A Complete Guide to TEFL Course

TEFL is the acronym for “Teaching English in Foreign Language” which refers to the global education of teaching English to non-native English speakers. It is similar to TESOL which stands for “Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages”. Teaching English as a foreign language in abroad countries can prove to be a great way of funding your long term travel expense and also experiencing different cultures and lifestyles. However, some people make a career out of teaching English as a foreign language.

Not only TEFL certification course qualify and make you eligible to teach in any part of the world, but also provides you the capability to apply for jobs all around the world and makes you stand one step ahead to be recruited in global schools and colleges as EFL teacher.

Preliminary level EFL teaching jobs across the world require a TEFL or TESOL degree to be taken into consideration for abroad employment, so this is a prerequisite before starting teaching abroad. There are some global language institutes and colleges that don’t insist on having a University degree or any teaching experience but a TEFL certification at minimum so getting TEFL Certified from an accredited body is the primary step for every seeking EFL teacher who wants to start his English teaching job abroad at a good salary.

Who Can Do TEFL/ TESOL Course?

Enrolling in an accredited TESOL/ TEFL course is open to one and all beyond 18 years, whether or not having any graduation degree, or formal teaching and training experience, can be from any discipline with a minimum requirement of fluency in communication skills in native or near native English.

Types of TEFL Courses:

There are a number of TEFL courses available but you must be smart enough to choose the right course for you that will help you to get paid teaching positions abroad.

1. Online TEFL Course: Online course starting from of 120 hours to 350 hours basically cover the theoretical part of curriculum and do not necessarily offer any practical hand on classroom know-how. Online courses are ideal for those who want to gain a basic knowledge of teaching English as a foreign language in their own home like atmosphere. Availing this online course of a minimum 120 hours or 6 months TEFL program will equip you with the necessary teaching toolkit, linguistic knowledge and make you familiar with the basic teaching skills ranging from lesson planning to overall class management.
2. Onsite/ Classroom TEFL course: These classroom courses are delivered to students in a classroom setting where students get the opportunity to learn and teach in person by a qualified ESL instructor. Course length comprises of 120-hours or 3 weeks of full time in class programs.

In addition to providing the required teaching qualifications to the aspirants, certification programs also train and prepare the aspiring EFL teachers with the necessary teaching abilities, class management techniques and skills. TEFL or TESOL certification equips you with fundamentals of teaching English as a second language.