Courses conforming to the above criteria and which can give evidence of external scrutiny on a regular basis are the only courses in which you should put your trust.

You can be confident in courses which have been accredited/validated by IATQuO and which are moderated, or monitored, on a regular basis.

An intending teacher should make the following three checks before registering for any TESOL training course:

1. Check the exact address and location of a specific course, with the local telephone number

- Note that an international or national "toll free call” number is almost certainly NOT the day-to-day number of the course site.

2. Contact the Director of Studies, preferably by phone, ask for his name, (his credentials or experience), and ask some simple questions about the course and the location.

3. Contact the quoted accrediting/validating body direct to ascertain their credentials and to discover whether they have in fact validated the centre that interests you. (The quoted accrediting/validating body should have at least a website link, a valid email address, a telephone number and a postal address.)

If any of this information is not available, dubious or inaccurate, warning bells should sound!

It may take a little time, the cost of an international phone call or two, and that should be it. But a few dollars/pounds/euros spent in this way may well prevent a subsequent loss of 2000 or more! There should be absolutely no need to pay any deposit until the above checks have been made.

A further check you can make if you live in the country, or if you have a friend living in the country, is to ask to visit the centre: no trustworthy teacher training centre should refuse access.

Finally, an intending teacher should be aware that some quoted accrediting/validating bodies are not validating bodies but simply associations. It is very simple to become a member by paying a small fee.

Next Page - IATQuO's Role