what does a tefl course teach

by Furman Friesen PhD 8 min read

What do you learn in a TEFL course?

  • Teach English Language Skills. Teach the five major elements of language learning: reading, writing, speaking, listening and pronunciation.
  • Simplify English Grammar. Simplify complex English grammar concepts for ELLs (English Language Learners).
  • Plan Lessons. ...
  • Manage a Classroom. ...
  • Identify Learning Styles. ...
  • Build Effective Learning Materials. ...

A TEFL course teaches you a range of topics. This includes how to teach language skills, how to plan a lesson, how to identify different learning styles, classroom management strategies, and how to build effective learning materials.Dec 15, 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 taught on a TEFL course?

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.

What does a TEFL allow you to do?

TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language, and a certificate in TEFL is, simply put, a qualification that enables you to do just this – Teach English as a Foreign Language. In other words, it enables you to teach English to people whose first language is not English.

What is a TEFL class like?

Generally, each lesson you teach should focus on teaching a combination of these language skills (for example, you may teach a pronunciation lesson using listening activities, or a grammar lesson using a reading/writing activity), and an online TEFL course will teach you both how to do so and what each means.

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).

Do TEFL jobs pay well?

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 getting a TEFL certificate worth it?

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.

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 long does it take to be TEFL certified?

4 weeks to 6 monthsTypically, 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.

How long does a TEFL certificate last?

TEFL qualifications are valid for life; they do not expire. We'd recommend using your TEFL certificate within two years of course completion as it may throw up some questions during interviews why you have not used it since completing your course.

Can you fail TEFL?

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.

What is the pass mark for TEFL course?

In order to pass the course you must complete all assignments and teaching practice sessions with a satisfactory grade. 90% attendance on the course is also required, which means you can miss up to two days if you are feeling under the weather, for example.

What is the highest TEFL qualification?

The highest of all of the TEFL qualification levels, a DELTA is equivalent to a master's degree. As you can imagine, this is definitely not your average TEFL course! Of all the different TEFL levels, a Level 7 course is best if you're looking to open your own language school or teach new TEFL teachers.

Can you teach with just a TEFL?

Yes. With an associate's degree and a TEFL certification, you can teach English abroad in more than 50 countries, from Costa Rica to Taiwan. Some countries like South Korea & Japan require a 4-year degree, but you still have many options.

Is it easy to get a job with TEFL?

How hard is it to get a TEFL job? Landing your first TEFL job is the hardest. Once you've got a year or more of teaching experience under your belt, things become easier. But in this sense the TEFL industry is no different to any other.

Can I teach Abroad with TEFL?

With more than 1.7 billion people learning English worldwide, the demand for native English-speaking teachers is so high that virtually any native English speaker (and many non-native speakers) can teach English abroad professionally with an accredited TEFL certification.

Is TEFL only for native speakers?

Can non-native English speakers TEFL? Does English have to be your first language in order to teach it? The answer is simple: if you're fluent in English then you have the potential to teach it!

How to get a teaching certificate?

A Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certification is a commonly required qualification for new and experienced teachers who want to teach English abroad. With a TEFL certification, teachers can: 1 Qualify for teaching jobs. The minimum requirements to teach abroad are a Bachelor's degree in any area and a TEFL certification. 2 Gain the skills required to teach abroad. A TEFL certification prepares you to teach English language skills, plan lessons for foreign language learners, refresh your understanding of English grammar concepts and more. 3 Stand out in job applications. Even in situations where the hiring school has not explicitly listed a TEFL certification as a requirement, it is always considered a strong asset and could help set you apart from candidates who are not TEFL certified. 4 Earn a higher salary with more reputable schools. Teachers with a TEFL certificate qualify for teaching positions with more reputable schools, which means better benefits and higher salaries.

What is the minimum education required to teach abroad?

The minimum requirements to teach abroad are a Bachelor's degree in any area and a TEFL certification. Gain the skills required to teach abroad. A TEFL certification prepares you to teach English language skills, plan lessons for foreign language learners, refresh your understanding of English grammar concepts and more.

What is a TEFL course?

In-person TEFL courses are intensive and full time, and will require you to attend in-person training at a specified time and location. A good choice for those who prefer to learn in person, onsite TEFL courses focus on practical teaching application and reputable programs will include a teaching practicum.

What is a TEFL certification?

A Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certification is an internationally recognized qualification to teach English abroad and a critical component of your international teaching job application.

Does a teaching practicum count as full time?

