tefl course what is it like

by Cathy Little MD 6 min read

A TEFL

The TEFL Academy

Teaching English as a foreign language refers to teaching the English language to students with different first languages. TEFL can occur either within the state school system or more privately, at a language school or with a tutor. TEFL can also take place in an English-speaking country for peo…

course covers topics including teaching language skills, grammar, lesson planning and classroom management. A TEFL course will teach you how to: teach English language skills, reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Perhaps one of the biggest aspects of a TEFL course is learning how to plan, structure, and execute a lesson plan. A large portion of the course will be devoted to learning how to sculpt lesson plans according to class size, ability, and language backgrounds.Aug 19, 2020

Full Answer

What did a TEFL course ever do for US?

The main benefit of completing a TEFL course in the USA is that you can learn without simultaneously having to adjust to a new culture. TEFL courses in the USA provide expert guidance and training from native English speakers and will equip you with the skills you need to become a great teacher. A TEFL course in the USA is also cost-effective.

What qualifications do I need to take a TEFL course?

  • An accredited 120 Hour TEFL qualification
  • Ideally a native English speaker
  • Being fluent in English
  • Having a degree helps but isn’t essential
  • A sense of adventure!

How do I choose a TEFL course?

Which TELF course is best for you?

  • Budget. How much are you willing to spend on a course? I definitely overpaid for mine ($600 USD) and there are some that are even more expensive.
  • Location. This is closely linked to your budget decision as where you take your course will greatly affect how much it will cost.
  • Time. How long do you want to be taking the course? ...

How should I prepare for a TEFL course?

Here are some examples of interview questions from our Job Hunter’s Guide:

  • Why do you want to teach?
  • Do you think you could use your previous work experience in TEFL and how?
  • Did you enjoy your TEFL training course? Why?
  • What were the key things you learned from it?
  • Why are you applying for this job?
  • Have you ever lived abroad?

What is a TEFL course like?

A TEFL course covers topics including teaching language skills, grammar, lesson planning and classroom management. A TEFL course will teach you how to: Teach English Language Skills. Teach the five major elements of language learning: reading, writing, speaking, listening and pronunciation.

Is TEFL difficult?

It is very rare for any student to fail an International TEFL Academy TEFL Certification course. International TEFL Academy has a passing rate of over 90% (one of the highest passing rates of any TEFL school worldwide).

Is it worth it to get TEFL certified?

Is TEFL Certification worth it? Yes. If you want to get a good teaching job and be an effective teacher for your students, then it is definitely worth it. Remember, most schools worldwide require a TEFL certification; and once you're certified you can the ball rolling on applying and interviewing for jobs.

How many hours should a TEFL course be?

120 hoursGenerally 120 hours minimum is the most common requirement, but some countries only require 100 hours or have no preference at all. Most employers prefer to hire English teachers with an internationally recognized TEFL certification from a 100-120-hour course.

Can you fail TEFL course?

It is possible to fail a TEFL course. If you have a degree already and are a native English speaker, you will absolutely be able to handle the course load.

How long is 120 hour TEFL course?

About four weeksHow long does it take to complete a 120-hour TEFL course? About four weeks. However, that will depend on whether you're taking a self-paced course online, or a structured on-site course.

Can you get a job with just a TEFL certificate?

In many countries, having a TEFL certificate and being a native-English speaker are enough to get a job teaching English abroad, no degree required. You do not need professional teaching experience, a teaching license, a degree in education or even a college degree to teach English abroad.

How much do TEFL teachers get paid?

The pay to teach English abroad varies, but you can expect to earn a decent salary. In top-paying countries, teachers can get paid a salary of anywhere from $2,000 to over $5,000 USD per month. Your TEFL salary will depend on your position, qualifications and the country you teach in.

Is it easy to find TEFL jobs?

Whilst finding the right job is never 'easy', language teaching overseas (particularly in Asia) is one area that there are more jobs than teachers. It's perfect for escaping the current economic climate in Europe and North America.

Can I finish TEFL in a week?

Typically, a fully accredited TEFL certification course will last anywhere from 4 weeks to 6 months. Shorter, 4-week long courses will generally run full-time (30-40 hours per week) and are very demanding.

Which TEFL course is best?

Best TEFL Certification Programs of 2022Best Overall: International TEFL Academy.Best Online Program: Premier TEFL.Best Budget-Friendly Option: ITT.Best for Student Support: TEFL Org.Best Hybrid Program: ITTT.Best for Specializations: Teach Away.Best for Overseas Job Placement: TEFLPros.Best for Online Teaching: i-to-i.

Does TEFL certification expire?

Not only does a TEFL certification not expire, it's also accepted worldwide.

What is a TEFL certification?

A TEFL (English as a Foreign Language) certification is the globally accepted qualification to teach English abroad to students (both children and adults) whose first language isn't English. A TEFL is what most hiring schools are looking for on a teach abroad application.

How long does it take to complete a TEFL course?

While many learners complete their TEFL course in as little as three weeks, the average duration hovers in or around 6–12 weeks for all of our Teach Away TEFL courses.

How many hours of TEFL online?

The TEFL course from the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) comes in three customizable course options, which range from 100–150 hours of online study. Teachers in the 120- and 150-hour OISE TEFL courses can customize their course with specializations like Teaching English to Young Learners and Teaching English to Arabic Speakers.

How much does a TEFL course cost on Groupon?

A single Google search reveals hundreds of results for different TEFL courses, including courses listed on Groupon for as little as $49.

What does TEFL stand for?

