Before you sign-up for TESOL programme, at AVSE-TESOL or elsewhere, you should gather as much pre-course information as you can. Does the provider embrace diversity? Is the course ‘nationally recognised’ training in the country of origin? What’s in the Service Agreement? What’s the enrolment process? What kind of ‘pastoral’ care and support will you receive – and when will it happen? How much time do you have to complete the course – one month, six months, one year? I understand that questions like these are tedious, but they’re important. You need to know the full picture before parting with your hard-earned cash.

At AVSE-TESOL, we’re pretty confident that most key questions have been covered on our website, but we love being challenged. Seriously! Why? We want students to have all the pre-course information that they need to make an informed decision on the suitability of what we offer.

Entry requirements

When gathering pre-course information, you’ll need to look at the entry requirements. Do you ‘tick all the boxes’? Here are the core requirements to join the in-class TESOL course at AVSE-TESOL in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Phnom Penh – or our online TESOL course:

• You must be at least 18 years of age on the day the course starts (unless granted dispensation);
• You must be proficient in all aspects of English;
• You must have completed secondary education to pre-university level (unless granted dispensation);
• You must be able to produce a police/criminal record check from your home country that shows you haven’t been convicted of an offence; and
• You must have a clear understanding of what constitutes professional conduct, punctuality, cultural sensitivity, the ability to get along with others and suchlike.

If it happens that you don’t meet one or more of the core entry requirements for the TESOL course at AVSE, ‘all is not lost’. You should feel free to contact the Managing Director of AVSE, Peter Goudge, to discuss your personal situation. Here is Peter’s email address: peter@avse.edu.vn

Open to all-comers

As much as humanly possible we want our TESOL programmes to be open to allcomers, regardless of their background. Certainly AVSE-TESOL is an ‘equal opportunity’ educational institution and we celebrate diversity. While previous teaching experience and tertiary level qualifications are valuable, it’s noteworthy that neither is a core requirement to enrol in a TESOL course at AVSE. Being a native English speaker is also not a core entry requirement. Interestingly, over the past decade, 92% of our TESOL graduates had zero teaching experience before joining the course at AVSE-TESOL, 34% were non-native English speakers and 42% didn’t hold a university or college degree. Sure, there are occasions when we decline an application. When this occurs, the communication is driven by honesty and is delivered in a sympathetic manner.

Service Agreement

You will find a comprehensive Service Agreement publicly displayed on the AVSE-TESOL website. It’s a ‘treasure trove’ of pre-course information.

By applying to join a TESOL course at AVSE (directly or via an agent), you acknowledge acceptance of the Service Agreement that’s publicly displayed on our website. It’s vital that you read the Service Agreement before locking in your enrolment. Among other things, the AVSE Service Agreement represents a genuine attempt to provide prospective students with important pre-course information – in plain-English. It also provides guidance on course requirements, payments, cancellations, refunds, how to lodge a complaint, privacy matters, job assistance and a range of other issues.

Enrolment 

Enrolling in a TESOL course at AVSE-TESOL, regardless of the location or study mode, is straightforward. Applications are accepted 12 months of the year and it only takes 10 minutes or so to complete the plain-English, online, enrolment form.

You can access an enrolment form for the in-class TESOL course at AVSE by clicking on the burgundy tab above. 

You can access an enrolment form for our online TESOL course by clicking on the burgundy tab above. 

After filling out the enrolment form, follow the instructions to send it by email directly to Peter Goudge, the Course Coordinator at AVSE-TESOL. Peter does his best to contact all applicants within three business days of receiving an enrolment form. After reviewing the enrolment form, Peter will either: 1. offer you a place on your chosen course, 2. invite you to participate in a Zoom discussion, or 3. respectfully decline your application.

If you are accepted to an in-class TESOL course at AVSE-TESOL, you must pay a deposit within seven days (as noted below) to formally reserve your place:

• US $750.00 if you hold a passport other than from the Philippines, Vietnam or Cambodia
• US $340.00 if you hold a passport from the Philippines
• US $200.00 if you hold a passport from Vietnam or Cambodia

If you are accepted to the online TESOL programme at AVSE you have the option of paying a deposit of US $98.00 or the full fee in a single payment, regardless of your passport.

The Course Coordinator will email you immediately after your deposit (or the full sum) is received, confirming that your place is locked in. You will find options to make a secure payment to AVSE-TESOL here.

Pre-course support

In the event you choose to go with an in-class TESOL course at AVSE-TESOL in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Phnom Penh, there will be quite a few tasks that you’ll need to tick-off before departing from your home country. Here is a simple checklist, not in any particular order, that you can add to or subtract from, based on your personal circumstances.