How to Choose a TEFL Course
Certificate in English Language Teaching (ELT), Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)…there are so many different titles out there that it can be difficult to choose a course that will help you move forward in your teaching career.
Before you invest money and time, listen to this episode of the TESOL Pop podcast and read the criteria below to help you find the right course for you.
1. Title
Typing Teaching English Course into a search engine will produce results such as:
Teaching English as a Foreign Language / Teaching EFL / TEFL
Teaching English to Speakers of Other languages / Teaching ESOL / TESOL
Teaching English as a Second Language / Teaching ESL / TESL
Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults / CELTA
If you are new to teaching English as a foreign language, then a quality TEFL, TESL, or TESOL certificate course will provide a solid foundation. A CELTA course is also relevant if you focus on teaching adult learners specifically. Having said that, most 120-hour plus TEFL, TESL, or TESOL course providers will include input on teaching different age groups, albeit as an introduction.
If you want to specialise in your teaching, there is further training to choose from, like the Trinity College London Teaching Young Learners Extension Certificate (TYLEC) course. Usually, trainees start to specialise after they have studied a general TEFL course and gained work experience.
2. Duration
Courses range from online introduction to TEFL that lasts a few hours to a part-time certificate course that lasts several months.
Which course should you pick?
It depends on what you want to achieve. TEFL requirements vary from place to place, so it’s worthwhile researching employers and locations to see what they require. TEFL job boards like Teach Away, Dave’s ESL Café, and Go Overseas, in addition to your local job advertising sources, help build a picture of the number of hours needed from a TEFL course.
Alternatively, if you want to teach in an international school, state school or university, it’s worth visiting government education or school websites directly to find out the requirements.
3. Quality
Not all TEFL providers offer the same content or quality. Therefore, when starting your TEFL journey, you ideally want a course that will equip you with the knowledge, skills, and practices you need to survive and continue to grow in your first year of teaching EFL, where ever that may be.
Courses that cover these fields will lean closer towards 100+ hours. The course length will increase further if it includes teaching practice. While courses that include this element often cost more, it’s valuable to have the opportunity to practice teaching with the support of an experienced trainer before you go solo.
Examples of TEFL courses that include teaching practice:
Some colleges and universities offer TEFL courses, like this one.
Quality course providers should include an assessment that provides feedback on your progress and acts as gate-keeper in protecting the value of the course. Assessment can take different forms from quizzes, coursework, teaching practice, interviews etc., and good course providers will offer support for trainees who have additional learning needs. Don’t be afraid to ask them if you need support.
When researching course providers look for information about the content, assessment, and what graduate trainees say. Some providers offer trials, sample courses, or workshops for free which is a great way to gain insight. Even if a course provider does not advertise these options, it is worth asking them to see what they can offer.
4. Delivery
Online, blended or face-to-face? There are great course providers out there that use different modes of delivery. For example, you can find course providers for the Trinity CertTESOL and Cambridge CELTA that offer certificate-level TEFL courses via various delivery modes.
When it comes to the mode of delivery, the closer you can get to the actual classroom environment that you intend to teach in, the better. This means if you plan to teach online, then a course that includes input on teaching online (and even online teaching practice) will set you up for success.
5. Accreditation
Accredited courses can display a stamp on the course certificate and their website (as part of their marketing). It’s a good sign if a provider has invested money and time to validate the quality of their course with an independent external organisation.
Some examples of accrediting bodies are:
Further education institutions tend to be regulated by government education departments, which is the case for colleges and universities in the UK.
This is a small sample of the many accrediting organisations out there. As with the course provider, it is worth researching the accrediting body. Can you find an official website for the accrediting organisation? Does the accrediting organisation verify that they have checked and approved the course you are considering?
As not all TEFL courses offer the same input or quality, it’s crucial to research before you part with your money and time. If you have worked through these criteria and have uncertainties, then don’t be afraid to ask questions or walk away to find a more suitable provider. A great TEFL course will equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to embark on your teaching ESL journey, so it’s worth investing the time to ensure you pick the right one.