Program Reviews

In 2019, I took the TEFL training and Cultural Competence certification course and worked as an assistant teacher in one of the adult literacy ESL classrooms. The community is warm, welcoming, and meaningfully diverse - the richness of everyone's differences (language, culture, beliefs, citizenship status) is celebrated and supported. I especially enjoyed the inviting, social setup of the CLC (Connect Language Center) - a communal kitchen with a free coffee and tea station, which leads to a cozily furnished lounge with large sofas, tables, and shelves and shelves of books. Because the CLC is designed to encourage social interaction, the most powerful form of language practice happens naturally there: community-building through repeated, social exchanges with fellow students and teachers.

As other reviews have mentioned, the quality of instruction is unbeatable. There are three extremely experienced ESL professionals who teach this course. The insight gained from each of them was invaluable as they have had practical experience in the field in overseas and U.S. based settings. Throughout the course, the teachers ask about your goals and how you want to use your TEFL certificate and are a great resource to help you achieve them. I highly recommend this experience for anyone interested in earning a TEFL certificate.

I completed the program in 2018, and have been teaching ESL full-time ever since! I often refer to and think about the theory, culture and tangible lessons from this course. Would highly recommend! I took the course online and really enjoyed completing it on my own time. The course required a lot of consideration and thought, but for me the practice lesson planning and grading info really helps me in my course teaching to this day. I'm very thankful for the wonderful Dr. Thevanot as well. My favorite instructor! Would highly recommend!

I was incredibly impressed by the quality of instruction provided through this program. During my cycle, there was a rotation of professors who each brought their own unique perspectives to class. I enjoyed being able to take this course in-person with other classmates and left the course feeling better equipped to teach. My particular situation was noteworthy because of the need to transition to virtual classes courtesy of Covid-19. Professors were extremely flexible to meet student needs in an unprecedented circumstance.

This program is incredible! You can tell immediately that every detail was meticulously planned out to help students be successful. The team is readily available to assist with questions; they focus on helping you feel confident in the material, so you are able to finish the program ready for your next step. I believe the intentionality behind the program really allowed me to feel that I was experiencing a top-notch program.

I enjoyed the class so much, and I will continue to recommend it to all who are interested in moving forward in this career path.

ConnecTEFL was a great opportunity! Being abroad already and completing the program with an infant to care for, having the ability to do all of the classes online and on my own schedule was so helpful. The material is thorough and the assignments were meaningful, so I was well prepared when planning and teaching my practicum lessons. The professor responsible for the online students gave prompt and thorough feedback, and always included additional resources about the topic or helped flesh out any questions I had. While I will always prefer in-person learning, I could not have asked for a better experience for earning my certificate virtually!

This program helped prepare me by giving me knowledge and the confidence I needed to lead my own English classes. The readings and coursework set a solid foundation for any language teacher and the course offers a lot of opportunity for hands on practice! I got to collaborate with other teacher and students to learn from others’ experiences and expertise along the way. Pair all of this with the affordable cost, and this is a great option for anyone that may be interested in teaching adult ESL in the states or English abroad!

I recently finished the on-line Connectefl course and honestly can say that I miss the stimulating lessons/videos/observations. I taught high school and elementary school for years and when I moved, I wondered how I could find a new career or vibrant volunteer work combining my love of teaching and my enjoyment in meeting internationals. I've found it! This program was better developed and more substantial than others I investigated. I feel the cost is very reasonable for the quality of instruction, feedback, and availability for extra help. Designed around common "myths" about TEFL, every week's lessons showed me that I certainly did make some of the erroneous assumptions. However, the encouraging thing was that we had great examples and suggestions for applying better strategies. The only reason I did not rate the overall program a '10" is that I am a technological dinosaur and my only difficulties were with organizing and processing my assignments. Whenever I faced a roadblock, Richard Dalton patiently walked me through the process. Thus, an added benefit for me was that I am much more familiar and confident in computer usage. My only regret about the course is that I didn't start my observations earlier. They were informative and encouraging. and well---lots of fun. I visited ESL classes at the college level, elementary school ages, church sponsored international support groups and other community classes. I've been volunteering at a local ESL course and I am feel that I have improved in my teaching technique, use of time, and understanding of different cultures. I've already learned of a wonderful opportunity to teach English in Asia. Connectefl prepared me for it and now I'm eager to see if I can make it happen.

I enrolled in ConnecTEFL's program to prepare me for a teaching program overseas after graduation, but it actually landed me a job here as a private English tutor in the mean time! The course itself was wonderful, and despite being fully enrolled in 18+ hours as a senior in college, I thoroughly enjoyed going to this class. In fact, it quickly became one of my favorites. The teachers were all super knowledgable and positive, making class fun, which was a great experience for those of us learning to become teachers. We were able to learn and ask questions then teach each other within the class before expanding out and volunteer-teaching to local refugee centers in the community. I highly recommend this course to anyone looking into a path involving ESL/EFL, whether it be here stateside or abroad!

The ConnecTEFL course is a thoroughly well thought out course that is provided by professionals experienced in this field. While I did not have plans to utilize the course for employment/service opportunities overseas, the course has served me well locally as I have had the opportunity to utilize some learned skills in a local setting with the refugee community. The course covers a broad range of topics from the theories of language learning to the practical aspect of preparing lesson plans. With very manageable class sizes, the interactive nature of the teaching/learning is impressive as one learns not only from the "professionals" but also from the experience (or lack of experience) of each of the students. This interactive nature allows the class to bond and develop friendships which leads toward increased networking in the community. I would guess that those taking the course on-line, though they are not in a classroom setting, would also experience this interactive nature of learning.
Also, it is a great value for what one receives! I recommend ConnecTEFL!