Are you looking for an exciting profession that is recession-proof and enjoying a huge surge in demand?
A career as a TEFL certified English teacher might be exactly what you’re looking for!
One of the many reasons people are attracted to the TEFL lifestyle is that it appeals to our adventurous side.
The opportunity to live overseas and experience a different way of life is a big draw for many seeking a change in their normal routine.
Right now, options for international travel are limited, but that doesn’t mean there are fewer job opportunities for those wanting to teach English.
Quite the opposite is true!
Online education is booming, with projected figures revealing that more than 2 billion people worldwide are currently learning English.
All of those students learning English as a second language need high-quality teachers to help them succeed.
But simply being a native English speaker is not enough to qualify for this type of position.
Realistically, to get a teaching job that will offer you both security and a competitive salary, you’ll usually need to complete a Bachelor’s degree and become TEFL certified.
So, are you wondering how to choose the right TEFL course for you? Well, you’ve come to the right place!
With thousands of providers offering TEFL courses, we know it can be daunting to know where to start.
We want to help you make an informed decision and hopefully save you some time.
With all of that in mind, let’s unpack how online TEFL courses work before exploring how Teach Away can help you get certified to teach English with one of our three world-class training partners.
What you should learn in an online TEFL course
Although every provider will have their own unique TEFL curriculum, these are the 5 key elements that should be covered during your studies:
1. Lesson Planning: Learning how to devise a logical lesson plan that challenges your students and is easy to follow should be a vital aspect of any online program. Some providers, including the University of Toronto’s TEFL course, offer lesson plan assessments and detailed feedback to ensure you excel as an English teacher.
2. How to simplify grammar: For some trainee teachers, learning how to teach grammar is problematic because many of the phrases and concepts you’ll encounter will be unfamiliar. But your students will need to understand the mechanics of the English language, which is why TEFL teachers must have a good overview of how the English language works.
3. How to teach key skills: In TEFL teaching, the essential skills are listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Your students will need to develop all of these skills if they’re going to be effective communicators in English. An online course that’s appropriately structured will help you foster these skill sets.
4. Classroom management techniques: Regardless of whether you’re teaching online or in a face-to-face role, you’re going to need to learn how to manage your classroom, and that includes developing techniques that will help you successfully resolve disciplinary issues.
5. How to develop effective learning materials: Learning how to identify and customize text, visual and audio materials for your lessons will help you begin to develop a resource bank that you can update throughout your teaching career.
What you’ll learn in an online TEFL is not dissimilar to what should be covered in a traditional in-person program, but there are some differences worth considering.
Why online TEFL courses differ from face-to-face programs
A good online TEFL program should be highly interactive, have a strong video component, and include easy access to files that you can download and upload.
It needs to feel seamless.
A significant advantage to studying online is that you don’t have to go anywhere.
You can enjoy flexible learning options that fit your lifestyle, and because you’re not wasting time and money on travel, online studying is much more cost-effective.
However, unlike in-person courses, not all online TEFL courses offer a ‘practice teaching’ component that will offer you more hands-on teaching experience.
This experience can give you a test-run and confidence boost before getting hired as an English teacher.
Tip: It’s always a good idea to read the FAQ page for any course that interests you.
Become a TEFL Teacher with Teach Away
Figuring out how to choose the right TEFL course often involves a bit of self-reflection.
There are many different providers out there, and although a good online course will always cover TEFL basics, it’s also true that there are now many tailor-made packages that will allow you to focus on your interests.
Other things worth considering are the cost of each program and whether you would prefer a course that’s 100% online or offers some form of in-person practical component.
Find out how we can help you get TEFL certified to land your dream teaching job.
