Is an Online TEFL Course Good Enough?

An Online TEFL Course IS good enough!

I read a lot on the internet that online TEFL training is not perfect and not as good as the stereotypical CELTA or Trinity certifications.

Well . . . by definition an online course is uh . . . well . . . online.  But even the famed CELTA these days is online.  They do an observed teaching practice face-to-face, but so do most online courses.   It is offered as an option almost everywhere.

So what is the fuss about?

To some degree most people are promoting the specific course they took.  If you took a CELTA, you would be likely to say that only a CELTA is “good enough”.  It is nice that you had the US$1800-2800+ the course can cost and had a month off without pay to take it, but not everyone has that option.

Why Online Courses are Just Fine

Because most countries don’t even require any TEFL training at all.  And most that do, are just fine with online training.  Of the two biggest EFL job markets, China and Korea, Korea does not require a certificate and China will accept online certificates.  So the #1 and #2 teaching destinations are fine with it.

So then . . . what’s the problem?

Some of the issue is with Americans (I am one, so shuss!).  In the States most any kind of “distance” learning is looked down upon.  Partly because we just aren’t so familiar with it.

The United Kingdom (UK – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for those who aren’t sure) pioneered distance training during the days of their empire.  They had officers, armies and companies all over the world and needed to provide quality training to them.  Families of their employees/representatives needed education too.  So – distance education was born.

What’s GOOD about Distance or Online Education?

What’s good is that you can get the basics about how to teach English without spending a fortune, without taking four to six weeks off work with no pay, and you can still get a good decent idea about how to give your students the knowledge that they paid good money for.

That’s right.  Your Students Pay Money to be in  your Classroom.

Don’t you want to be able to deliver what they have paid for?  No one wants to pay their money to sit in your class if you have no idea about how to effectively teach them English.  No one!  So – if you can’t afford the Full Monty from CELTA, SIT or others . . . get a good online training course so  you have some idea about how to start and how to deliver what your students want.

TEFL is not Rocket Science

Do you need Cambridge, Oxford or Harvard or . . . other training?  No, not really. But you do need the basics of how to go about doing what you are getting paid for.  You don’t want to feel like you are cheating your students.

TED’s Tips™ #1: Online TEFL Training is fine for about 90% of the world’s EFL jobs.  Will it meet the requirements everywhere?  No.  But then again I have a masters degree in education, PGCE in TEFL and about 20 years experience overseas and even I don’t qualify for 100% of the jobs out here.

TED’s Tips™ #2: Do the right thing – get some training so you can deliver what you students have paid for.

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Do you REALLY need to spend a fortune on a TEFL Cert?

Online TEFL Certification is an Option These Days

This week’s question is the headline:

Do I really need a course that costs me any where from $900-$2500 for a certificate? Is there any way to do this cheaper, I want to be a good teacher but if it truly costs that much it’s kinda insane.

The Answer:

Do you really need such a course and is there a way to do it cheaper?

Well . . . yes and no. If you want to be a “good teacher” then taking a good course will help a LOT.

However, I quite understand that it is very expensive. You could take an online course to get the basics with an eye toward taking a full blown course when you have saved a bit and made some real money. A few countries are happy to see that you did ANYTHING to learn about how to teach and some will accept almost anything.

China will accept an online course, pretty much ANY online course. That and your degree can get you, sometimes, even a college teaching position. Korea doesn’t require a TEFL cert but if you have one, you can move to the front of the line having demonstrated at least an interest in learning how to do the job well.

A few countries, Thailand and Indonesia as examples, require a TEFL Certification and want the full blown in-class – yes, spend-a-lot-of-money one. If you want to teach there, then into the classroom you go. And shell out the money.

There is even a hybrid type of TEFL Cert where you take the course online but do observed teaching practice somehow somewhere. The details are usually not difficult to work out and that option might be a good one for many people.

If you want to get the basics, enough so that you have an idea about how to go about things AND how to gradually improve yourself, but if money is a BIG issue – probably TEFL Boot Camp’s Online TEFL Certification is one of the best. Probably the least expensive, but written by experienced teachers – for teachers.

TED’s Tips™ #1: If money is a major problem (it is for many of us!) – try online first. Teach a bit, save some money – then get the Full Monty.

TED’s Tips™ #2: Even if a certification is not required, getting one does demonstrate to a potential employer that you have an interest in doing the job well. Enough so that you spent some time and money to improve your skills. Yes, that does say something about you.

What’s up in China? Learn what kind of jobs are on offer if would like to Teach English in China. I help place people in China – it is great fun – and you can start your career often at a higher level in China than you would in Korea or Taiwan.