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What Does TEFL mean?
TEFL is an acronym for teaching English as a Foreign Language. ESL stands for English as a Second Language. Most, if not all employers in the ESL industry want you to have a TEFL certification. It lets them know that you have the essential basics in teaching English ( how to conduct a class and facilitate activities).
The worst thing you could do is assume since you speak English you can teach it…
Best Online TEFL Courses
Here is our selection of the best online TEFL courses. Avoid the headache and go with a TEFL provider that has a proven record of successful graduates. It provides a better perspective for future readers and more importantly it will help others pursue their dream of traveling.
OK, so with that out the way let’s get into it.
If you’re on the fence about choosing an online TEFL course we want you to know that we understand. We were once in your shoes and know how difficult it can be to decide on a course.
The following selection is of courses that we’ve taken ourselves and used to pursue fruitful careers in ESL. Some of us have moved out of teaching into international jobs based in Asia, while others have continued to use their learned ESL skills to travel the world. That’s really the beauty of being a Native English speaker and getting TEFL certified. It’s for life.
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Best Online TEFL Courses
If you’re already decided on teaching English, but not sure which TEFL course is best for you then viola. You can’t go wrong with these courses below. Here is our selection of the best online tefl courses.
MY TEFL 120-hour TEFL Course
MyTEFL is undoubtedly one of the best online tefl courses. Many graduates have given great feedback about how well constructed the course is. The level of professionalism displayed by these guys is wonderful to see. MyTEFL is fully accredited and certified so you know you’re getting the type of training that was reviewed, analyzed and approved by education counsels and associations. Another thing to point out is MyTEFL has a deep job network so your opportunities aren’t just limited to Southeast Asia. South America, Central Asia, and Africa are also viable options. You can get a 35% off discount by applying the coupon code: FARANGDA at checkout.
Premier TEFL 120-hour TEFL Course
Course Info Visit Premier TEFL
Premier TEFL’s 120-hour tefl course will give you all the fundamental tips and tricks you need to effectively manage an ESL classroom. Their TEFL certification course is internationally recognized and many Premier TEFL graduates have gone on to find fulfilling ESL jobs in countries like Thailand, South Korea and China. A model representative of TEFL companies in its own respect. Premier TEFL has an awesome staff of TEFL certified professionals and most importantly make mastering the art of being a TEFL teacher fun. You can get 50% off an premier TEFL specialist course when you enter the coupon code: besttefl-50 at checkout.
i-to-i 120-Hour TEFL Course
i-to-i is probably one of the most well known and internationally recognized online TEFL courses to date. Although the younger TEFL crowd may choose to side with MyTefl and Premier TEFL, there is no shortage of awesome content on i-to-i’s 120-hour TEFL course. You will get essential training on TEFL basics such as the PPP principle and tips on building rapport with the classroom. This is important training because you have to get your class to buy into your method of teaching for there to be an effective learning atmosphere. Tutors are on standby to help when needed.
ICALTEFL 120-Hour TEFL Course
ICALTEFL is coined one of the very first online TEFL courses ever. That’s why it’s no surprise that they are internationally recognized. They have had over 20,000 graduates who’ve gone on to pursue fulfilling careers in ESL and the numbers only keep growing. One of the major benefits to ICALTEFL is there is no time-limit on when you have the finish the course. Of course this can be good and bad depending on your work ethic. Consistency is crucial when enrolling as time is not an obstacle. Instead your own personal drive and ambition is the test. Even if you can go on for 20 minutes a day that’s better than doing 2-hours of work then not coming back for the rest of the week.
Checklist For An Online TEFL course
This list is not the say all end all of best online tefl courses. There’s a whole sea of online TEFL companies that we’ve yet to come across and review. Until that day comes we’re comfortable recommending you online TEFL courses that we personally have experience with. A good question to ask yourself before enrolling in a TEFL course is the following:
- Will my certification be recognized by my future employer?
