–          Both include 6 hours of teaching practice with real English language students

–          Both courses comprise 5 units of learning

–          Non-native English language speakers with CAE PASS or IELTS 7.0 can apply to both

–          There is no final exam for either and assessment is continuous throughout the course

–          Both courses have a duration of a minimum 4 weeks

Differences

–          The CELTA must last for a minimum of 120 hours, the TESOL for 130 hours

–          The 5 units of learning for Trinity are:

  1. Teaching skills
  2. Language Awareness
  3. The Learner Profile
  4. Materials Assignment
  5. Unknown Language

–          The 5 units of learning of CELTA are:

  1. Learners and Teachers/Teaching and Learning
  2. Language Analysis and Awareness
  3. Language Skills
  4. Planning and Resources for Different Contexts
  5. Developing Teaching Skills and Professionalism

–         An external moderator will mark unit 4 for the TESOL and the whole course will be moderated by an external assessor for the CELTA.

–          For TESOL the final grades are either pass or fail. For CELTA the final grades are Pass A, Pass B, Pass or Fail.

Which one should I take?

Given the similarities between the two courses and that they carry the same weight in terms of international recognition, the main three deciding factors when choosing between the CELTA and TESOL are:

1. Price

The TESOL generally tends to be a little cheaper than the CELTA, although this is not always the case.

2. Location

When it comes to location, large cities will have centres that offer both the TESOL and the CELTA, but smaller cities may only offer one of the courses. If location is a key factor then this may limit your choice or options.

3. Facilities and reputation of the centre

All TESOL and CELTA centres are externally moderated and inspected, and must adhere to the standards and criteria set out by Trinity and Cambridge. However, not all centres are exactly the same in terms of facilities and reputation, and this is often reflected in the price. If you are looking for specific facilities such as air conditioning throughout, a good on-site café or a maximum group size of 12, then you need to look in detail at the specifics of what each centre offers and this may determine which course you choose to go for.

student and teacher looking smiling at the libraryCactus TEFL is an admissions and advice service for quality teacher training courses worldwide. Cactus works with well-known course providers to offer CELTA, TESOL, equivalent and online courses in over 90 locations across 36 countries. Cactus TEFL also offers free post-course careers advice and support, as well as access to our very own TEFL jobs board and job alerts.