TEFL Institute - Get TEFL Certified & Travel the World!
TEFL Institute's onsite courses are fully-accredited, intensive 4-5 week programs, encompassing 130 hours of classroom instruction taught by university-level instructors, as well as 20 hours of student teaching. Courses are available in a 4-week full-time setting, as well as in a 5-week weekend setting. In addition to the course, students have access to a variety of workshops focused on resume building, job search, and culture shock, as well as a dedicated student services team to provide lifetime job placement assistance. Small class sizes (max.12) allow for each individual student to gain the skills and tools necessary to effectively teach English overseas in a variety of settings - from corporate professionals in Asia to elementary school children in Latin America.
4 Week Full-Time Course Locations: Chicago, IL; New York, NY; Boston, MA
5 Week Weekend Course Locations: Chicago, IL; Washington, DC; Austin, TX; San Francisco, CA; San Diego, CA
9-week TEFL Professional Online Course also available to students worldwide. Please contact one of our experienced advisers at 800.715.2890 for more information.
Reviews
10%Overall
Rating
80%Overall
Rating
As a brief overview, let me explain a little about the TEFL Institute. The TEFL Institute is a school of sorts that offers TEFL Certification classes online and at specific locations around the world. They offer the basic TEFL certification as well as specific classes like Business English and such. They provide resources to alumni for finding jobs around the world.
When I was thinking about taking the TEFL course online, I contacted an advisor at the home base in Chicago. Her name is Anne, and she is wonderful. She answered all my questions (there were many) and got me signed up for a class.
The class itself was helpful, especially because I have no background in teaching. The best lessons were those focusing on how to create a lesson plan and ones focusing on ESL teaching resources which I still use now as a teacher.
I was frustrated at times taking the class because of my fellow students. Students in the online class are required to comment on other people's posts and lesson plans. I felt the responses from my peers were not critical enough. I expected and wanted more constructive criticism.
As far as job search support, TEFL Institute supplies you with lots of different resources but it is up to you what you do with them. I teach in Korea currently, and to get a job here you have to go through a recruiter. I spoke with a different advisor at TEFL a couple times and she got me in contact with a great recruiter, but I worked with other recruiters to find a job as well.
Overall, the TEFL Institute was an integral part of helping me achieve my goal of teaching in Asia. Without the class and without the reassurance from the advisors I wouldn't have the experiences in Korea that I now have.
Critical Feedback:
If I could change one thing about this program I would like teachers to provide more feedback to students on their work online. I would also like to see students give each other more contructive criticism.
40%Overall
Rating
I took the online course through TEFL Institute because I specifically wanted to teach in Europe. Before I paid for the course and I was talking to the advisors there, they were pretty upbeat about the possibilities of me working in Europe and kept reminding me about their "lifetime job placement assistance" and how much they're going to help me after I finish the course and am ready to get a job.
The course itself was fine. Nothing earth shattering, but it was an online course. I had reading assignments and would comment on other students' assignments, etc. It wasn't particularly challenging, but it was good for me because I had never taught in a classroom before.
However, when it came time to start my job search, I got almost nothing from TEFL Institute. They sent me a list of schools that was completely outdated and basically said that if I wanted a job, I needed to go to China or Korea. Considering I made it very clear that I wanted to teach in Europe from before I even signed up for the course, I felt they were a little misleading and just trying to get me to pay for the class. I know from doing my own research that I just need to hop on a plane and head over there to interview for jobs, and hopefully I will be able to eventually go once I save up some more money.
100%Overall
Rating
I took the TEFL Certification Course online. It was very convenient for my schedule. My online professor was efficient and answered all of my questions about each chapter. The course was challenge and I am so thankful because it helped me prepare for my teaching experience in South Korea! After completing the certification course the advisers went above and beyond assisting me with resources and recommendations on researching, interviewing, and applying to teach abroad. I couldn't have done it without their support and efforts!
90%Overall
Rating
After attending a TEFL Information Session I was almost convinced I wanted to teach abroad. It was a scary thought but I felt reassured when a TEFL staff member called to ask if I enjoyed the information session and if I wanted to sign up for the course. It was in that exact moment that I decided and I said yes.
