Are Online TEFL Courses Worth It?

The first step to any career is studying. If you are interested in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, this means you need to do a TEFL course. Anyone considering becoming a TEFL teacher has to choose between hundreds of different service providers. If you are thinking about doing a face-to-face TEFL course, then you could look in your area and find a local school or institution offering the course. However, if you would rather do an online TEFL course, then your choice is a much more difficult one.

Just by doing a search on Google, you’ll find loads of institutions offering online TEFL courses. On the surface they all look pretty similar, so how do you know which one to choose and how do you decide if an online TEFL course is worth it? Well, there are three factors to consider in order to decide which course to choose: content, length and reputation.

Firstly, have a look at what the course covers. There should be a number of modules relating to theories of learning and teaching, the English language, teaching methods and activities, lesson planning and preparation, assessment and classroom management. Then, it needs to be at least 120 hours. Finally, the institution needs to have a good reputation, which can be found out through some online research. If the course passes these three tests, then it should be a decent course.

But then the question is, are online TEFL courses worth it?

And the answer, quite simply, is yes.

Online TEFL courses are considered equal to face-to-face TEFL courses. As long as they satisfy those three conditions then the qualification you receive from the course is equivalent in value, whether it is from a practical course or an online course. However, one of the benefits of doing an online TEFL course is that you will actually be saving money. Online TEFL courses tend to be cheaper than face-to-face courses because there is no need to pay for trainers or classrooms. Plus, if you study online you don’t need to spend money on commuting to the school.

When you have finished your online TEFL course you will be given a certificate which will enable you to work almost anywhere in the world. Because there is such a high demand to learn English, so there is a massive need for TEFL teachers all over the world. Basically, if you think about it, a TEFL certificate is able to provide you with a qualification for a job that is in high demand, plus you don’t need to spend years studying towards it. Not many degrees can promise you that these days. So when you think about it in this way, there is really no question whether an online TEFL course is worth it.