How To Choose A TEFL Course That Will Give You A Respected Qualification, Not A Useless Piece Of Paper

If you do a search in google for ‘TEFL course’ or ‘TESOL course’ you’re likely to end up with your head in a spin! There’s an unbelievable amount of choice.

Too much choice it seems.

With the advent of the Internet many questionable TEFL Certificate course providers have popped up all over the place. All aiming to make a fast buck from unsuspecting TEFLers-to-be just trying to fulfill their dream of living and working abroad.

There are plenty of companies willing to give you a certificate for £100, sometimes £50.

But if you’re serous about having a life change and teaching English abroad, you may as well do it properly. Make an informed decision before handing over your hard earned cash, and make sure you enrol in a TEFL course that will actually be recognised by employers.

And not just those employers who don’t ask for a TEFL certificate anyway! Which, by the way, is also questionable.

Keep a few key things in mind when searching for a TEFL course and you’ll be able to make a well informed decision that is right for you.

1. Take a TEFL course that is at least 100 hours in length. Anything less than this and you can’t possibly cover everything you need to know.
2. Take a course that is accredited by an internationally recognised awarding body. In the UK, recognised accreditation bodies are approved by the government agency Ofqual, and entry level TEFL Certificate courses are accredited to level 4 on the NQF (National Qualifications Framework). A list of recognised awarding bodies in the UK can be found on Ofqual website The Register of Regulated qualifications.
   In the USA SIT (4 week onsite courses) is the main accreditation body that is recognised worldwide. You will come across others, but in many cases these have been started by course providers themselves to accredit their own courses, so beware.
3. If you have the option, gain some observed and assessed teaching practice on REAL English language students. The international standard for new teachers with no prior experience is six hours of observed and assessed teaching practice.
4. If you can’t take teaching practice, gain some experience in a voluntary teaching role.
5. Think about what your future is actually worth. If you really want to do a good job and gain a qualification that is valid for life, make the investment. Don’t waste your money on a cheap TEFL Certificate that is as good as no TEFL Certificate.

   
   

   Accredited courses range anywhere from £300 - £1,000 depending on how you choose to study. If you search around on the Internet you will find online TEFL courses for £99, or even as low as £50. But £50 is actually a very expensive price to pay for a piece of A4 paper don’t you think?
6. TEFL employers these days are savvy, and they will check out the validity of your qualification. Make sure you choose a course provider that any employer will feel satisfied with when they check them out. How would a cheap ‘diploma mill’ TEFL certificate make you look to employers?
7. Don’t be fooled into thinking that Trinity and CELTA is the only way to go. These companies, and the students that have taken these courses will tell you that employers will only recognise 4 Week Trinity TESOL or Cambridge CELTA but these attitudes are extremely self serving and have been cultivated over years of hype. First of all there are plenty of other companies that offer great 4 week onsite courses. Second of all, it is just not feasible for many of us with work, families and other commitments to attend a 4 week course. This is why well structured distance learning courses have been developed, and with some you can even tag on observed and assessed teaching practice after you finish your distance learning studies.