?????????

Thank you all so much, I think you have tipped me over the edge ;-)

You also need to take into account whether or not you have a degree.  If yes, then it's probably worth taking a higher certificate if you are sure enough about teaching as a career choice that you would spend so much money and time investing in it.  If you just want to do it for a couple of years or so, then a degree plus and i-to-i certificate will probably get you into most countries.  Then if you find it suits you, you could do CELTA later?  I only suggest this as the TEFL life isn't for everyone and I have actually met some teachers who just couldn't handle it!  I love it myself.

If you haven't got a degree, then your choice of countries is going to be limited by that, and you should then think carefully about whether or not the commitment to Celta/Delta is worth it.

I don't think they promise you a job at the end.  I've never done an internship but - someone correct me if I'm wrong - they are something you apply for, through i-to-i but to a different company/academy/school or whatever.  Therefore i-to-i cannot guarantee you being accepted, although it seems that most people are.  There are many other companies who do promise a job at the end, for an increased price and usually not for a very long time.  You have to choose exactly what you want.

In my experience: I haven't got a degree or even an A-level, but I have got some vocational qualifications and a 120 hour TEFL certificate.  I worked for a year in Ecuador and am now working in Spain, for nearly a year now, just on the strength of that certificate.  I got the Ecuador job with no trouble at all, although I had applied for work in other countries at the same time but the lack of degree and experience meant that I just couldn't compete in Europe at that time.  I haven't applied to any Asian countries as you need a degree for most of them.

Hey! 

Basically it depends on where you want to go and how much of a carear you want to make out of teaching. -to- should secure you an entry level job in Thailand. It could be argued that you could get that job without the TEFL course but it will open up more options and help you feel more confident and be able to give your students a better deal. However if you want to move up in the world of teaching you might find yourself in need of a DELTA or equivalent. For this you need a CELTA or equivalent plus so many years of experience once you have earnt that. 

Basically it is your call! You can always do the CELTA at a later date if you need it but of course the experience you get before you do it doesn't count towards your DELTA if you need to do that. If you are just looking for a quiet teaching job though you probably don't need to worry too much about it.

Hi Robert,
You may notice my welcome message too so please forgive me if I sound like I'm repeating myself.

i-to-i courses are internationally recognized, most of our graduates go on to secure international teaching positions. Some use TEFL to better their career and some decide to use their qualification in the future.

It's understandable you'll want to gather as much information as possible so I'd advise chatting to people on Chalkboard who have completed our course and secured teaching work.

I'd also recommend searching for jobs you are interested in and note the requirements needed.
We have a free e-book called TEFL Uncovered; it contains a review of the different courses available as well as step by step guidance which will help.

You can access it here:
http://www.onlinetefl.com/contact-tefl-team/tefl-ebook.html?source=chalkboard

If you'd like to know a little more about us as a company and our accreditation then please feel free to take a look at this page:
http://www.onlinetefl.com/about-itoi-tefl/?source=chalkboard

I hope this helps but please let me know if you have any further questions and I would be happy to give you some more information or arrange a call with one of our TEFL advisors.

Thanks Robert and hope to speak with you soon.