Special note: hours contributed towards a teaching practicum do not count as full-time teaching experience when applying for jobs. Online TEFL courses are convenient to complete and cover the same materials as in-person TEFL courses.

Is TEFL a strong asset?

Even in situations where the hiring school has not explicitly listed a TEFL certification as a requirement, it is always considered a strong asset and could help set you apart from candidates who are not TEFL certified. Earn a higher salary with more reputable schools.

What is the difference between a tefl and a tesol?

What is the difference between a TEFL and TESOL? TEFL and TESOL are both acronyms for teaching English to non-native speakers. Both acronyms can be used to describe qualifications which certify you to teach English as a foreign language. To a larger extent both "TEFL" and "TESOL" are used interchangeably.

What is a Tesol certificate?

TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages): This encompasses both TEFL and TESL and can mean either one or both. This will allow a teacher to teach a student whose native language isn’t English. CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages): This is a specific brand of course, ...

What does TEFL stand for?

TEFL is the acronym for Teaching English as a Foreign Language or simply English language instruction for non-native speakers. A Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certification is an internationally recognised qualification to teach English abroad and a critical component of your international teaching job application.

What is a TEFL teacher?

Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) teacher refers to teaching the English language to adults and children whose first or main language is not English. TEFL can occur either within the state school system or more privately, at a language school or with a tutor.

How long is a CELTA course?

This course is usually taught full-time over 4 weeks or part-time over 6 months.

What level of English should a non-native speaker have?

Non-native speakers should have an English level of C1 (Advanced) as a minimum. If you are not sure what level your English is there are several websites where you can test it yourself, for example: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/content. http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/test-your-english/general-english.

What to expect in a TEFL class?

Different online TEFL programs have their own unique curricula, but there are some basic elements you should expect to cover in your course. Below is a basic list of what you should expect to learn from an online TEFL course: 1 How to plan a lesson 2 Classroom management strategies 3 Language skills and how to teach them 4 Resources to build out your teacher toolbox 5 Practice teaching lessons 6 Extra: how to teach specific types of English (i.e. business English or English to young learners)

What is lesson planning in TEFL?

Lesson planning is an essential component of any reputable TEFL course, online or on-site. For that reason, your online TEFL program should teach you both how to plan effective lessons and allow you to plan lessons during the course to practice the skills you're learning. Some, including the University of Toronto’s TEFL Online course, ...

What does TeFL stand for?

While TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language and refers to teaching non-native speakers in a foreign country, TESL stands for Teaching English as a Second Language and is applicable when students are learning a new language in a country where the native language is English.

What does tesol mean?

TESOL is a broader hybrid; it stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and can be applied to teaching in both native and non-native speaking countries. What all that means is: if you're hoping to teach English in a foreign country where English is not the students’ native language then TEFL is for you.

How long is a TEFL course?

A final box to tick before looking further into any courses is that your chosen course is at least 100 hours in length -- this tends to be the minimum length for commonly recognized TEFL qualifications. For an even safer and more widely recognized course, go for a 120-hour+ option.

What is materials and resources education?

Your materials and resources education will help you to build an extensive and comprehensive toolbox of teaching materials. Your course should include both text-based and digital resources. You’ll learn activities and games for the classroom and how to apply software and the Internet to your lesson plans.

What are the skills of language?

What Language Skills Are and How to Teach Them. This section should cover core aspects of language teaching: grammar, reading, writing, speaking, listening, and pronunciation. Generally, each lesson you teach should focus on teaching a combination of these language skills (for example, you may teach a pronunciation lesson using listening ...

Is a TEFL certification required to teach English overseas?

TEFL certification shows you’ve completed the necessary training to teach English as a foreign language. Even though it’s sometimes possible to find teaching roles that don’t require training or any previous experience, a TEFL qualification will make your job search so much easier.

Where can I teach with a TEFL certificate?

When you have a TEFL qualification, you can teach English pretty much anywhere. You could choose to stay in Western Europe, with countries like France, Spain and Italy, which are all popular destinations to teach English. Alternatively, you could head to a whole new continent.

How long will a TEFL course last?

How long your TEFL course lasts is largely up to you. Generally, online TEFL courses range anywhere from 20 to 120 hours of part-time study. Face to face courses are usually slightly shorter. On average, most students take around 10 to 12 weeks to complete 120-hour online TEFL courses.

What will I learn in a TEFL course?

A TEFL course teaches you a range of topics. This includes how to teach language skills, how to plan a lesson, how to identify different learning styles, classroom management strategies, and how to build effective learning materials.

