How to choose the right TEFL course?

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Deciding to do a TEFL course and change the rest of your life might seem like a big decision, but what is actually a bigger decision is choosing the right TEFL course.

If you take even a quick glimpse online you will realise how many TEFL courses there are to choose from. On the surface, they might all look very similar but if you do your due diligence you will soon discover which TEFL course is worth your hard-earned money. Here are a few things to consider when deciding on a TEFL course.

How long is the TEFL course?

TEFL courses range in duration from 10-hour weekend courses to 310-hour marathons. The minimum entry requirement for most well-paid jobs, with the best packages, is a level 5 TEFL certificate. A course that is only 50 hours is almost certainly not going to give you what you need in a TEFL course. The TEFL Academy’s course is 168 hours which can be studied completed online or as a combined course which includes 10 hours in the classroom in addition to the 148-hours of online self-study. The combined course is a good blend of online versus practical hours. You can rest assured you will be able to complete the course as you have all the support you need from tutors and six months’ access to the online course. Plus, you can be sure that with this certificate employers will recognise you have put in enough hours to tackle the theoretical aspects of teaching but have also had practical experience in the classroom.

What does the course include? Even though all TEFL courses result in you having a TEFL certificate, they are not all created equal. A very important consideration to factor into your decision in choosing a TEFL course is what exactly the course is offering. There are the basic aspects of TEFL teaching, such as lesson planning, grammar instruction and teaching methodologies, but you also want to look for a course that offers more than just the basics. The TEFL Academy course covers everything you will need to know about teaching English as a Foreign Language, as well as useful extras like how to use resources effectively, classroom management strategies.  An additional benefit is the chance to do top-up courses such as Teaching Business English, Teaching English Online & 1:1 and Teaching Young Learners designed to build upon the knowledge already gained on their main level 5 course.

What qualification do I get? At the end of the day, what you should be worried about is how prepared the course is going to make you for teaching English as a Foreign Language and how employable you are going to be. Making sure the TEFL course includes all the topics you need to know will make sure you know what you need to know, but you will need to look at the quality of the qualification in order to tell if employers are going to welcome you with open arms. The TEFL Academy course is a Level 5 certificate. Essentially, this qualification has been recognised as the same level as the CELTA or Trinity CertTESOL, which no other TEFL course can boast. The TEFL Academy has received official recognition from government-regulated awarding bodies both in the US and the UK. Their Level 5 TEFL Course is DEAC-approved as meeting the criteria for Approved Quality Curriculum (AQC) status. The DEAC is a U.S. Department of Education recognised awarding body. The course is regulated by Ofqual (UK government department) and awarded by Qualifi, a UK government-recognised awarding body. So there you have it. Choosing a TEFL course is an important decision if you are looking to make your mark as a TEFL teacher. There’s no point wasting your time and your money on a piece of paper that is not going to help you in any way, but if you keep these points in mind you should have no problem finding a TEFL course that is right for you.

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Accreditation Partners

The TEFL Academy was the world’s first TEFL course provider to receive official recognition from government regulated awarding bodies in both the USA and UK. This means when you graduate you’ll hold a globally recognised Level 3 (120hr) Certificate or Level 5 (168hr) Diploma, meaning you can find work anywhere and apply for jobs immediately.

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