The TEFL Course Academy
250
Pros
- 48 Hours of additional experience
- TEFL Jobs, internships and volunteer for graduates
- Bonus specialization course
- DELTA certified instructors
Cons
- No real face to face practice teaching
- Limited opportunities for Non-Degree holders
This review of The TEFL Academy will take a deeper look at their 168-hour TEFL Course. The TEFL Academy Offers a 168-Hour Course, which is 48 hours more than required for most TEFL jobs. What are the additional benefits of this? This review will cover the main benefits of the program mixed with our opinions sizing up the pros and cons.
Table of Contents
Who are The TEFL Academy?
Strictly speaking, The TEFL Academy’s main objective is honing the art of Teaching English as a Foreign Language. They also are notable for having one of the Best courses available in Thailand. Their goal is to provide their students with up to date, accurate information, techniques and teaching for the everchanging ESL environment.
Trainers
All of the trainers have a minimum DELTA, qualified assessors! This is huge people. A DELTA qualification is basically at the same academic level as a Master’s Degree in ESL. Even better than theoretical experience is the practical experience and all of the trainers have years of experience as ESL teachers all over the globe.
Course Accreditation
The TEFL Academy are accredited by Qualifi, an Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation, a British governing department) regulated awarding body. Qualifi are known to have very strict processes and assurances set in order to ensure that the course is providing the utmost quality.
Qualifications:
Author’s Thoughts: Very Assuring Background – 9.7/10
What I like right away is how detailed the information is on their website. It’s comprehensive, but not overly complex and gives the notion that their course will offer the same value. I haven’t found too many courses where there is mention of the instructors having any DELTA qualification. I would expect nothing short of robust content from a course like this.
The TEFL Academy Level 5 TEFL Course
This course is The only TEFL course that has been officially recognized from a government regulated awarding body in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The course is DEAC-Approved (U.S. Department of Education National Accreditor) which fulfills require to having an Approved Quality Curriculum (AQC) status. The course is regulated by Ofqual and was awarded by Qaulifi. All certificated from The TEFL Academy are internationally accepted.
Online Course is Very Flexible
One of the many benefits of studying online is that you can study in your own time. Of course, take that with a grain of salt. When studying online it is always best to be disciplined with your time and allocate a few hours every day to maintain consistency.
Free Bonus Course After Completion
Once you have acquired all the foundational skills needed, you are ready to go find an ESL job. However, what most TEFL companies don’t prepare you for is the type of teaching you will initially specialize in. For instance, will you be teaching in a public government school with large classes? Or will you be doing 1:1 teaching in a private language school? Young Learners? Will it be Business English for Adults? This is why The TEFL Academy offers a bonus-course where you can select a specialization in a specific discipline of ESL.
TEFL LEVEL 5 Course Content
There are 10 mandatory modules and each unit requires you to take an assessed-exam. When you get to units 5, 7 and 10, you will have practical assessed assignments. Students are given up to 6-months to complete the course, but on average, most complete the course in 4-6 weeks. Obviously, this is more of a dedicated approach and depending on how fast you want to get qualified, you can divvy up your time for this.
Course Break down
- Lesson Planning
- Teaching English Vocabulary
- Teaching Pronunciation
- Understanding English Grammar
- Teaching Receptive Skills: Listening and Reading
- Teaching Productive Skills: Speaking and Writing
- Teaching English Grammar
- Principles of Teaching English as a Foreign Language
- Materials and Aids for Teaching English/Classroom Management Strategies
- Using Resources Effectively when Teaching English as a Foreign Language
- Case Study, CV and Cover Letter, Job Sites and Resources
Author’s Thoughts: Bonus is Huge! – 9.8/10
The course has everything you’ll need to effectively find a teaching job. What’s better is that you get to walk up to an employer and show them that you have more than the basic required 120-hour teaching certification. Any employer will love to see that and it’s clear to see why The TEFL Academy has such a competitive advantage in the TEFL industry. Best of all, the specialization course is truly considerate of their students and will help them excel in their chosen field.
Internships, Volunteering, and TEFL Jobs
Internships
There are plenty of internship opportunities and the variety are plenty. There is no-fee to apply and all jobs come with a variety of perks. Currently the countires available are South Korea, China, India, Spain, Argentina, Taiwan and Thailand.
You can apply here if you’re interested: View Internships
Volunteering
There is nothing more rewarding than knowing that you are helping someone and expecting nothing in return. If you are interested in volunteering, there are options in Costa Rica, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It must be noted though that these opportunities are only available to those who have enrolled and completed the level 5 TEFL course.
You can find volunteer opportunities here: See Opportunities
TEFL Jobs
There is an extensive job listing search engine on their page and specifically for all graduates of the level 5 course. Once you complete the program, you will have a variety of opportunities that you can apply for. You are also not limited to just TEFL jobs. If you want, you can do volunteer work or an internship. Maybe just find a job and get paid? It’s really up to you.
No Degree?
There is a list of countries that do not require a 4-year degree in order for you to get a full-time, contract renewable offer. Although having a degree will make this a lot easier for you, there are situations where maybe your spouse or partner is going to teach English and the idea of it all sounds interesting enough for you to want to partake. Maybe you just want to get some travel mileage under your belt. Well, ESL is a great avenue to that.
Here’s a list of countries that do not require a degree: No Degree Countries
Author’s Thoughts: Healthy ecosystem of opportunities development – 9.7
Although your main objective should be to find a TEFL job, it is not mandatory and if you really want to back, all of the infrastructures are set up for you to do so, if you wish. What is considerate is that they have even created an option for non-degree holding individuals. This truly gives everyone a chance at teaching English if they really want to and not be held back as a result of past decisions or actions.
Final Word
The TEFL Academy is truly an impressive company and they really do go a step ahead of the other competitors. What is great is the jam-packed value that each student will receive and the additional (optional) bonus course. Their courses are accredited in both the USA and Uk and this is no easy feat. What is most reassuring is knowing that your instructors have DELTA training, which is immense in the grand scheme of things. These people know how to truly break apart a lesson, label it’s phases and purposes and logically order its build-up to fulfill intended learning outcomes.
We highly recommend this course and know that if you choose them, you were focused on quality and opportunity above all.
See our current list of The Best Online TEFL courses:
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