150 hour TEFL Certificate for Teaching in Southeast Asia or other countries

[Voldigoad]

Hello everyone,
I hope this is the correct forum category to ask this: I am looking to earn a 150 hour TEFL Certificate, which is often required in Southeast Asia or other countries, if you want to teach English and/or part of a requirement to get a Visa.
My current reasearch of available TEFL/TESOL programs has lead me to private institutions, which claim to have various accreditations like World TESOL Academy, TEFL/TESOL Certification, TheTEFLAcademy, or (the probably most accredited option) a Coursera TESOL Certificate from Arizona State University. Now, before I enroll in any of these providers I have a question:
It is my understanding that these sort of 120/150 hour TEFL/TESOL Certifications really don't have a norm and it mostly comes down to the accrediting institution. I recently finished my university studies to become a Foreign Language Teacher (English/Spanish) in Germany, but won't be a teacher officially until I complete the 2 years of practical vocational training. 

In my Bachelor's Degree Certificate it says:
[...] has completed all achievements required for the Teaching Secondary Education (Gymnasium) with the subject combination  English / Spanish in accordance with the Bachelor's degree programmе and examination regulations and with the grade x.

So, we do get a B.A. during our studies and there is a mention of focus on Teaching in the degree certificate.
Would that already be sufficient?

If not, could I ask my university to issue a statement like the following?

This is to certify that [Name] has completed 10 ECTS of TEFL-specific coursework, which is equivalent to 300 hours of academic and practical training in Teaching English as a Foreign Language.

During my university studies I acquired 10 ECTS (equivalent to 300 hours) of TEFL related coursework. This also shows in my Transcript of Records. Since there doesn't seem to be a specific norm for those 120h/150h TEFL Certificate, am I wrong to assume that I could just ask my university if they can issue such confirmation? I'd imagine that a university issued confirmation may be even as good (if not better) than one from a random TEFL/TESOL private teaching institute. 

Can anyone share their experience on this?

Thanks in advance!

[EliEverIsAHero]

I've applied in this job market quite frequently, and it's usually just assumed that your TEFL/TESOL certificate will be non-credit-bearing. Having a formal degree in Education can help, but a quick glance at the tefl.com job boards will show you that a TEFL/TESOL certificate (or CELTA for some roles) is usually required.

That said, 120/150 is the gold standard. You used to be able to manage with a 70-hour or 100-hour certificate, but those days are long gone.

If you want to teach adults rather than children, or in some well-paying countries that have stringent requirements (I know you mentioned SE Asia, but if you ever want to work as an ESL teacher in the MENA or Central Asia region/s) it would behoove you greatly to have a CELTA certificate as well as your basic TEFL/TESOL.

[Voldigoad]

Thank you very much for sharing your experience! Meanwhile, I have also reached out to my German public university to see if they can issue me a document stating 150h of TEFL-related coursework. While they are no reckognized TEFL provider, similar to ASU, I'd assume that a certificate from a public German university would sometimes still hold some value, even without it being accredited by CPD or other accreditation bodies. I'll see what they reply next week.

I might still try to get a 120/150h TESOL/TEFL certificate from World TESOL Academy, as the 120h one is relatively affordable (36$) and they come with some guarantees like:
️ Issued by a registered learning provider in the UK.
️ Guaranteed to pass through FCO government authentication.
️ Guaranteed to pass authentication for China & Vietnam visa processes.
️ Guaranteed to be accepted by all major online teaching companies.

That said, I'm also considering the free 120h Cert from TeacherRecord, which seem to be favourably mentioned on Reddit subforums and seem to cooperate with various companies in Asia. It's free, so can't hurt to try.

Regarding CELTA, that's something I'd pursure if I actually encounter a scenario where I need it specifically. As for Vietnam, I've seen various job offers requiring only a bachelor's (which I have) and a TESOL/TEFL 120h certificate. That said, I understand CELTA is the "gold standard" and at some point I may take it. World TESOL Academy markets their 200h course as CELTA equivalent because it has the same RQF level (5) attached to it in the UK, however, I'd imagine it's not really the same.

[Voldigoad]

Update: The University agreed to issue me a TEFL certificate, so I'll just hold onto that one. The accrediting body being a public university in Germany certainly should be just as good if not better than some of the cheaper TEFL certs.

[EliEverIsAHero]

Update: The University agreed to issue me a TEFL certificate, so I'll just hold onto that one. The accrediting body being a public university in Germany certainly should be just as good if not better than some of the cheaper TEFL certs.

Congratulations on your TEFL certification!

[Voldigoad]

Update: The University agreed to issue me a TEFL certificate, so I'll just hold onto that one. The accrediting body being a public university in Germany certainly should be just as good if not better than some of the cheaper TEFL certs.

Congratulations on your TEFL certification!

Thanks! Today before my oral state examination in English, I have talked to one of my former university teachers about teaching abroad with TEFL and about the certification the university gave me. He said that I probably won't even need the certification, because my Bachelor's degree is already in Teaching English and Spanish and once I'm a fully fledged teacher that'll also be enoguh. That said, he agreed that some companies/countries want to see the certificate for visa/immigration so it's good to have it. He himself has a CELTA, is from Wales and teaches at a German university.