TEFL is a four-letter acronym, short for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. You’ve probably seen TEFL pop up a time or two when researching teaching abroad, along with other popular in-person and online ESL certifications like TESL, TESOL and CELTA.

How many hours do you need to teach abroad?

Regardless of which option you choose, you’ll want to look for an online or onsite TEFL course that is a minimum of 100 hours.

How much does it cost to teach English abroad?

That really depends where you want to teach abroad. In Europe, most English teaching jobs for TEFL graduates can be as high as $1,950 USD a month, depending on the country as well as how many hours you teach in a given week.

What is a TEFL certification?

A TEFL certification is the globally recognized qualification you need to teach English abroad or online to non-native English speakers. A TEFL certificate is your key to getting hired by English language schools online and around the world.

How many hours of practicum for TEFL?

At least 6-20 hours of practicum (live practice teaching and observation with actual non-native English speakers and NOT role-playing with fellow TEFL classmates);

What is the certification required to teach English as a foreign language?

To teach English as a Foreign Language in a foreign country (that is, a non-native English-speaking country), a TEFL certification is typically required, since schools and language institutes want to hire teachers who have received proper training.

How to teach English as a foreign language?

To Teach English as a Foreign Language in a foreign country (non-native English speaking country), a TEFL Certification is typically required as schools and language institutes want to hire teachers who have received proper training. You don't need to possess a degree in education, prior teaching experience, or even a college degree to get paid to teach English abroad. Private language schools abroad, online teaching companies and government programs that recruit native English speakers to teach abroad all seek to hire people who have received a certain degree of professional level training.

Why is accreditation important for TEFL?

Knowing that a legitimate external body monitors your training, and makes sure that the educational standards outlined above are maintained in your TEFL course, gives you the confidence that you are receiving a stellar education.

What is a Tesol degree?

On a more technical level, TESOL is the term applied to the teaching of English to non-native speakers in native English-speaking countries. It refers to those who will earn degrees and work in the field domestically in the UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and the U.S.

How long is the ITA online certificate?

To enhance their online teaching skills and make themselves more marketable for teaching English online, ITA students and alumni have the opportunity to enroll in an optional ESL teaching certificate: ITA's exclusive 30-Hour Teaching English Online Specialty Course.

What is TEFL certification?

TEFL certification refers to a qualification specifically for teaching English – abroad or online – to English language learners.

What to look for when choosing a TEFL course?

The most important thing to look out for when choosing a TEFL course is accreditation, which ensures a course has undergone quality control by an external body. There is no over-arching accrediting body for TEFL courses, which means providers can hold accreditation from a wide range of bodies.

How many hours do you need to be a teacher to teach English?

These days the requirements are a bit more strict, with the vast majority of employers requiring teachers to hold a 120-hour TEFL qualification.

Why are TEFL courses worth it? Give me more details and examples!

Cheap: Compared to getting a degree or diploma, a TEFL course is cheap. You can even do it online from your kitchen at home! It takes around three months and costs between $400-600. The in person classes, which are more expensive, are worth it in the end for the face to face teaching and practicum.

Are you required to do a TEFL course to teach English abroad?

Schools abroad require teachers to have a 120 hour TEFL certificate at the minimum. To get this certification, you must complete a TEFL course either online or in person.

I have not been to school in a long time, and I am scared to go back

There is no need to be scared. Everybody that attends are adults, all with the same goals as you, to begin helping others improve their language skills and travel.

Which TEFL course is best to teach English abroad?

Any accredited TEFL course over 120 hours will give you the certification required by schools abroad. Stick to the well known TEFL companies and avoid the cheap $20 courses you come across posted online, they’re usually fake, and schools will reject them.

Final Thoughts

Stop wasting time asking yourself are TEFL courses worth it, and just get in touch with a TEFL expert and ask them all the questions you can think of and begin your journey as soon as possible!

What is a TEFL diploma?

In TEFL, a Diploma is a qualification for people with at least two or three years of relevant job experience and usually an initial teaching qualification. A Diploma such as the Trinity DipTESOL or the Cambridge DELTA can get you credit for an MA in TESOL, TEFL, ELT or Applied Linguistics.

How long is a TEFL certificate?

A standard length for a TEFL certificate course is 100 to 120 hours of (usually face-to-face) training with six to eight hours of observed and graded teaching practice. If a school asks for teachers with a TEFL certificate or “CELTA or equivalent”, that is what they are expecting.

Is TEFL good for teaching abroad?

Yes there are bad courses out there but also many great ones, this is nothing more than someone writing a contrary title to a blog to grab traffic.

Can you teach TEFL in one country?

However good the training that you get on a course, if it is only offered by that one school you will spend the rest of your TEFL career having your qualification questioned or ignored. Some course providers might be well known locally, but few people only teach in one country or area for more than a couple of years.

Is a four week course worthless?

As well as a weekend or purely online course being almost worthless, schools which mainly offer these qualifications but also have a (less popular) four-week face-to-face course are usually to be avoided. 4. Entry requirements. In general the more difficult it is to get on a course, the better the course is.

Can a certificate be used to show teaching ability?

Such a certificate cannot, however, be used to show your teaching ability or knowledge, because none of that is tested on that kind of course. The same is true for courses who do demand written work from you, but in which everyone who sends it in passes.

Should I avoid TEFL?

By “reasons to avoid a TEFL course”, I most certainly don’t mean to avoid all TEFL training. Any training is better than none, and there are well-known and well-respected courses such as the Cambridge CELTA and Trinity CertTESOL that are available and recognised all over the world. There are, however, plenty of courses that you probably should avoid, especially if you also have the option of taking a more respected one (and most people do).

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