Didn’t get many suggestions for my list of typical confusions for TEFL teachers and trainees, but maybe I’ll get a bit more feedback on my own confusions as I attempted to clear them up:
Especially useful for those about to start a TEFL training course, I hope – including Diplomas.
TEFLtastic 
I missed the original request. And yes, in the US, TESOL is the umbrella term for TEFL and TESL. TESOL is not synonymous with TESL here. (So confusing. :/) ELT is hardly used. I wish we could agree on something! In the meantime, a list like that is useful.
I’m shocked to read the description of MATESOLs as hardly ever having observed teaching practice. Every American MATESOL I’m familiar with includes a practicum with observation, and often there’s quite a lot of teaching. In fact, I’d consider that a minimum requirement for choosing a program.
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One comment: Many teachers believe that a 6.5 in IELTS in no way equates to ‘passing the CAE’ and that at least an overall 7 is required. I don’t know where this ‘equivalence’ came from.
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I’ve met, interviewed, trained and observed plenty of Americans who did pre-experience MAs in TESOL with no observed teaching practice, but this was nearly ten years ago. If that has changed, that might explain the huge drop in the number of US universities offering the CELTA, which looked like it might be the next big thing for a while.
In the UK, most MAs in TEFL (until recently) are for people with plenty of experience and perhaps for that reason also don’t have observed teaching practice.
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Hi sjm
I don’t actually say that they are equivalent, though it perhaps could do with a bit more explanation. Perhaps I should say “Students in an Advanced class should be able to get IELTS 6.5 or study for the Cambridge CAE”
On a related point, plenty of universities do ask for CAE or IELTS 6.5 and so treat them as equivalent, although that could be because they think IELTS tests the relevant academic skills more rigorously, perhaps.
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If you pass the CAE you should be around an ielts 7. I have worked with many ielts 6.5s who struggle to pass FCE. My point is that there is a perception of equivalence that doesn’t bear out.
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