Evaluating a TEFL Course Before You Enroll
Taking a TEFL course is the first step toward securing a position as a TEFL teacher where you’ll have the opportunity to travel to a new country and learn about a new culture and help others learn the English language. Of course the TEFL course you take to begin with is going to have a huge impact on how successful you end up being in your efforts which is why it’s so important to pick the right course to begin with. Knowing what to look for in a reputable TEFL course is a good place to start before you enroll or pay any money.
There are two main things you want to take into consideration before enrolling in a TEFL course of any kind, be it online or a class in a physical classroom. Consider first the length of the course itself.
Courses that aim to receive accreditation TEFL recognition, meaning they are recognized as being a legitimate course by an accreditation organization, will require you to log in a good 120 hours total before you become certified. This usually means a good 100 hours in the classroom learning and the remaining time will consist of practice teaching. When you research courses look to see if they have accreditation TEFL recognition and how long the course is expected to take to complete. Some courses may stretch those hours over a longer period of time taking several months and others might be completed over a quicker course, but as long as you receive a good 120 hours of training you should be prepared. Of course the accreditation TEFL recognition is the other huge part of knowing whether or not a course is one worth paying for. There’s a difference between courses that are accredited and those that are more like memberships. Memberships are more like subscriptions to a group that keep you updated on TEFL news and tips without being taught by someone experienced such as a university level instructor who has been teaching TEFL for a long time.
Make sure your course requires you to get some actual hands on experience by requiring you to conduct plenty of practice teaching before you are expected to go and find a TEFL job. You want to make sure that you not only take quizzes and assignments that properly test your knowledge and what you’ve learned but that you’re given the opportunity to practice teaching in front of a test group of students before you venture out inexperienced to teach English to a group o children or adults who are counting on you.
