ESL Jobs Forum

[Dragonbreath]

The link in this post has been moderated UJ

I already have ESL certification which along with my bachelor degree got me a decent teaching job in Shanghai. But then one day I got a call out of nowhere from a "Mrs. Chen" who claimed to work for SAFEA, the China government agency that regulated foreign workers in China. The caller ID showed "private".

Anyway, she tells me that she reviewed my file and saw that "you have no TEFL certificate and need to get one if you want to keep teaching in China." I had no reason not to believe her since China has been adding more and more requirements to eliminate the hundreds of fake teachers working in the country. She suggested that I could save money and time by taking an online course and told me to call Linda in the U.K. to enroll "before your visa expires". So I called the number and ended up speaking with a high-pressure sales rep who wanted me to pay $999 for an online 120 hour TEFL course. Even though I said "no thanks" (since I figured I could find a cheaper course elsewhere) Linda called me back three times in one week and finally offered me the same course for $299.

I actually would have taken the deal but I had some questions about my health certificate and when I called the SAFEA office in Beijing where Mrs. Chen said she worked, I discovered there was "No Mrs. Chen in this office" and the only two people in that office that spoke English said they do not call teachers and make referral to any company!!!

Well this morning, my GF sent me this link and I think every ESL & TEFL teacher needs to be warned about these really clever sharks l

https://eslwatch.info/en/eslwatch-forum/search-topics.html?query=Fake%20TESOL%20certificates&childforums=1

I took their bait, hook, line, and sinker, and if not for my health certificate issue, I never would have learned the truth. Now I do not trust any online course and will just take one when I have time at Beijing Normal University for 500 rmb (About $150). By the way, the real lady at SAFEA "Crystal" says TEFL certificates are not yet required to teach in China in 2018, but they may be required by 2020. But i figure I will take the course anyway since it is so cheap in China and will look good on my resume.