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Archives for April 2019

All The Steps You Need To Get TEFL Certified

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How to become an English as a Foreign Language teacher (EFL), get TEFL certified, and officially start your career teaching abroad (or in your native-English speaking home country) is not difficult. Just follow our step-by-step guide, let us know if you have any follow up questions in the comments section at the end of this post, and you can get started!

Step 1: How Dedicated Are You To This TEFL Decision?

Before you actually start with the process of seriously considering which TEFL certification course is right for you, coordinating a job abroad, and making visa and flight plans, make sure you are 100% in for this TEFL journey. After all, getting TEFL certified, scheduling a flight, and knowing you have enough money to support yourself until your first paycheck takes a lot of time, effort, and money.

If you are not 100% sure that TEFL is the right decision for your gap year or new career – whether temporarily or long term – that is very much OK. You can still use this time to educate yourself on all you need to know about TEFL, so that when you feel ready and are 100% sure, you can dive right in!

Step 2: Do You Meet The Requirements?

In order to get TEFL certified, there are several requirements you need to meet. These are:

  1. Are you at least 18 years old?
  2. Are you a native English speaker or at least fluent in English?
  3. Do you have a college or university degree? (This is not always a requirement, so it is worthwhile to check.)

Pro Tip:

  • If you are a teacher, you still need a TEFL certificate to teach EFL as you need to learn the specific approach and methodology for teaching EFL, which can vary from employer to employer as well from TEFL providers.

Step 3: What Does Being TEFL Certified Mean?

Being TEFL certified is essentially your ticket to teaching English abroad.

You in luck because there is a whole host of organizations out there that are accredited and regulate to get you TEFL certified. Your choices extend to more than just a TEFL provider:

  • an in person (also referred to as on-site), online, or a combination course
  • the location – for in person courses, you can choose to do it in your home country or abroad, and for an online option, well, anywhere is an option J
  • how many course hours you want to commit to (the international standard is at least 100 hours)
  • course add-ons, like teaching young learners, academic English, business English

Step 4: How Do You Shop For A TEFL Course?

There are quite a few factors to take into consideration when you shop for a TEFL course:

  1. Do you want a classroom based, online, or combo course? You also need to examine the pros and cons of each.
  2. Where would you like your TEFL course to be located? This factor doesn’t matter if you opt for an online TEFL program.
  3. Is your TEFL course accredited and regulated?
  4. How much commitment does your TEFL course require? For example, a CELTA or Trinity TESOL requires an intense 4-week commitment.
  5. What is the cost to get TEFL certified?
  6. What is the course load?
  7. Did you check out the independent TEFL course reviews to see what others say?
  8. Does the course help with job placement?

In addition to looking at these factors to make your TEFL course decision, you need to shortlist between 3-5 TEFL programs – choose the best of the best as well as which course best suits your needs and get in touch with them – ask all of your questions, like What’s included? What’s the application process? Any success stories?

Step 5: Make A Decision And Apply

Once you made your decision, you need to apply for the TEFL course – emphasize your educational experiences, how you’ve maybe tried to learn a new language and techniques that helped you, and how this qualification will improve your life and job prospects.

Final thoughts

Now you know what steps to follow to get TEFL certified.

The key takeaways for the step-by-step process for TEFL certification are:

  1. Be 100% dedicated to save you time, money, and effort.
  2. Ensure you meet all the requirements of the TEFL course.
  3. Know what it means to be TEEFL certified.
  4. Shop for a TEFL course.
  5. Decide and apply.

If you are looking for a TEFL course to add to your shortlist, consider this one from iTEFL.

Your Guide To Accredited TEFL Courses & What That Means

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You should only ever consider doing an accredited TEFL course, whether you decide on an on-site (in person), online, or combined course. Why? Read on to learn the reasons your course needs to be accredited and what accreditation of a TEFL course means in detail.

We want to empower you to make the best possible choices when it comes to everything TEFL related, so let’s dive in with today’s topic.

What Does “Accredited TEFL Courses” Mean?

Some courses state that they are “accredited”, while others use the term “regulated”, and some use both. In general, they mean the same thing, but to be specific, “regulated” applies to qualifications (or courses), while “accredited” applies to the providers of the course. As such, a course is better if it is accredited AND regulated.

But you should also check out by whom – which accrediting organization – they are accredited and regulated (more on this a little later).

Why Is An Accredited TEFL Course Important?