It has been, without exaggeration, the best decision I've ever made. The online course fit my somewhat busy schedule perfectly as I was working at the time. I worked hard but I never felt stressed because the pace of the class was perfect.It also gave me time to think about and research which country I wanted to teach in.I've met many people who have done their TEFL course in the same country they wanted to teach but for me it was important to take my time and decide where I wanted to go. What's most important is that even though I couldn't have known it at the time, the instructor and the materials were extremely helpful in preparing me to teach abroad. By the time I did my 20 hours of student teaching, I was ready to go!
I have recommended the program to friends and will continue to do so.
100%Overall
Rating
Just after graduating from college, I was extremely lost. The job market was terrible, I had been denied to my graduate program, and it seemed like I was doomed to years of packing clothes or making drinks. Luckily, I decided to take a chance and make a change: I got a job teaching at a local school in Thailand. At first I was nervous because I had never taught before. But, I was lucky enough to enroll in TEFL Institute online course which helped me get the knowledge I needed to be successful in the classroom. (Thanks TEFL Institute!)
When I finally moved to Thailand, I loved everything about it. The food, the beaches, and the people were amazing. However, the most life changing part was the teaching. I had originally signed up for a five month contract, but ended up teaching for over two years! The students were tons of fun and the school was easy going and supportive. The first year I taught over 600 students and loved every minute.
Two and a half years later, I am back in the states getting a masters in teaching with a plan to move back to Asia. I attribute my initial success to TEFL Institute and their awesome courses. I still use techniques I learned in the course to teach today. Thank you TEFL Institute!!!!
100%Overall
Rating
Hello! I found out about TEFL Institute from a friend and fellow alum. The staff were great from my beginning questions all the way through to giving me help with resumes and job boards! My instructor was great too - she always had helpful feedback and good advice for my lesson plans. Although I don't actually do any lesson planning at my new EFL job, what I learned from TEFL is truly valuable in understanding how my students learn and how I can best help them! Learning with TEFL Institute has been a wonderful experience from beginning to end and I just can't thank them enough for giving me the opportunity to live and work in Turkey!
Thanks TEFL Institute!!!!
80%Overall
Rating
I took the online TEFL Professional course. The schedule is broken down in a way that I could easily fit assignments and other course work into my busy schedule.
90%Overall
Rating
I chose the Online Professional course through TEFL Institute. It is convenient and still just as great preparation for overseas teaching as the in person classes. Their staff is super friendly and helpful, they will answer any and all questions you have! I can't wait to see where this experience takes me in life and travel!
100%Overall
Rating
This course far exceeded my expectations. I really enjoyed getting to know my classmates and learning from them. The teacher was very kind and always provided helpful feedback. I really felt confident about teaching after fulfilling the coursework and the practicum observations.
I've told several friends about the course and three have already enrolled! I'm so excited to move overseas and experience this opportunity of a lifetime!!
100%Overall
Rating
I completed TEFL's online certification course and found it to be a great program. It provides an individual who is interested in teaching abroad all the tools necessary to be able to teach English as Foreign Language abroad. My instructor had taught abroad in the recent past so she was able to really bring quite a bit of knowledge about how teaching abroad works and really helped us to understand all the things we were covering in order to be ready to teach. All of the material that was taught was covered in depth and the required interaction between the students really helped me to refine my lesson plans for future use.
What I really appreciate and enjoy about the program is the flexibility that it offers its students. They offer programs in country (various cities in the U.S.), out of country (various countries around the world), and online. This allows the student to complete the course in the medium that is easiest and most accessible to them. Like the headline says, this is a great program and I am glad that I participated in it and received my certification through TEFL.
90%Overall
Rating
I did my class on line, and this was my first on line class. The whole on line thing was a bit new for me, as I graduated college in 1996. While I did miss the interactions of a real class, I did like the ability to study and do my writing assignments on my own time. I thought the book was very good, but did not always take into account cultural differences. While it is true there are way to many differences to take into account, there were times I thought the book was written with only one cultural mindset in mind.
I also have to admit that I did not like not being able to speak with the teacher directly. I did not agree with her grading on more than one occasion, and did not like trying to exchange this disagreement via email, given her slow response time.
All in all, I felt the class was worth what I paid for it, and while there were cheaper classes out there, I did not feel they were worth the discount. Given that many schools look at how many hours your class time was, and compare that to Cambridge ESL classes, the cheaper classes would not have been worth the price difference.
