TEFL Courses

So, having decided that you want to take a TEFL course towards a relevant qualification, either as a preliminary to a career in another field or to a career in the teaching of English, the next step is to identify the course that best suits your particular needs. When making your choice, which will almost certainly have a fee attached to it, do your homework and make sure that the course delivers what it promises, and that the ultimate certification is a respected and accepted qualification validated by an authoratitive and recognised body. It is often preferable to look for a course that is validated by an external and independent body other than the organisation offering and running the course itself.

To be accepted onto a course of study you will be asked to provide evidence of qualifications already held. A degree is obviously the best option but if the candidate can demonstrate that they have the requirements necessary to go on to higher education, this is frequently acceptable. Another obvious requirement is that your own skills in the English language should be of a high enough standard to enable you to teach it successfully. The minimum age requirement will be no lower than 18 years but may, in some cases, be as high as 20.

The length of courses can vary considerably depending on various factors, ie whether or not they are full time, whether or not all or a part of the tuition is done via the internet, and so on. They can be quite flexible and there is usually one to be found that ticks the boxes for your personal requirements. Most of the full time courses will be around an intensive 4 to 6 weeks in length.