Selecting a TEFL Course

There are quite a few factors in choosing the TEFL or TESOL course that’s right for you. Location, number of hours, accreditation source, and career services are all items important for your entry into this new career.

Fortunately, we have taken care of most of this for you and have the best courses available in each location you might want to study. Here’s an overview of the types of courses we offer and an explanation of the benefits of each.

TEFL/TESOL Courses

These courses are highly-specialized and offer varying hours of training. Each TEFL school is licensed to offer TEFL/TESOL certification in their country of operation and have been inspected and reviewed by their national educational boards and ministries not to mention they passed our stringent standards for inclusion in our program.

Our TEFL/TESOL certifications are recognized worldwide as part of our own licensing program and are backed by the government education board or ministry in every country, in the same way a high school or university diploma is recognized not just in its own country, but also internationally.

Unlike CELTA programs, TEFL/TESOL courses offer training in all areas of teaching English, including children, "young learners", adults, and corporate environments.

Number of hours

In general, you are looking for a 100-hour course. This is the minimum number of hours expected by employers when screening for applicants. This will also ensure that you are not just getting pushed through a course and out the door into a teaching assignment. The optimal number of hours is 120 over a four-week course. This will give you a good basis for understanding the foundations of teaching methodology, grammar, knowledge of local culture, and an adequate number of hours in a real classroom observing and teaching real students.

By the end of a course you should see a marked improvement in your teaching effectiveness and comfort in planning and executing a lesson plan. Taking this time before going into a classroom or interview will boost your confidence and reduce your frustration, making your first foray into this career a smooth one.

Practice Teaching and Observation

Just having a theoretical introduction to teaching methodology and language usage is of course not enough. One needs a practical introduction to teaching, and nothing is more effective than having your own students for several hours to go through the initial learning curve and have the opportunity to put into practice the theories you’ve been learning during your course.

The industry standard is 6-10 hours of practice teaching and observation, so make sure your course has at least that amount. This time is so important in your transition to giving effective EFL lessons as you start your new career.

TEFL Trainer

Your TEFL/TESOL trainer is the person that you’ll be interacting with the most during the course, so you want to make sure they have the skills and experience to guide you through the training and get you started on the right foot. They should have at least a degree in Education or English, and years of experience.

They'll be taking the time to help you out and correct mistakes, so you should be open to critique as you learn the ropes of teaching. Value their input and experience, and it will pay off quickly!

All of our TEFL/TESOL trainers are the top in their field, and have the understanding and caring attitudes necessary for the job. Many have post-graduate degrees in Education or English and extensive experience both teaching EFL and training TEFL students.

CELTA Courses

"Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults" certificates are issued by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), a part of the University of Cambridge. This program is widely recognized for providing a thorough preparation in teaching English to adults.

The CELTA course provides an intensive, academic environment for over four weeks, including observation time, practice teaching in front of real students, and study assignments. At many CELTA training locations additional modules are available to gain additional certification in teaching English to young learners.