Not all countries require a TEFL certification, but as teaching English abroad is gaining popularity, more countries are beginning to make them mandatory!
There are generally two options: In-person or Online. When deciding which route to take, keep in mind that this is supposed to be a course designed to prepare you for teaching English as a foreign language. When I was browsing through all of the companies out there that offered TEFL certifications, I asked myself the following three questions:
- What am I trying to gain from this course?
- How much money am I willing to spend?
- How much free time do I have?
What am I trying to gain from this course?
There are many people out there who already have previous teaching experience. They may not need an extremely detailed course that is several months long, nor will they desire to spend a small fortune. Therefore, finding a TEFL course on Groupon might be perfect for them. Usually, you can find a course on the discount site for less than $75. Will this be as informative as a $400+ course? Probably not, but that’s okay!
On the other hand, I have zero teaching experience so I knew from the get–go that I wanted to take a course that would cover everything I needed to know, starting from the very basics. Honestly, one of the biggest factors that swayed my decision was the company website. I especially appreciated websites that included alumni information and stories. It was comforting to read about people, just like me, who completed their TEFL courses and were now out there teaching somewhere abroad!
How much money am I willing to spend?
Cost was another huge factor for me. An online course tended to range from $300 – $1500 depending on the company! Of course the company that I felt most connected with, International TEFL Academy, was on the higher end of the scale, going for about $1200, so I had to make a financial decision and go with an alternative, i-to-I TEFL. Although both companies are wonderful to speak with and have great reviews, I love how extensive International TEFL Academy’s website is and even now I resort back to it from time to time. Plus, their people truly care and are willing to help you with all your thousands of questions. However, as great as ITA was to me, I couldn’t get over the cost.
i-to-i TEFL proved to be a great next best option! The course was around $400 and I had 90 days to complete all of the lessons. As I was working full-time, I mainly worked on the course over the weekends and it took me nearly all 90 days to complete. It was a great introduction course to the TEFL world and I definitely learned a ton! For anyone looking for a detailed course, yet still on somewhat of a budget, I highly recommend i-to-i.
How much free time do I have?
There were so many courses out there that appealed to me, but they were only offered in-person! These courses tend to be 4-6 weeks long and are generally more expensive than the online courses. I’m sure the people who attend in-person courses learn a ton!!!! However, having a full time job made it impossible for me to go this route…Unless I quit my job first, which I was not willing to do. I would say that an in-person TEFL course is great for college students who may not have a full-time job yet. Additionally, many of the in-person courses only occur in a few cities, so unless you live right there, you are looking at either a commute or flight/hotel costs. For example, ITA only has North America in-person courses in Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, New York City, Seattle, and Mexico.
Basically, it all comes down to what is most convenient for you!
Final Note…
When selecting your TEFL course, one important and final thing to keep in mind is the requirements of the country that you would like to work in. As the job market becomes more competitive, the TEFL requirements are constantly changing. Imagine how awful it would feel to pay $500 for a 120-hour online course only to find out that the country you are applying to requires 140-hours! Or maybe they only accept in-person courses! To avoid this, be sure to review country TEFL requirements every few months
When You Wander 