Why WTEFLAC was Important?
Throughout its lifetime, the WTEFLAC helped to raise standards and improve transparency among TEFL providers. That would will have to go on.
The closure of the World TEFL Accrediting Commission brought to an end its work to build trust and transparency within the sector, but that doesn’t mean this work is no longer important. As demand for TEFL places continues to soar, and new providers enter the market, customers have a right to know if their money will be well spent.
A rising market
Interest in teaching English as a language is continuing to rise. In the aftermath of COVID-19 many people are looking for new ways to make money. Some are looking for ways to finance overseas travel. Whatever the motivation, the chance to gain an internationally recognised qualification that could help them live and work anywhere in the world is appealing.
A quick look on the internet reveals a host of providers offering the chance to carry out those studies. However, behind the nice websites lies a world in which quality can be variable and in which not all providers deliver the high-quality service they promise.
The WTEFLAC noticed this problem and believed the market needed structure. Having an accrediting organization would provide customers with the reassurance they need that any provider they look at meets a minimum standard of quality and performance.
The accreditation process
The organization therefore sat down and decided which factors would constitute a good and reliable provider. Courses would vary in length and format. Some would be delivered in person while others would be provided online. However, they would all need to deliver a clear line of progression and give students the knowledge they needed to advance their careers in whatever way they wanted.
Marketing material would have to be open, transparent and reliable. It would have to provide a realistic representation of the course and its content. Many unaccredited courses make bold promises that are not carried through with their marketing material. Being able to trust what you read is crucial for any customer.
The staff should be highly trained, and qualified. Ideally, they should have extensive experience of teaching English as a foreign language so they can understand what life will be like for students on a day-to-day basis.
Finally, the company would need to have an acceptable company structure. This would mean being open and honest about all costs up front and having a clear commitment to equal opportunities. New staff should be given training and extensive opportunities for further ongoing development within the company.
The WTEFLAC drew all this up into a code of conduct which would lay the foundations for any decisions they made. It created an industry benchmark which would ensure any company it accredited would offer full value for money to its customers.
With the number of online TEFL providers continuing to rise, having a clear framework in place to assess and monitor companies and ensure customers are not being short changed.