TEFL Certification in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Duration: One month – February 2014
Cost: $900 USD; after paying in full, I learned that this price was negotiable. (Facepalm.)
Experience: Extensive classroom experience; daily peer reviews; day trips to teach at local schools and with varying age groups. CMU students can apply for free English lessons through the English Dept. and these students are the ones you will teach and get to know during the month-long course.
Pros for the CMU Program
Real Teaching Experience – I had done presentations in front of a classroom before, but had never been in a teaching role. I learned invaluable information through this course in terms of classroom control, effective teaching methods and identifying my strengths and weaknesses through constant reviews. Each day we taught in front of a class of university students as well as in front of our peers and in front of a panel of professors.
Networking – When I left the program, I had discussed my desire to travel with the professors I had worked with during my month at CMU. When leaving they told me to keep in touch and wherever I landed, whether it be in Istanbul or Jakarta, they would reach out to their friends and colleagues and find a position for me. This team of professional, friendly, experienced and encouraging teachers was another indisputably valuable takeaway for my participation in this program.
Fantastic, Welcoming Facilities – The TEFL Program is (obviously) located in the English Language department of CMU. The spacious common area and cafe there allows for a comfortable atmosphere for both learning and teaching. In these shared spaces, my peers and I got to know CMU students better and through these connections we were asked to be private tutors. After the course was over, a good friend of mine and I were private tutors for some of these students, which helped us refine our teaching practices as well as make a bit of money.
Con for the CMU Program
Cost. As I mentioned, it was expensive. When rent for a month costs a quarter of the price of this program, you want to make sure it’s worth it. Currently, their online price for the program is now listed on the university’s TEFL website at $1,400 USD, which is outrageous. If you email the director and politely negotiate, you should be able to bring it down to almost half of that price, if not more.
For further information about the program, check out the CMU TEFL Website.
