Did the WTEFLAC Achieve Anything?

 

WTEFLAC


Although it has not ceased operations, the World TEFL Accrediting Commission played an important role in raising standards of transparency and accountability in the TEFL and TESOL sectors.

The WTEFLAC has closed its doors for the final time. Even so, its legacy lives on in the form of the companies it accredited and the code of conduct which can still be used as a yardstick against which to assess any potential TEFL provider. Going forward, it can still be used for any student looking to make their own decisions.

What the code of conduct contained

The WTEFLAC’s code of conduct contained the following provisions.

Marketing material must be accurate. The accrediting board would review all promotional material to make sure it provided an accurate portrait of the course content.

Courses should meet best practice standards. Students should be given a clear structure to follow and sufficient time to complete all the work. It should contain a significant proportion of peer-to-peer tuition. The company should continually review course content to make sure it evolved with new requirements and offers better value to all students.

Staff should be professionally qualified and have at least three years of experience teaching English as a foreign language. The company should provide ample opportunity for its teachers to develop professionally through further training.

The provider would have to be transparent about expenses with no hidden costs. It should have a clear admissions policy and a commitment to equal opportunities.

How it improved the sector

The WTEFLAC’s primary objective was to provide customers with reliable and trustworthy information. Its accreditation mark provided the confidence that all providers could meet minimum standards of quality. Its website also provided more in-depth information through blogs and guides which could help people understand the TEFL sector and make better decisions about their study options.

It also helped companies to set themselves apart from other disreputable TEFL firms. In a busy marketplace, it can be difficult for honest and legitimate operators to stand out from the crowd. The WTEFLAC mark provided independent corroboration of their marketing materials. As accredited providers grew, being certified by independent organisations became a minimum requirement for most people seeking training providers.

The process of accreditation was also an opportunity for self-improvement. When making an application, the company would have to go through its course content and marketing material and explain how they felt it met the standards written down in the code of conduct. 

It would be an opportunity to audit their business offering and identify opportunities for improvement. Even those companies that met the accreditation standards would have areas they could improve on. This would be a chance to see where they could improve things and provide more value for their students.

Moving forward, the WTEFLAC has now ended its operations, but during its time, it helped to improve access to information in this field and provide anyone looking to start TEFL courses, the tools and resources they needed to achieve their ambitions. 

 

 

 



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