- Which TEFL course is going to offer me the most benefits?
- Does this company offer TRUE job assistance after completing the course?
- How much time can I truly commit per day/week to guarantee course completion?
- Do I really want to do this or just flirt with the idea of doing it?
(1) The most important thing at the end of the day is that the TEFL course will be accepted by employers. Online is quickly becoming the medium for learning. It’s sheer effectiveness in educating those who don’t have the time or money to sit in a classroom makes it an asset. That’s why many accredited 4-year universities also offer online courses. Also e-learning is quickly becoming the medium for global education.
(2) Really only a question you can answer yourself. One thing you shouldn’t do is assume that a “TEFL is a TEFL”. The content of these courses will not only enlighten you but broaden your horizon on learning in general. Is it too far fetched to say that what you’ll learn in a TEFL course you can apply to real life? One of the most important things you’ll learn in your training is how important it is to build rapport early on. This is how people buy into your methods and contribute to a healthy learning atmosphere. Is it hard? Just imagine the kid who runs for school president. He promises candy, longer recess and no more homework. Translate to a teacher… Games, lessons adapted to a context they can relate to and lots of activities.
The latter
(3) Some companies claim to offer job assistance after completing the course. When in reality they only offer advice. i-to-i for example has a job database that you will have access to for life. MyTEFL will literally help you find a job.
(4) Taking an online course offers a convenience for those who live busy lives. The only problem is you need to be consistent in the time you give to this course. There is a time limit on all of these courses except ICALTEFL. So don’t underestimate the amount of content you’ll need to initialize, analyze and re-adapt to optimize your teaching ability. Let us warn you now. Don’t learn the hard way. Treat this course like you spent your last pennies to get it. What you’ll get in return is well worth a month’s commitment.
(5) A lot of people want to travel and just that. They want to. Will they ever? Not until they decide to start the process. Everything takes time and in most cases, commitment. It’s nice to daydream about sipping coconuts on beach in Thailand, but that will only happen if you take action. If it’s your first time ever traveling away from home then it’s normal to feel antsy and nervy at times. You can only worry about so many “what if…” scenarios until it just gets old. It’s normal. Force yourself to commit and believe in your goals. Life is too short friends.
In Closing
Finding the best online TEFL courses can always be a hassle. We understand that you want to make sure you’re not just throwing your money away. The most important factor at the end of the day is that you will get CV/resume assistance, on-the-spot course guidance and be entered into a job placement network where finding jobs is a lot easier than doing it on your own. Although, we do encourage you look on your own regardless as you never know! It’s great to know that your TEFL certification company will take care of that for you but it never hurts to have a look for yourself.
For more info about these TEFL companies please refer to our article: Online TEFL Courses for 2016/2017. See you on the other side!
Thanks for your article. It is good to know that resources are out there for training to teach English abroad. My daughter was an English teacher in China, and loved it so much that she extended her contract. I was quite interested in doing it also, but thought I would need a teaching degree. Your article is making me think about how cool it would be ….maybe I should go back to school???
From 23yrs old all the way 70yrs old teaching ESL has allowed native English speakers (and fluent non-natives) an opportunity to travel the world and impact a young child’s life. I implore anyone who wants to see the world and experience a new culture to get qualified and begin the adventure. Thanks for the comment Anika!
First of all I want to say that I like your site, clean and professional. Well done. When I was in college I had two classmates that went to China and taught English. However, I can’t recall if it was a part of this program or not. I do know they went through some training before they were allowed to go. They both had a great experienced – loved it. They shared pictures and stories with me of the friends they made while there. They both told me they were planning on doing it again once they graduated from college.… Read more »
Wow,
We really appreciate that Don. It’s definitely an adventure worth considering. The experience can be profound and you may even learn a new language.
Hey thanks for the information, it was really hard to choose a course since there are so many. I am happy with the course I took and I am ready to go live abroad.