Accreditation of a TEFL course is a quality assurance: 

  • You can be assured of the quality of training you’ll receive if your TEFL provider is externally accredited by a recognized educational institution. This means that your course met the standards in the quality of the curriculum offered, the level of instruction, the extent of the training, as well as the inclusion of a practicum (or teaching practice, some of which is usually observed).
  • Your TEFL certification is independently reviewed and recognized experts in the EFL field monitored the program so that quality is maintained.
  • If your course is regulated, then you’ll know that all your hard work in earning a TEFL certificate is recognized by employers around the globe, as reputable schools and employers will not even consider hiring an EFL teacher who does not have an accredited TEFL certification. 

Who Are The Accrediting And Regulatory Institutions?

Here is a list of the most common TEFL accrediting institutions:

What Are The Basic Standards Of An Accredited TEFL Course? 

A TEFL course that is accredited should meet certain standards:

  • 100+ hours of training and coursework
  • Externally validated by an examination body that is reputable; this can be a university, recognized examinations board, the Department/Ministry of Education in a country, or an institution like OFQUAL.
  • At least 6 hours of practicum – real live teaching and observation
  • Course instructors that hold an MA, Dip TEFL/TESOL, or a DELTA – their background should be based in Education with an EFL emphasis, Linguistics, TESOL, or an equivalent, or at least 8 years of teaching EFL in an international context

Related Article: Best TEFL Certification: 3 Things You Need to Know

What To Watch Out For In TEFL Accreditations

If your TEFL course cites it is a member of and/or associated with certain educational bodies, for example, TESOL.org, they may not be accredited, as these bodies don’t accredit TEFL courses.

How Can You Tell Your Course Is Actually Accredited?

Any real accredited TEFL course’s website will have a link to their accrediting institution’s website. Follow the link and see how long the organization has been in existence as well as how many certifications they have accredited. There are some unscrupulous characters out there who creates fake TEFL accrediting organizations.

Other elements to take into consideration to tell if it is a real accrediting organization:

  • Who are the members of the organization?
  • Does the organization have a real, verifiable address?
  • Is the website professional?
  • Do they list their standards, review process, and procedures to accrediting TEFL courses?
  • Plug the URL into Google and see how many sites are linked to it; a reputable organization will have many, many links.

Final thoughts

There you have it. An accredited TEFL course needs to meet certain standard requirements and you need to be on the lookout for any courses that don’t meet these criteria. Furthermore, it is also important to investigate if an accrediting body is, in fact, reputable, especially if it is one you haven’t heard of before or it isn’t one listed above (though this isn’t an exhaustive list, it is a good starting point.)

What Is A TEFL Certification & How To Choose the Best Course

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Are you confused about what is a TEFL certification? This is quite normal given the abundance of information out there, not just on the Internet but also in books and journal articles. And not all the information is reliable.

If you are here, reading this article, you have nothing to fear. You will learn all about what is a TEFL certification and how you can choose the best possible course.

All About TEFL Certification

There are quite a few acronyms that are used almost synonymously with TEFL, which stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language.

The other acronyms and what they stand for are:

  • TESOL – Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
  • TESL – Teaching English as a Second Language

So, a TEFL certification is what is awarded to you once you’ve completed a TEFL/TESOL/TESL training course or program.

What Does a TEFL Certification Entail

When doing your research about what is a TEFL certification, you will find that every TEFL certification course will have different teaching modules or units; however, they do (and should) teach certain TEFL topics as a standard. These include:

  • An introduction to TEFL
  • Lesson planning and structuring your lesson
  • Strategies for classroom management
  • Language skills (grammar, vocabulary, phonology, reading, writing, speaking, and listening) and how to teach these
  • Resources for your teacher toolbox
  • Practice teaching

Other than you learning about all of these topics on how to teach English as a Foreign language, your course will also involve:

  • Lots of reading – you need to read and take in a lot of information and do research for your assignments.
  • Lots of listening – especially with any input sessions with an on-site TEFL course
  • Regular assessment – applicable to both on-site and online TEFL courses
  • Tutor support – your instructor is there for you to answer your questions, give you guidance during lesson planning, and to motivate you.
  • Observed teaching practice – applicable mostly to on-site TEFL courses and combined ones.

Related article: All the Best Online TEFL Certificates You Need to Know About

When Do You Need A TEFL Certification?

Most employers and countries require a person wanting to teach English at their school or institution to have a TEFL certification. Why? So, they know you have been trained in teaching EFL and a TEFL certification may also allow you to get the correct visa you need to work in that country.