How to teach language skills

This section of a TEFL course should cover key aspects of English language teaching, including writing, reading, speaking, grammar, pronunciation, and listening. Generally, all your lessons should concentrate on teaching a blend of these skills. A TEFL course will teach you how to do this effectively.

How to plan a lesson

One of the biggest aspects of a TEFL course is finding out how to plan and execute a lesson. Much of the course will involve learning how to shape lesson plans to different class sizes, abilities, and language backgrounds.

Learn classroom management strategies

Classroom management is an important part of your TEFL course, even if you have teaching experience. Managing a class full of students can be challenging, especially if you don’t speak the same language.

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.

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 long is a TEFL course?

There’s a minimum course length required. Online courses vary in length from as few as 40 hours to 200+ hours. If you’re counting on your TEFL certification to qualify you to teach abroad, you will need to ensure your TEFL course is comprised of the minimum amount of training schools are looking for.

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 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.

Can a TEFL certificate be used to teach English online?

Takeaway: A TEFL certificate is not just for teachers looking to teach English abroad. A TEFL can be used to teach English online and launch a long-term teaching career at home.

What is a TEFL internship?

As schools are generally located in a different country from their potential teachers, recruitment agencies are common in the TEFL industry. Internships provide on-the-job experience, rather than paid work. However, they can be a useful way to build up your CV and contacts.

How to get a job as a TEFL teacher?

To get a reasonable, paid job as a TEFL teacher, you will generally need: To speak and write English fluently. Some countries or jobs may require you to be a native English speaker. A TEFL certificate from an accredited provider, proving that you have successfully completed a 120 hour TEFL course, as a minimum.

What is TEFL in education?

Technically TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) focuses on teaching English to students in countries where English is not the official language and some English speaking countries, such as the USA, do make this distinction.

How to get a TEFL certificate?

To get a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) or TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate (or even to become “TEFL certified” as some put it) you will need to complete an accredited TEFL or TESOL course and pass the associated tests set by the provider.

What is a tesol?

However in some English speaking countries, such as the USA, TESOL can be used in place of TESL to refer to English language teaching in a country where English is the official language.

How long does it take to get a Delta teaching certificate?

You generally will need to have a minimum of two years’ suitable teaching experience before you can apply to do a Delta. If you want to work in TEFL long term, then it is worth considering taking the Delta qualification.

What is a TEFL course?

A TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course trains people to teach English to students who live in a country where English is not the official language.

What is TEFL certification?

TEFL certification refers to a qualification specifically for teaching English – abroad or online – to English language learners. In the world of English language teaching there are a lot of different acronyms, which can get a little confusing!

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.

What is ACCET certification?

ACCET – The standard for global TEFL certification programs. Programs outside the United Kingdom should be ACCET certified. ACCET was founded in 1974 and is recognized by the United States department of Education as a “reliable authority” in the area of teaching English as a foreign language.

How many hours does a TEFL certificate take?

This certificate should be accredited by and educational body in Europe or the United States. TEFL certificates can be for varrying hours – 90, 120 or 150 hours. Here at TeachandGo.co we suggest getting a 120 hour course. This is the standard requirement any school ...

How many hours are in a TEFL course?

TEFL courses come in 100 hour, 120 hour and 150 hour programs. The standard is 120 hours. This is what is expected for online teaching companies as well as schools abroad. Most ESL teachers have a 120 TEFL certificate as it’s the standard laid out in the ESL industry.

What is the difference between tefl and tesol?

TEFL vs TESOL. TEFL and TESOL are simply competing certificate programs. TESOL stands for “teach English to speakers of other languages.”. In hiring practice, schools and online teaching companies are not particular if you have one or the other. So long as you have a 120 hour certificate to teach English that is what is typically required by most ...

What is a TeFL certificate?

The TEFL certificate is designed for teaching English as a foreign language in other countries. So if you’re an English teacher in Japan for example, the native language is Japanese while English is a foreign language.

How long does it take to get a TEFL certificate?

A TEFL certificate is a “teach English as a foreign language” certificate and can be obtained in about 2 to 4 weeks depending on the course you decide to enroll in. You can go abroad and do an in person TEFL course where you get job placement or you can do a quick and convenient online course which is what we recommend.

What is the UK governing body for TEFL?

The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation is the UK’s governing body that recognizes the legitimicy of a TEFL course. You want your course to be either recognized by ACCET or OFQUAL as these two governing bodies have the highest standards.

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