TEFL Certification

Gaining TEFL certification is your first step towards an exciting and rewarding experience teaching English overseas. The major qualifications necessary to secure positions Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), also known as Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) are an internationally recognized TEFL certificate or TESOL Certificate.

There are numerous organizations offering TEFL courses, which lead to a TESOL or TEFL certificate. The recognition of these organizations and the acceptance of their TEFL and TESOL certificates vary from course to course. There are, however, only a small number of international organizations that oversee the issuing of globally accepted TEFL qualifications, one of these larger organizations is TEFL International.

Typically, English language schools and TEFL institutes around the globe require as minimum a 4-week, externally moderated and accredited, 120+ hours TEFL certificate that meets international regulatory standards. To meet international TEFL standards laid down by organizations such as TESOL in the USA and the British Council in the UK, TEFL or TESOL courses must have 6 hrs of observed and constructively critiqued English teaching lessons with foreign English language students (not fellow course participants). The TEFL course should also have dynamic, trainee led input sessions covering all aspects of teaching English including teaching methodology, grammar and phonology, and have a grading system based on performance in the classroom and an end of course exam.

Having obtained TEFL certification from an organization such as TEFL International, language schools can see that you have attended a reputable TEFL course which includes 6 hours observed and constructively critiqued teaching practice, that you have completed the various course projects and assignments, that your English teaching is of a good standard and that you have shown an ability to adapt to a foreign culture or environment (especially if you take a TEFL course abroad).

Some organizations offer short weekend TEFL or TESOL courses and online TEFL and TESOL courses. Employers can clearly see that these programs do not offer the same features as a residential 4-week TEFL course. If you choose to take a weekend or a short online TEFL course, it is important to understand that a certificate from such a course will probably not get you many job offers from the more sought after English teaching destinations.

If you plan to teach English overseas it is therefore to the benefit for your English language students and your own employment prospects that you gain appropriate training from an organization such as TEFL International.

Important features to look for when selecting an internationally recognized TEFL course are:

Does the course:

• Meet international standards for the regulation of acceptable English language teaching certification
• Include one hundred or more hours of training and input
• Have 6 hours of trainer observed and critiqued teaching practice with genuine students of English
• Include input sessions that cover teaching skills, classroom management, language awareness (grammar), phonology and how to apply, prepare and teach these skills effectively
• Assess trainees continually during the course through projects, assignments, teaching practice and also include an end of course exam
• Have every course moderated and inspected by an independent teaching body or professional
• Meet the approval and recognition of respected independent professional bodies and individuals
• Update its input to reflect developments in language teaching
• Offer a certificate at the end of the course that is valued and internationally recognized

The TEFL International teaching program is one of the few courses that meet all of the above criteria.