80%Overall
Rating
TEFL Chicago was great with helping me get started with my adventure to Spainn. They made sure that all my questions were answered, even during the course when I had some doubts or questions. I took the online course and while I had observations hours, I do think it would have been beneficial to have supervised classroom hours as well, like the classes at the center have. The material was very well done and I learned a lot, and our teacher was prompt and thorough as well. At the time I had wished for more resources to get in touch with people who were going through the same process as I was, but now there is the facebook group which makes everything much easier. I do think some of the information about going to Spain should be changed a bit, as some of it was midleading, especially the amount of money we should expect to make and the reality of the visa situation.
90%Overall
Rating
This course provides you with all of the preparation you don't realize that you need when considering a teaching position abroad. From lesson plans to targeting various learning types, your curriculum covers it all. Upon completion, I felt very prepared to run my own class.
Users who viewed this program also viewed...
Alumni Interviews
Meet Kylie Genter, TEFL Institute Online Course alum
GO: What inspired you to teach ESL?
Kylie: I had the idea in the back of my mind for a bit because I studied abroad in London and while I was there I visited a friend from high school in Spain who was teaching ESL. To be completely honest though, in April of 2012, right before I graduated, I had applied to all these jobs and a couple of grad schools. I didn't hear back from any jobs cause I was applying way too early and I got waitlisted at both grad schools. I called my Mom one day and started ranting. At one point I yelled, "America clearly doesn't want me! I'm gonna go work abroad!" All my Mom said was, "Okay, so do it," and I did.
GO: Why did you choose TEFL Institute?
Kylie: After that fateful phone call I did a lot of research on the where and how aspects of teaching abroad. I looked at a lot of work and teach abroad sites. TEFL had some pretty good reviews. It was important to me that they could help you find placements all over the world, not just in a specific region so if in the future I wanted to go somewhere else, they could still help me. Lastly, when you email to ask for information about the TEFL Institute you get assigned, a TEFL advisor who answers your questions helps you sign up and all that good stuff. My advisor's name is Anne and she's great. She settled a lot of my anxiety and helped me out.
GO: Describe your day to day activities as a student with TEFL Institute.
Kylie: It was an online class so pretty much just logging on, doing your reading, typing your assignments, and critiquing other people's posts. A lot of the assignments were creating lesson plans, which is good because until this class I had no idea what they were. I'd spend maybe an hour or two on an assignment about six days a week and it was only two months so not too taxing.
GO: How has this experience impacted your future?
Kylie: Without the TEFL Institute certification I wouldn't have a job or life in Korea so that's a pretty huge impact right there. TEFL recquires a practicum to get certified meaning you have to tutor, observe a class, or student teach. I tutored and observed. The teacher I observed really shaped my teaching style. I'm happy I took this job and made this a goal. I'm a smarter, more interesting, and better person because of this experience and TEFL was instrumental in making that happen.
GO: What is one piece of advice you would give to those thinking about pursuing a TEFL certificate?
Kylie: I would say even if you're just thinking about teaching abroad and you have the money, go ahead and get the certification. You'll learn more about teaching and what the job actually requires. If you go through the class, like it, but decide you don't want to teach abroad, you can find part time ESL jobs in the US. Plus, if you ever do want to go abroad TEFL can help you out down the road.
Meet Caitlin Marie, TEFL Institute Online Course alum
GO: Why did you choose TEFL Institute?
Caitlin: After doing my research I decided on the TEFL Institute for a few different reasons.
First, the training: The training is made up of 130 hours of coursework with 20 hours of hands-on student teaching practicum. The TEFL Institute is accredited by Accreditat and the certification will never expire. This was great for me because I wanted to take the course and I knew I wanted to travel but wasn't 100% sure of when I would be leaving the country. Being able to get my certification first and not worrying about an expiration date was great.
Second, the Advisors: After speaking with the advisors you quickly realize that they all have experience living and teach abroad and have great advice and stories to tell you. They are all so friendly and helpful you can't help but want to be a part of the TEFL Institute.
Third, the Lifetime Job Placement Assistance: Once you are done with your certification the TEFL Institute provides all their graduates with lifetime job placement assistance. This lifetime services provides the graduate with advisor on where where to teach, hot to apply and interview for jobs and advice on relocating to different countries and locations. As I graduate I also receive notifications of special employment offers through TEFL Institutes preferred schools around the world.