What Are The Requirements?

Requirements for a TEFL certification generally includes:

  • Being at least 18 years old (some courses may prefer you to be at least 21)
  • A university degree (this may be a requirement)
  • Native level of English language proficiency

Furthermore, you may need to pass an interview and complete and pass some kind of language awareness task.

What To Take Into Consideration When Choosing the Best TEFL Certification

There are quite a few factors to take into consideration when choose what is the best TEFL certification for you. They most important ones are:

  1. Is the TEFL course accredited or regulated by an international TEFL accreditation organization? (Only courses that are accredited should make it onto your shortlist.)
  2. How many hours of instruction do you receive? (A 100+ hour course is the international standard.)
  3. Do you want to complete an on-site (or in-person) course or an online TEFL course? (There is no right or wrong answer here, and your answer will depend on a few other factors related to how much time you have to do the course, your budget, any financial constraints, and so forth.)
  4. Do you get tutor support while you are doing the TEFL certification course? (This should be a ‘yes’.)
  5. What are the user ratings or independent reviews of the course? (While you can’t believe every review, whether positive or negative, these should be considered when creating a shortlist of TEFL courses you’d like to do).

Does A TEFL Certificate Expire?

No, it doesn’t.

Final thoughts

Choosing the right TEFL certification for you is important if you want to teach English in your home country or abroad. However, you need to base your decision on all the factors discussed in this article (accreditation, hours of instruction, your budget and time availability, tutor support, what you will learn, and independent reviews).

A Guide On How To Teach English As A Second Language

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If you have any questions on how to Teach English as a Second Language (ESL), you are in the right place. We are going to strive to answer all your questions you have on this subject!

Let’s dive right in!

Who Can Teach English As A Second Language?

Virtually anyone can teach ESL. Did you know ± 1 billion people worldwide are learning English, and the demand for native or near-native English-speaking teachers is practically insatiable?

A few tips to keep in mind on this subject:

  • You don’t need a tertiary degree in education to teach ESL.
  • You don’t need to speak any language other than English to teach ESL abroad.
  • You don’t need to have travelled or lived anywhere else as a prerequisite to teach ESL.
  • Not all employers list a college degree as a requirement to gain employment as an ESL teacher.

Research, Research, Research

If you want to live abroad and teach ESL and know how to teach English as a Second Language, you owe it to yourself to conduct as much research as possible. Topics you need to look into include:

  • Where you can teach ESL – the possibilities are essentially endless – and where you want to teach
  • Salary ranges and the cost of living
  • TEFL certification options, requirements, and costs. To start, why don’t you have a look at this article?

If you are looking for an accredited TEFL certification course, consider this one from iTEFL.

  • Holidays and vacation time
  • Accommodation options
  • Employment options – at private or public schools, cram schools, universities, private language institutions, tutor one-or-one, online, or on a volunteer basis  
  • Who you want to teach? Young learners, kindergarteners, teenagers, college students, adults, or business students?

Plan Ahead And Set A Realistic Timeline

Once you’ve decided that ESL is for you and something you want to pursue, you need to start planning and setting a realistic timeline for your how to teach English as a Second Language journey. Hiring cycles and procedures vary the world over and from employer to employer, so plan between three and six months (at a minimum) from the point of completing your TEFL certification and job search to actually leaving home and starting to teach ESL.

Consider Your Start Up Costs

Even though teaching ESL may be a cost-effective way to work and travel, you need to do some financial planning:

  • TEFL certification: For an on-site program, budget anywhere from $1,000 to $2,500, not taking into consideration accommodation and transport if the course isn’t offered close to where you live. You can budget between $500 and $1,000 for an online course.
  • Flight costs to your ESL destination country: This would depend on your departure country and destination, but you can typically budget between $300 and $1,500 for this.
  • Support until payday: Once you arrive in your ESL destination country and start teaching, you won’t get paid on the first day. So, you’d need to financially support yourself until payday. You’d need to factor in accommodation (if housing isn’t provided for), food, transport, and other living costs, which could be as much as $3,000-$4,000.

Final thoughts

As you can see, you can’t just decide you want to teach ESL, hop on a plane, and start teaching right away.

Here are the key takeaways for your how to teach English as a Second Language adventure:

  1. Anyone can teach ESL.
  2. Thoroughly research where you want to teach ESL, to whom you want to teach, accommodation and living costs, salaries, and TEFL certifications.
  3. Plan ahead.
  4. Budget effectively by taking into consideration your TEFL certification costs (plus any accommodation and transports costs), flight costs to your ESL destination, and living costs until your first ESL paycheck.