Good luck Alex and if you ever need help we’re an e-mail away.
Thanks for the details above. I’ve been considering teaching abroad, particularly in southeast Asia if the opportunity arises. It looks like the Premier course specifically mentions multiple graduates have successfully found jobs in this area after graduating. Is this the course you would recommend the most if that is my desired teaching location?
Hey Craig, thanks for the comment! You can’t really go wrong with any of these courses. It really just comes down to your personal preference. I know without a doubt Premier TEFL can help you get that teaching position in Thailand. Both Premier and MyTEFL send a fair share of their graduates into quality teaching positions in SE Asia. If history and a long proven track of success then you need to consider i-to-i. Goodluck and thanks for the comment.
I’m a former graduate of myTEFL and would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in teaching ESL in Thailand. I just checked the 35% discount code above and it works!
Thank you eric, yes MyTEFL is a great TEFL company and the coupon code we’ve listed definitely works. The most annoying thing is when an article offers a coupon code that doesn’t work. Thanks for confirming though as this will help others who are interested.
I typed into google “TEFL courses” and this article came up. What is a TEFL course exactly? What does it stand for?
Hi Matthew,
TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. This is a certification that qualifies native and non-native English speakers for teaching jobs. It’s a great alternative to traveling and giving yourself an opportunity to see the world while earning income on the side. Hope this helps and thanks for the comment!
As a Manager/English teacher for the last 20 years I think this is a pretty solid selection. I actually just hired someone who said they got their TEFL certification from premier tefl. It makes no difference to me if your certification is online or in-house. In reality, as long as you have a certification it gives the manager more of a reason not to say no. There’s no reason to limit your dreams of traveling because you can’t fork up $1000 for an in-house course.
Geoff
That’s great to hear Geoff! There you go folks.
You bring up a good point as well. As long as you don’t give the manager a reason to say no. It only helps to have these type of qualifications, especially for the jobs in highly populated areas like a Bangkok or a Seoul.
You do a good job of collating access to a great choice of courses. This is a huge market and your site could offer opportunities to many, who might not otherwise have thought that teaching English abroad could be within their grasp.
Thanks John,
Online TEFL courses have become the standard of getting certified these days. What most people don’t realize is that they are getting even more theoretical and practical training that is similar to that of an in-house course. Minus the luxury of being able to spend +$1000 on a TEFL course and not work during that period of training. Those who enroll in online courses can slowly switch into preparing to move abroad(continue working, saving money, finishing university). It doesn’t have to be so abrupt. Thanks again!
T
It’s good to have an avenue to teach english. This is so important with globalisation and those who wish to do something different teaching english abroad. I have several friends who were teachers here and now are all over the world ie Vietnam, China and now Myanmar teaching english. Thanks for your site and this particular post. I’m sure to come bac when life takes another turn for me. For now I’m pretty settled.
Thanks ht,
We’ll be hear if you need us! 8)
I always thought about teaching english, I agree that people do need to understand the method to teaching. My teacher went to teach in China for an entire school year, and he spoke nothing but english. I think that having the ability to teach can open up so many opportunities, especially when it comes to traveling. I will definitely look into these programs.
Thanks for the comment Nick! Yes, most teachers aren’t asked to learn the native language. This is done on purpose to force the students to speak English.
I don’t have a university degree, can I still find work?
Of course you can! There are loads of ESL jobs out there that need at the very least a Native – fluent English teacher. You may not find the dream jobs in the big cities, but we can assure you there is no shortage of jobs.
100% agree with the comments and selection. MyTEFL is pretty good and i-to-i is as well. I personally know a lot of people who got their certification from MyTEFL and I’ve only heard good things.
Thanks Rodger,
MyTEFL is definitely a great TEFL company. Awesome staff as well.
That is really good information, thanks for putting this out there. once i am ready to travel the world to teach english i know where to get the proper training.
No problem Adam. Glad you found value in this.