Hello! I am planning on beginning my TEFL certification journey and I am wondering if level 3 or 5 is required in Japan? I know obviously Level 5 is better, but is it required to be a ALT or work at an English Language school?
Everything I’ve seen about TEFL is if you just need it to fill a requirement, they’re all the same in that regard.
If you are trying to get it for experience or to have any real benefit, try to find one with active in-person instruction. I say this as someone doing premiertefl 120hr course, it’s basically all bullshit. If you really wanted you could finish in half a day. I’m trying to at least learn something though.
It’s not required at all
No TEFL certification is *required* for any language teaching in Japan. Some organizations, I think, will select someone with TEFL certification over someone without, all other things being equal, but in my experience all other things never are equal.
One thing – TEFL is tough . I got level 5 and it kicked my ass. Second thing – there’s no reason at all for anyone NOT to have one because they’re so cheap. Except for the fact you could quite possibly fail it
Final thing – it massively opened doors for me, even with over 10 years reaching experience in Japan already under my belt. AND it is recognised as a legitimate teaching qualification in the UK, on par with a 2 year diploma, not quite a PGCE but you can still teach in classrooms in public schools , just for a lower wage than an actual teacher. Mind blown. Got mine recently and never knew any of this . Thought it was a crappy nothing certificate, as people without one will definitely tell you
Hi, most of the job adverts I have seen just ask for a TEFL, so a level 3 should be enough. Nevertheless, I did see a few ads asking for a level 5, but it was a smaller percentage.
5 comments
Everything I’ve seen about TEFL is if you just need it to fill a requirement, they’re all the same in that regard.
If you are trying to get it for experience or to have any real benefit, try to find one with active in-person instruction. I say this as someone doing premiertefl 120hr course, it’s basically all bullshit. If you really wanted you could finish in half a day. I’m trying to at least learn something though.
It’s not required at all
No TEFL certification is *required* for any language teaching in Japan. Some organizations, I think, will select someone with TEFL certification over someone without, all other things being equal, but in my experience all other things never are equal.
One thing – TEFL is tough . I got level 5 and it kicked my ass.
Second thing – there’s no reason at all for anyone NOT to have one because they’re so cheap. Except for the fact you could quite possibly fail it
Final thing – it massively opened doors for me, even with over 10 years reaching experience in Japan already under my belt. AND it is recognised as a legitimate teaching qualification in the UK, on par with a 2 year diploma, not quite a PGCE but you can still teach in classrooms in public schools , just for a lower wage than an actual teacher.
Mind blown. Got mine recently and never knew any of this . Thought it was a crappy nothing certificate, as people without one will definitely tell you
Hi, most of the job adverts I have seen just ask for a TEFL, so a level 3 should be enough. Nevertheless, I did see a few ads asking for a level 5, but it was a smaller percentage.