Being an English teacher means a constant developing your language and teaching skills. And there isn’t the best option to improve your competence and confidence rather than ESL trainings such as TEFL. Having that you increase your chances to get a well-paid job abroad. It’s an amazing opportunity, especially for those who lack of experience or education.

The abundance of possible courses may confuse even experienced ESL teachers, so it comes with no surprise that new brand tutors have no idea what to do. On the one hand, experience of studying abroad is incredible, however online education has become more popular recently. When it comes to the choice, it’s always difficult to make a decision for the only option. Thinking of taking the TEFL course we are on the fence, «Which is better: online or in-person course? What if one of them is worse? How to be sure that employers accept it?» We have predicted such questions. Keep reading this article to know what is appropriate for you.

How much money can you spend?

The price of a TEFL course depends on such factors as: duration, level, and type. So, your budget can make you choose faster than you thought. A TEFL course price may change from company to company, from a hundred of dollars to a few thousand. The minimum duration is considered 120 hours, whereas 100 hours include academic work, and 20 — practice. Of course, it’s possible to find courses with less amount of hours, — obviously, they cost cheaper, — however, it doesn’t make any sense. As 120-hour course is the minimum duration to get familiar and practice teaching techniques, most of the employers require it. There is fat chance to land a job with less amount of TEFL hours.

Online studying seems to be more affordable and comfortable. You don’t need to worry about flight tickets and accommodation. For $100 you can find an online 120-hour TEFL course. However, there is always a connection between price and quality; such a system works everywhere, the lower price, the worse quality. But don’t panic, it’s quite possible to find a trustworthy company, which not only will support you during a course, but also provide you with help with employment.

Obviously, studying abroad includes some expenses, that is why in-person classes are always more expensive than the online. But everything boils down to your possibilities. If you need to work at least part-time or study at university, it’s better to turn to online training. However, if you aren’t stick to one place and have a flexible schedule, you should opt for learning TEFL abroad, just be ready to pay for education, trip, and necessities.

How much time are ready to devote to studying?

Your typical life and circumstances may play an important role in picking a type of TEFL course. Just think of what you have to do. If you are a student or a full-time worker — who is supposed to bring home the bacon — probably, online way is the only that fits you. You will have the same life balancing between working and studying, and in a few months — after completing the course — you will find a job either online or offline.

It’s a way to learn new information at your pace, however there are some deadlines as well. As usual, the access to complete a TEFL course is about 6-8 months. So, you need to be a well-organized person to hand your lesson plans in on time. Such freedom lets you keep living your life or traveling just meeting the deadlines. That’s a good way to study having flexible schedule, especially if you don’t harry and consider applying for jobs with long period of application process such as EPIK and JET.

But nothing can stop intrepid travelers. So, if you can devote all your time and efforts to classroom-studying, go ahead and learn TEFL in person. It fits those who have some problems with self-discipline and time-management. There will be many people such as tutors and classmates, who will be glad to help you with homework. In addition, such support makes being abroad without friends easier.

What experience would you like to get?

Studying abroad allows you to feel the vibe of working abroad and start getting used to it. That’s a way to understand whether you are ready to work in a foreign country or not. You will meet new people, understand their mentality and behavior, and get international teaching experience.

On the other hand, enrolling in online TEFL course doesn’t exclude an opportunity of traveling. For example, you can save some money taking an online course, to go to wherever you want after the completion. Or, you can travel while you are studying to immerse in a new culture and practice new teaching skills.

Regardless which type of studying you will opt for, pay attention to the practical part of a course. It’s significant to apply everything you learned in practice. When it comes to in-class courses, it’s easier to observe the lessons of the professionals just going between classes. However, virtual classes allow to observe lessons in-live with cameras and other equipment.

As you see, neither of ways excludes real practice of teaching.

Details to consider before taking the course

Whether you consider taking in-site or online TEFL course, you should pay attention to some important factors before making any decisions. All programs are similar in terms of topics, but different in terms of conditions for applicants. Unfortunately, there are a lot of scammers on the Internet, so it’s better to check everything twice before paying.

There are four things we recommend to pay attention to:

• accreditation;
• program;
• quality;
• service and support.

Accreditation stands for high standards of educational process. So, be sure that’s a provider of TEFL course has accreditation from an accrediting body — for example ACCRIN. It means that your certificate is eligible, and most of the employers won’t think that it might be fake.

Check a course program to know what topics you are going to learn. This is how you can understand how much time it takes to complete the course. Because some providers claim courses as the 120-hour, in fact it’s possible to finish it for a few hours. Be careful!

It speaks volumes if a TEFL course provides a native-speaker trainer to assess your results or answer questions. It means you won’t be alone during a course, and all you academic problems will be solved. Otherwise, you are learning everything yourself without any help. What’s the difference between such a course and reading a teaching book?

Before enrolling in a course, you have all rights to ask as many questions as you want to feel calm. So, depending on replies you get from a TEFL course provider, you may understand if it’s trustworthy. As usual, prestigious TEFL providers with accreditation has nothing to hide, so they are always ready to demonstrate all documents and information you request.

Conclusion

Actually, it doesn’t matter which type of TEFL course you will opt for. The determination to do that is the first step to working abroad and having a well-paid position. Even if you decide to stay home, you will become more confident and competent in teaching English. Many international online schools are searching for such teachers. Needless to say that it’s a huge advantage to your resume. However, remember, you won’t become a professional overnight. It takes some time and efforts to succeed. Fortunately, studying online allows you to control a pace of learning information; it’s up to you when you complete a TEFL course. On the other hand, taking in-class course, you spend a month on studying abroad, however, it isn’t a long time either.

Let’s highlight some points of the article:

• type of TEFL courses depends on your budget and time you are ready to devote;
• studying online you may do your duties at home and work part-time;
• regardless a type of TEFL training, your course must provide practice, support, and assessment.

Despite many employers around the globe require TEFL certificate, they can’t differ how it was got. As usual, TEFL certificates don’t mention online way of studying. So, if you have really studied and practiced your teaching skills, you shouldn’t be afraid that you got the certificate online. Nothing is matter but accreditation and your knowledge.

Share your experience in the comments section below, which type of TEFL course you would like to get and why. If you have some questions, let us know, we are always ready to help.