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Best Certification Programs

How Can You Prepare For TEFL Certification Programs?

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It is relatively easy to find a TEFL certification program, sign up for it, and get accepted. But you may wonder if you need to prepare for it and how to do so.

After all, not many people fail a TEFL course, so how hard can it really be, right?  Most of the students who don’t pass are ones who have dropped out.

In general, any TEFL course isn’t neuroscience, but if you want to do well, you have to work hard and apply yourself. That is why we’ve put together this article for you so you can know exactly how to prepare for your TEFL course and to curb any anxiety you may be experiencing.

Related Article: Your Guide To Accredited TEFL Courses & What That Means

Here are 7 tips you need to follow to prepare for your TEFL certification program: 

1. Get Organized

Your organization process would depend on what kind of TEFL certification program you have signed up for:

  • In-person and intensive 4-week course, like the Trinity TESOL and CELTA:

For these types of courses, it is generally advised to not have any other responsibilities, such as school, a family, or a job, as these courses aren’t referred to as intense for nothing. You basically live, eat, breathe, and sleep TEFL for the duration of the course because it really is that intense. So, organizing your life and schedule is essential of you choose one of these TEFL courses. 

  • Full-time in-person, online, or combination TEFL course:

These TEFL courses are generally not so intense as the ones mentioned above and could take between 6 to 12 weeks to complete, meaning you don’t have to organize your schedule as strictly but do some organization so you have enough time complete the course work and not feel pressured.

  • Part-time in-person, online, or combination TEFL program:

You need some organization of your schedule for part-time courses and it is imperative to set weekly goals for yourself. You can more easily balance your life when opting for one of these programs and they are perfect if you aren’t in a big hurry to start your new teaching English as a Foreign Language life and career. Nevertheless, it is still an investment and commitment you made, so completing your part-time TEFL certification program deserves priority.

2. Review English Grammar

Yes, you need to know your grammar and be able to explain it to your students. This is quite an important part of teaching English as a foreign language. However, while many native English speakers know most of the rules of grammar, it isn’t always so easy to explain it simply and logically.

So, reviewing English grammar will benefit you during your TEFL course as you won’t need to worry about learning and understanding it yourself and only focus on how you will teach it.

To help you, check out these 4 online resources:

  1. British Council (English Grammar page)
  2. Dave’s ESL Café
  3. ESL Base
  4. ESL Gold

3. Check Out Pre-Course Materials

Some TEFL certification programs offer pre-course materials you can check out before starting the course. Look these over so you are more familiar with what you will be learning. Just like with reviewing English grammar, looking over the pre-course materials will give you a head start. It will also prepare you for what is coming and put any anxiety to rest.

If your course doesn’t include any pre-course materials, do online research and try to be as prepared as you can be.

4. Supply Run

Think about what supplies you’d need during your TEFL course. Maybe an iPad or laptop to take notes? Maybe you are old school (like me J ) and prefer taking notes with a pen and notebook. A file to keep all your notes, assignments, and lesson plans in also works well.

5. Public Speaking Practice

Teaching involves some public speaking skills and while even thinking about public speaking may want you running for the hills, it isn’t so bad. Be confident – you are, after all, a pro at speaking English!

Before you start your TEFL course, practice making eye contact and projecting your voice. The students at the back should be able to hear you clearly too. But above all, just have fun.

6. Get Excited

While you may be nervous about your upcoming TEFL certification program, you should also be super excited because there are so many options of where to teach English and live after the course (unless you already know where you want to go, but then think of all the traveling, adventures, and learning opportunities that is coming your way!)

7. Relax And Enjoy It

Having a TEFL certificate is important in becoming an EFL teaching, but don’t let that intimidate you. Have fun on the course, learn as much as you can, and put in some work before the course starts!

TEFL Certification Online: 3 Important Things You Need To Know (+ 5 Best Courses For You)

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There are so many TEFL certification online programs being offered by so many providers that it can’t be easy knowing which one to choose, which one is right for you, and which one is worthwhile. In light of this, we’ve put together this guide for you on three important things you need to know about online TEFL courses and recommended five of the best courses you can choose.

Free Or Paid TEFL Certification Online Courses

Nothing is truly ever free in life, and any free TEFL certification online courses should ideally be steered cleared of. And truly free courses will most likely not be accredited and may not meet the international TEFL standards.

However, what you may find is that companies offer a “free” TEFL course, but this is actually sponsored. For example, English First will sponsor your online TEFL course if you apply for a teaching position with them and pass your interview. So, in essence, if you get a job and work for the company, you can do your TEFL online course for “free”.

The only way that I might recommend doing a free course in TEFL is when you don’t plan on using it as your actual TEFL certification but rather as test to see if teaching EFL is for you and to get more background information on teaching English.

Can You Fail Your TEFL Course?

While it is possible to fail a TEFL course (whether an online, combo, and in-person one), it isn’t likely. In fact, more students drop out than those who fail. If you have an undergrad degree and speak English at native level, you can most definitely handle the course load.

How Quickly Can You Get Online TEFL Certified?

Once you are ready, have signed up for a TELF certification online course, and been accepted, you can start immediately. If you take the course part-time, you can finish it in about 11 weeks. If you do the course full-time, you can finish it in three to four weeks.

A Word Of Caution

No matter the TEFL course you choose, whether it is online or in-person (on on-site), take note of whether they offer any observed teaching practice. Most TEFL employers would be interested if you’ve had any teaching practice – teaching real life students in a real classroom setting – as this is an invaluable part of your TEFL training. While you can know all the TEFL theory in the world – teaching techniques and methodologies – it is the practical application of these that makes you are good or great teacher.

So, try to choose TEFL certificate courses that includes this; it can take the form of an add-on or be included in the course and would take place in person, like over a weekend that is reserved for your observed teaching practicum. 

5 Of The Best TEFL Certification Online Courses

Here is a list of the 5 best TEFL certification online course currently on offer:

  1. iTEFL Course – An internationally recognized TEFL course that is offered online and includes a LifeTime Job Club membership, which guarantees course completers with a job placement. There are three-course options available, ranging from the Basic, which includes a 120-hour TEFL/TESOL certificate, and online tutor support and advice to the Pro, which includes everything of the Basic option plus a module on teach young learners and the Cambridge TKT online course.
  2. International TEFL Academy – An accredited 170-hour course that typically takes 11 weeks on a part-time basis with university-level instruction and interactive features in the form of lectures, webinars, and chat.
  3. eEnglish Programs – Also an internationally recognized TEFL online course with the Training option, which is crafted for new teachers and includes a 120-hour TEFL/TESOL certificate, the Cambridge TKT online course and exam, and access to the LifeTime Job Club.
  4. International Teacher Training Organization – An externally accredited TEFL online courses with three options: Basic (100 hours of training that includes interactive videos, exclusive ebooks, and personal tutor support and feedback), Standard (120 hours of training, including everything from the Basic course), and Advanced (140 hours of training, everything from the Basic option, and a jog offer program).
  5. Bridge TEFL – Accredited by the ACCET, this is a 120-hour master TEFL certification online program that offers tutor support, interactive content, TEFL videos, and access to a library full of training resources.

Have any questions about teaching English or TEFL certification online programs? Check out this article for a comparison between online and on-site TEFL courses.

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).