Fourth, the Global Alumni Network: There are now more than 6,000 TEFL teachers that have been certified by the TEFL Institute. All of these alumni are a part of the Alumni Network providing each other with different resources, traveling tips and tricks, job announcements as they hear about them, and they also meet up with each other in their new home countries sometimes! This whole network is so supportive and helpful, you can post a question and have responses within the hour from people who have either experience or knowledge that will help you out.
GO: Why are you interested in teaching abroad?
Caitlin: I took a look at my life and realized I was living it "good enough". I was able to pay my bills, enjoyed the occasional road trip when I was able to take time off work, worked a Monday-Friday, 9-5 job and was satisfied with my social life on the weekends. Then I had a friend return from a two month trip to Thailand; what he told me changed my life for the better.
He told me of his adventures, the happiness he experienced while there, the low cost of living, how welcoming the Thai's were, and his strong desire to live there and continue traveling the globe. When he came home he had to return to his corporate 9-5 job and hated it. He saw the light at the end of the tunnel and wanted to return to it. This is a friend I have known for a very long time and have much respect for, so after having these wonderful conversations with him I made a decision that would change everything.
I too wanted out of the corporate world and wanted to experience adventure in my daily life! Teaching abroad is the perfect way to get employed, only have to work 20-25 hours a week, live in paradise and continue traveling around the world as you please! My dream turned into reality when I found the TEFL Institute and got all my questions answered and hearing great stories from the advisers and alumni I spoke to.
GO: How has this experience impacted your future?
Caitlin: My future is now a big question mark and I love it. Before making this decision my future would be made of accruing more debt, living a boring life, most likely living in the same state if not the same city that I was born in, and probably never traveling outside of the United States.
I was satisfied with this lifestyle before because I never really thought of what else there might be. My professional life would have remained the same as it was, going to work 5 days a week from 9-5 and being bored most of the time I was on the clock. Now I have goals of traveling to different countries, teaching English to children in foreign lands and experiencing adventure in my daily life.
GO: Where would you like to teach and why?
Caitlin: My first goal is to teach in Thailand, this is mainly because of the wonderful stories I heard from my friend. The laid back lifestyle, the gorgeous surroundings and the desire to experience their famous festivals. My friend will be my travel buddy on this new life adventure so starting in a place that he had experience in seemed like a great way to begin. After that I would love to travel around the surrounding countries and possibly up into Europe eventually.
Further Info
About TEFL Institute
TEFL Institute is the worldwide leader in professional TEFL certification and the training of international English teachers. Based in Chicago, IL, with course locations in 20 cities around the globe, we offer the finest in 4-week intensive onsite TEFL training courses and online TEFL training courses providing the 120 hour certification required to teach English in thousands of schools and language institutes around the world.
TEFL Institute graduates are employed across the world teaching English in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Employment as a professional English teacher is available in over 80 nations worldwide. TEFL Institute works with the largest and most prestigious English teaching programs and schools worldwide both public and private.
What is a TEFL?
You found a great program, but are you qualified? Read our awesome guide to TEFL Certification.
Program Information
Related Programs
-
90% Overall Rating - 5 Reviews
-
70% Overall Rating - 1 Reviews
-
90% Overall Rating - 1 Reviews
-
0% Overall Rating - 0 Reviews
-
0% Overall Rating - 0 Reviews
I was very excited to take this course, but ended up being very disappointed. From the beginning, I could tell that the school was disorganized. Before I paid for the course, the communication was excellent. Once I paid for the course, I couldn't get my phone calls or emails returned. I wasn't even told until the very last minute about the dates and location of the course that I had paid for! I did call TEFL and let them know VERY CLEARLY how upset I was about this.
The actual coursework was helpful and informative. Both my online and onsite teachers were good; however, it often took a long time to hear back from the online instructor.
As far as support for finding a job, it is nonexistent. My onsite teacher helped me in my job search; TEFL didn't even return my calls.
I advise anyone considering this to do a google search and read reviews on yelp and dave's esl cafe and other sites. I wish I had done that!
Also, it seems a bit suspicious that there are so many positive reviews on this site, all within a few days of each other. I really doubt there are that many satisfied customers out there. The very best that can be said is that the instructors were knowledgeable and helpful, but as far as communication and assisting with questions/job search, TEFL Institute is just a false advertiser.