TEFL Certificate Programs in Prague
The purpose of this article is twofold: first, we’ll look at why Prague has become such a popular training ground for TEFL, and second, we’ll note some of the higher quality TEFL certificate programs in Prague.
1. Why are so many TEFL Certificate Programs in Prague?
Besides its aesthetic appeal and its cultural relevance as an emerging “world city,” Prague represents the new Europe, ushered in by the latest EU enlargements and economic growth. Although people once thought of Prague as Eastern European, it’s more accurately described as Central European – functioning like a gateway between east and west. Arguably no former Warsaw Pact city has prospered more since the dissolution of the bloc.
As capitalism began to take hold in places like the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Ukraine, the demand for English teachers grew, with Prague developing into a natural training center for native speakers from the UK and USA who wanted jobs teaching English abroad. In addition to the large numbers of businesspeople who seek to improve their English, an emerging middle class of parents are beginning to supplement their children’s education with private English lessons. Some governments in the above countries have even developed programs wherein TEFL certificate holders are able to apply to teach in government schools.
Prague’s proximity to these growing European nations, its rail and bus connectivity, its superior infrastructure, and its existing popularity as a tourist destination all helped make it an attractive place for TEFL certificate programs to set up shop. Furthermore, because TEFL courses are offered for profit, Prague’s general “sexiness” is a selling point. Prospective teachers get to spend a month (on average) in a lively, happening city – with plenty of nightlife and cultural attractions to close the deal. After all, if you’re going to spend a two thousand dollars on TEFL training, you want to enjoy the environs.
2. What are the best TEFL certificate programs in Prague?
Some TEFL certificate programs in Prague are offered through large companies that have teaching centers in multiple countries, while others are smaller enterprises, with Prague being their only hub of operation. What’s most important is the quality of the curriculum offered and the resources that will be at your disposal as you begin to search for a job after your “graduation.” Look for:
– at least 100 hours of well-rounded training
– student teaching practice
– instructors with extensive TEFL experience and/or advanced degrees in TEFL/TESOL
– a good ratio of tutors/instructors to teacher trainees
– job placement assistance
Here are some of the well-reputed TEFL certificate programs in Prague that offer, at minimum, the above:
Prague Schools, www.tefl.cz. At just over $2000, their all-inclusive package is a great deal for those who want tuition, materials, room, and board all wrapped into one deal. The teachers are highly qualified (trained under the Trinity method), and there is even a staff member responsible for arranging job interviews for graduates of the program.
TEFL Worldwide, www.teflworldwideprague.com. Another one of the select TEFL certificate programs in Prague, this school takes pride its owner-operator setup and its ability to help place its students as teachers all around the globe.
The Language House. www.thelanguagehouse.net. With a stellar placement record throughout Central and Eastern Europe, this program is also very solid. They invite you to contact their former students who are now teaching for testimonials. In fact, the language house even hires some of their own grads!
Bridge-Linguatec. www.bridgelinguatec.com. One of the companies with teacher training centers all over the globe, BL has one of the more stable TEFL certificate programs in Prague, and their size can help, especially when it comes to finding a job outside of Europe.