Have any questions about how to teach English as a Second Language? Please let us know in the comments section below.

What Are The Best TEFL Online Certifications?

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If you’ve searched online for ‘the best TEFL online certifications’, you’d know how many – thousands, actually – of courses there out are. So, do you know which ones are the best?

We’ve got you covered today. We’ll briefly outline how you’d know that the online TEFL certifications on your shortlist are indeed the best and ones you should consider and list five of the best courses out there plus why you can add them to your shortlist.

If you are looking for more information on what TEFL courses should adhere to to make them the best, have a look at our Your Guide To The Best TEFL Certification Programs or Best TEFL Courses: Online vs On-Site articles.  

How To Tell What Are The Best TEFL Online Certifications

There are two main factors to look out for in the best TEFL online certification courses are:

  1. The course needs to be legitimate and accredited.
    • Legitimate means that the course is offered by a recognized language school or university. Private companies also offer legitimate TEFL courses, and you can see whether the program is reputable by looking at online reviews and the “About Us” page on their website.
    • Accredited means that the course has been recognized by a reputable TEFL organization, such as the British Council, the Accreditation Council for TESOL Distance Education Courses (ACTDEC), the International Association of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL), the World TEFL Accrediting Commission (WTEFLAC), the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (OFQUAL), and several others. Here is a guide to TEFL accrediting bodies if you are looking for information.
  2. The course needs to be at least 100 hours, which is the international standard. There are many options out there, with 40- or 60-hour “beginner” and short introduction TEFL programs, but go for one that offers 100+ hours of training.

What Are The Best TEFL Online Certifications?

Here you’d find a list you can happily add to your TEFL certification shortlist if you have not yet decided on a program.

#1 iTEFL

  • Accredited by the International TEFL Organization and affiliated and guaranteed by the University of Cambridge and IATEFL for the ESOL TKT Course
  • Three course options: Basic, Pro, and Premium
    • The Premium option includes a 120-hour TEFL/TESOL certificate, a teach young leaners module, the Cambridge TKT online course, online tutor support and advice, and access to a global daily feed with over 6,000 jobs.
  • $1 trial for 7 days for all three options; the Premium course is less than $299 (at the time of writing)  

#2 i-to-i

  • Accredited by ODLQC and regulated by OFQUAL
  • Two main course options: Level 3 TEFL online courses and Level 5 TEFL online courses
    • Level 5 TEFL courses includes three options: a 180-hour course, a 240-hour course, and a 300-hour TEFL diploma. These are for serious TEFL teachers, while the Level 3 courses are for those who want to learn how to teach EFL while taking a gap year or teaching to travel temporarily.  
  • Prices range from $274 to $479

#3 eEnglish Programs

  • Accredited by the International TEFL Organization
  • Three course options: Training, Advanced, and Master
    • The Training program is for new teachers and includes an accredited 120-hour TEFL/TESOL online training course, access to the Cambridge TKT online course and exam, and online job placement assistance.  
  • $1 trial for 7 days for the Training course; usual price is less than $299 (at the time of writing)  

#4 MYTEFL

  • Accredited by OTTSA
  • Four course options: Basic (40 hours), Standard (60 hours), Advanced (80 hours), and Professional (120 hours)
    • The Professional course includes tutor and tech support, full library access, skills-based units, intensive grammar units, comprehensive phonology, and curriculum development
  • The Professional course is $399 (discounted to $299 at the time of writing)

#5 International Teacher Training Organization (ITTO)

  • Accredited by the Ministry of Education in Mexico and members of The College of Teachers, ACTFL, IATEFL, AMCHA, and IALLT
  • Three course options: Basic (100 hours), Standard (120 hours), and Advanced (140 hours)
    • The Advanced course includes an accredited online TEFL certification with eight units/modules, exclusive ebooks, a job offer program, interactive videos, and personal tutor support and feedback 
  • Price for the Advanced course is $325 (at the time of writing), while the other two courses averages $265

Final thoughts

We’ve only mentioned five of the best TEFL online certification programs, but no matter which ones makes your list, they need to offered from reputable (legitimate) organizations and accredited by an accepted international TEFL body. They also need to offer at least 100 course hours; otherwise, it may not be worth your time or money. 

Have any questions about the best online TEFL certifications and teaching English? Please let us know in the comments section below.