The Real Deal

CIEE's TEFL course is the real deal. Spoiler alert: This course WILL make you a better ESL teacher.

I'm a planner who spends entirely too much time conducting mountains of research before committing to any one thing (seriously, you should have seen how many Amazon reviews I read before purchasing my 13 gallon, stainless steel kitchen trashcan – who ever know the trashcan market was so big!). Point being – I do not make decisions lightly!

Before taking the plunge, I read my fair share about various TEFL Certifications (all the way from super sketch to legit) on the market. I’m so happy I selected CIEE’s program. While the course was a bit rigorous, it truly pushed me to learn and develop my skills. If you’re looking for a TEFL course simply to tick off a checkbox, this isn’t the one. Take this course if you’re interested in devoting 11 weeks to working with a tutor, learning new material and want to become a knowledgeable ESL teacher.

One of my main reservations about this course was that it is hosted online. Knowing my learning style, this certainly gave me pause. I identify as a good student, but don’t always trust myself to find my motivation. While the course moves along at a fast pace, I was actually very appreciative of the internal deadlines set in the course – they gave me just enough time to complete the work and move along at the same speed of the rest of my peers. This keep me motivated and on track.

By the end of the course, I was surprised by the amount of material we covered. I reflected over the assignments I submitted and was proud of the work I produced (I still refer to them from time to time!). Through the guidance of my tutor and the in-depth lessons covered, I finished the course feeling truly prepared and confident.