Dont confuse the issue please. Its not that the CELTA or Trinity will guarantee you are a great or even mediocre teacher; its the guarantee that you will not spend money on a poor training program. You are right that there may be many great programs out there; however, the market is NOT regulated like higher education. The British Council is the only government sanctioned body that I know of which recommends these TEFL teacher training programs. Both programs are monitored by their home institutions: Cambridge and Trinity College.

If the TEFL training industry had accreditation bodies, as universities and colleges do, then we wouldnt be having this discussion. Listen, if I had to spend $1,200 to $1,500 of my hard earned cash, then Id like to know that my certificate comes from a program that has a well known positive reputation and is monitored for competence, as the CETLA and Trinity are. Maybe you could create a non-profit board for this? Until then, be careful where you plunk your dinaro.