Program Reviews

As an ITA graduate with a 120 hours TEFL certificate, I profoundly and wholeheartedly recommend this course of study to anyone who’s looking for flexible and rewarding employment. My decision for completing the TEFL certificate was based on the two forementioned reasons. I was able to teach as soon as I graduated. I thought from home and also freely traveled as well, while maintaining my teaching schedule, with my students. It’s been a gratifying experience and one that I fully recommend for anyone who wants stability, flexibility and financial rewards.

Great program, great material. Finished and paid for everything. One problem: I never received any support for the Final Practicorum requirement so investment down the drain. Other than this everything was great. But what’s the point if you don’t get a certificate. Wouldn’t recommend this program despite the raving reviews I read. They’ll give you a list of contacts and tell you to go figure it out. For $2,000+ that’s unacceptable when I was told there’s a department that handles that. “Handles” as in gives you a list and tells you to figure it out by a deadline.

The learning process from start to finish, including the followups are what really set ITA apart from any other learning institution I’ve studied at. The meaningful professional feedback, created a sense of being a part of career program, that became realistic as the process progressed. The reason I say this, is because in the beginning the thought of traveling and teaching in Europe was very abstract for me. This is also the reason I am a huge fan of the stories graduates share about teaching abroad.

Since I have been in Nitra, the region of some of my own ancestors, in the Slovak Republic, my experience has moved beyond the classroom. I have learned about the culture and the people through my students and through the community. In particular, I have seen the responses to the war in the Ukraine, as the community is affected by the crisis.

Sadly, the effects of a long Russian presence here has influenced the residents, even many years after the Russian era ended in Europe. Several of my students even confided in me about mysterious disappearances and residual fear due to the Russian presence in the modern day and historically, both in the region I was teaching in, and in regions adjacent. The sad part was that it was the students who told me about this, whereas the adults tend to shy away from the subject, and this makes them appear unsympathetic.

The part that didn’t make sense, was that this country is an EU member country. So why would people here be so scared of Russia still?
It seems to be a situation that will most likely improve over time and as the war resolves, but again being from Canada things are definitely a bit of a surprise. I mention it here because the American and Canadian press are covering the Ukraine crisis often, and I just picked up on things here and there, worth saying.

Another thing that I noticed is that many of the smaller nations like the Slovak Republic where I am, don’t really call out Russia in the press. I think there is a concern that Russia will just spill back into Europe, and no one wants to be on record saying that the war is horrific. It really has become a normalized thing throughout this region and many others.

This is outside of my scope as an English teacher and the content of the essay, but I thought I should mention it, just in case. So yeah, you guys are great and some people living in countries near Russia are pretty damn scared of it. So what else is new, I suppose.

Seriously though, you guys are awesome and overall, it has been totally worth it to achieve my certificate and teach abroad. Thank-you so much. Probably the best money I ever spent!

ITA was challenging but attainable. You’ll definitely learn what you need to be a successful teacher, and any foreign school will be impressed with your certification. So many doors have been opened for me, including teaching at a private school in Russia, back in 2018, and teaching online from the States. If you’re finished with school and want to see the world, even if you don’t want to make teaching your career, ITA is the perfect first step to getting out and discovering the world and discovering yourself. I’ve gained so much self confidence and esteem by stepping out of my comfort, and ITA was the first step the set me on my journey.

For solid training and many enriching opportunities, I commend the International TEFL Academy! The robust coursework and abundance of supplemental materials are very practical for learning to teach online or in a classroom. Students benefit even more when there are discounted prices for classes because they can select the start dates that are convenient for them. They do not need to begin classes right away. The teachers are professional, courteous and generous with their feedback. Additionally, the International TEFL Academy provides excellent resources for practicums and jobs.

I was skeptical when I signed up for the program! It is a lot of money. I had done my research though and decided International TEFL was the best. I have never regretted it since. I lived the 11 week program and completed it during a 4 month Covid layoff from my management job. Upon returning to work I decided I wanted to leave my job and start traveling immediately! So I did. I bought a one way ticket to Turkey and never looked back. I have been here for almost 2 years now. The friends I have made on the FB groups with IntTefl have been amazing. I have met up with several in person in Turkey. They have been a great support system. I teach full time on Cambly and make US dollars while living in Turkey which has been great!

The online TEFL program is comprehensive, exhaustive and time-consuming and like most things in life, you get out of it what you are willing to put in to it. After being out of school for over 40 years, I had some concerns, but my instructor, Ms. Jasmine Shepherd, was always available to answer my questions, to provide guidance, when necessary, and to allow me to explore some issues which were of interest to me, but somewhat off the off the path of the standard curriculum. Overall, I would highly recommend the program and the experience. It is now my responsibility to put the theory in to practice.

Professor was very knowledgeable
Students were very engaging and very spontaneous
Course content was/is very relevant; it provides the foundation and platform for new/young teachers who wish to teach TESL/TEFL in a non-English-speaking country/environment
The content of the program is very properly structured; the progressive manner allows even slow learners/beginners to grasp the content of each lesson as one goes along. It creates a desire to want to achieve, to complete and to excel and graduate with distinction.

There was definitely enough content to come up with our own curriculum so that we could teach certain subjects. We could look at previous lessons from students to get an idea of what to teach future students. I wanted to hear more about their failures and successes. We could speak to everyone in the room about their recent experiences teaching students but sometimes they were just as lost in terms of how to make lessons successful as the next person. We didn’t have much time to talk to one another and learn from one another because we were too busy studying others lessons and putting our own lessons together.

Good program to prepare you to teach English abroad. Also have great tips & tools for job placement after completion. Course load isn't light but when you're completed with the course, you already have multiple courses ready to implement in your classroom, online or in person. The cost of the class was a little steep but the payment plan made it possible. Overall I would recommend the course if you're looking to teach abroad. Might be a little overkill if you're just looking to tutor online but still useful to have.