How do I get TEFL certification?
If you plan to teach in your home country or you are yet to decide on a location, taking an online TEFL course might be a good way to start as it offers a flexible and convenient route towards certification.
Table of Contents
How does an online TEFL course work?
How does an in-class TEFL course work?
How does a combined TEFL course work?
How will I receive my TEFL certification?
If you have a specific destination for teaching in mind it is often best to head there or to a nearby location to complete an in-class TEFL course. Following this path will allow you to find a suitable job in your preferred area and you will be more than ready to start teaching as soon as your course is complete.
The third option is a combined TEFL course that tackles all the theory of teaching online and then concludes with a short visit to a training center. During your stay you will round off your studies and complete some invaluable teaching practice.
- Check out more details on our online TEFL course options
- Check out more details on our in-class TEFL course options
- Check out more details on our combined TEFL course options
How does an online TEFL course work?
As soon as we receive your course fee we will send you an email containing all you need to get your studies underway, including your personal login details for our online training platform. Once signed in to the platform you will have access to all the materials required to complete the first unit of the course. When you feel you have absorbed the information sufficiently you can then take an automated online test based on the materials for that first unit. The test is a short, multiple-choice assessment that is designed to test your understanding of the unit before you move onto the next part of the course.
To pass the course you will need to achieve a grade of at least 75% across all the unit tests as a whole. After working through all the course units (20 for our most popular 120-hour course) you will then need to complete a summative task in order to finish your training. The summative task is a short written thesis on a suitable subject that you have chosen from a list of our suggestions. Once your summative task is passed by your tutor you will complete the course and receive your TEFL certificate.
Visit our online TEFL course page for full details on all our online course options.
How does an in-class TEFL course work?
We have in-class training centers in many of the most popular teaching destinations in the world, including:
- Argentina
- Costa Rica
- France
- Italy
- Japan
- Mexico
- South Corea
- Spain
- Thailand
Each course runs over a four-week period and most centers have a new course starting every month. We recommend you arrive a day or two early if possible in order to get acclimated to your surroundings and settled into your chosen accommodation before the course gets underway.
After a few days of theory sessions you will begin your teaching practice where you plan and deliver a full EFL lesson to real students in a real English language classroom. After each lesson you will receive a thorough assessment of your performance, including ideas on how to improve your planning and delivery for the next practice session. Other sections of the course include:
- Working with an individual student to assess their needs and then teaching them a one-to-one lesson
- Producing homemade materials that can be used in class
- A foreign language experience that will put you in the shoes of your future students
Your performance will be assessed throughout all sections of the course, although there will also be two written assessments covering English grammar and phonology.
Visit our in-class TEFL course page for full details of all our in-class TEFL course locations.
How does a combined TEFL course work?
Our third route towards TEFL certification is a mixture of the above two methods, where some of the course is completed online and some at one of our international training centers. You get underway by tackling all the theory behind teaching English via our online training platform. This part of the course can be completed from home at whatever pace you set for yourself and it comes with the full support of an online tutor. Once all the online units are completed you can then book your place at one of our training centers where you will complete your TEFL course.
The in-class section of the combined TEFL course can be completed over an eight day period at two of our training centers:
- New York City, USA
- Paris, France
Or it can be taken over ten days at four of our training centers:
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Barcelona, Spain
- Phuket, Thailand
- Rome, Italy
The in-class section includes input sessions from our professional teacher trainers and teaching practice with real English language learners. As you cover all the same subjects as an in-class course, completion of the combined course results in the exact same TEFL certification.
Visit our combined TEFL course page for full details of all our combined TEFL course locations.
How will I receive my TEFL certification?
Regardless of the study method you choose for your TEFL training, you will receive your certification via registered post once every section of your course has been completed. At the same time we will also send you an electronic copy of your certificate in case you need it while you wait for the original to arrive. Each certificate includes a cover letter explaining your results and a unique ID number which can be used by potential employers to check its validity. Depending on your location, certificate delivery can take up to three weeks, although most will take much less. However, if you are in a real hurry and need your original certificate sooner, we can arrange express delivery via DHL for a flat fee of $50 to anywhere in the world.
