Teach Away

Program Reviews

Sandra
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

if you need a certificate but can´t put in much time, good choice

I´ve been working as a teacher for several years abroad now, so that might have helped finishing the course; still I found some parts of the course useful. I did an online course for teaching German several years ago, and I must say, though content was more or less the same, this course here was so much less work ... short lessons, a lot of multiple choice, and reflection journals don´t ask for excessive answers. Good choice if you already have some experience and need a certificate without having much time.

Heather
2/5
No, I don't recommend this program

... eh, it was alright

I took the 150 hour course, signing up because I received a coupon from a university job fair.
I can't honestly say I learned much. I did just graduate from the Masters of Teaching program at OISE, so I cannot say if the course didn't do much for me because I had just been immersed in educational theory and training.

If you have no teaching experience, do not take this course. I would highly recommend you take a program that includes in-class teaching experience. Honestly, that is where all of the learning happens. If you already are a seasoned teacher and is just looking for the TEFL qualification, this is an easy course that you can just breeze your way through. The quizzes take little thought to ace. The only frustrating part of this course is the outdated coding: Often there would be slides with broken buttons or quiz questions you cannot answer because the click-and-drag submission button does not line up.

I cannot say if having a certificate from U of T helps in the job market. There is a lot of educational theory covered, but I do not know if it compares with the U of T quality.

What would you improve about this program?
Update the coding on the slides! Quiz buttons are broken and often text overlaps when it is "revealed" by clicking on tabs.
Response from Teach Away

Hi Heather,

The course is designed to train even those with no teaching experience or training to succeed in the EFL classroom. As such, the curriculum involves things that would certainly be a review for a licenced or experienced teacher such as yourself.

The course curriculum touches on lesson planning, classroom management, student evaluation and resource management, concepts which are essential to teaching alongside basic skills needed for teaching foreign language learners, such as English grammar.

TEFL courses do not typically include in-class work and it is not required to qualify for jobs abroad. The minimum requirements to teach English abroad are, in general, a Bachelor's Degree and a TEFL certificate.

For licenced or experienced teachers, TEFL is not always required to qualify for jobs abroad, but can certainly help put you ahead of the competition and provide you with the skills to deal with teaching in the foreign language classroom. We apologize if this was not clear to you upon enrollment.

We also appreciate your patience with the updates to our course which may have caused the delays you have noted. We encourage students to reach out to us if they experience difficulties so we can provide assistance.

Thanks for taking the time to provide us with your feedback and we hope that your TEFL certificate helps you land your dream teaching job abroad!

Robyn
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

UofT TEFL Online

After completing the 150-Hour TEFL Program online through UofT, I feel as if I have a strong base in teaching English as a foreign language. The course provided a variety of topics and opportunities for specialization (i.e. Business English or English for Young Learners) depending on your own personal interests and career goals. I very much enjoyed covering curriculum topics such as lesson planning, learner-centred learning, and classroom management, and I feel prepared to apply the skills learned in a classroom setting after completing this program.

What would you improve about this program?
I feel as if the program could be improved by providing more opportunity for interaction - either between students, or between students and instructors. As this is an online program, it would have been highly beneficial to have a more established platform for collaboration and communication. I also saw an opportunity for more constructive, and specific feedback to be provided back to students by the course administrators on assignments.
Zorina
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Teaching English as a Second Language

I found that the course provided the novice student with tools to teach English as a second language. The course was in depth and covered a lot of material. The multiple tests and exams given ensured that the student had a good understanding of the material.
Although the course provides material for teaching abroad there are some students who would like to teach at home. Upon completion of the course, I find that there was minimal assistance in trying to locate a job in Canada!

Maria
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A continuous TEFL journey

With a prior background in education the TEFL program enriched my knowledge of how language is acquired and equipped me with the necessary tools to be able to instruct learners effectively in order to acquire the language skills they require for communication . I found this program exciting and thought provoking! In addition to this, the program has given me the opportunity to meet and teach pupils from a wide array of backgrounds by offering them English language tuition in my newly established language and creative arts institute! Through the program I have had the chance to meet people from China, Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Lebanon, Syria, Greece, Africa and all over Europe! I feel that not only do I teach these people English but at the same time I learn from them, therefore I am on a continual journey of learning! These are encounters I believe I would never have made without a TEFL certification. I would highly recommend this course to anyone interested in teaching English as a foreign or second language.

Gary
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

GRHambley U of T TEFL Training

The course was terrific. The information and materials provided, to my mind high up on the curve. I don't know what the definition of "provided for" would be but I do believe what I received was well beyond adequate.

I have no clue on what constitutes degree of difficulty. For me it wasn't difficult and it was work. The degree of difficulty changes with the desire you have for something.

Not having a teaching certificate prior to taking the course I found myself going sideways out of the material to explore and better understand some of the components. There were a good amount of outside resources that U of T, OISE and TeachAway pointed you to and I very much appreciate those resources!

I was a Life Coach before I went in to this and before I was Life Coach, I was a writer. I'm still those things with a different perspective and added skills. Point being the course is big on making use of the "Experiential" so when you bring yours along, you'll hit things you disagree with or may in fact be wrong in the place you come from.

The problems I encountered all stemmed from technical issues that developed with the implementation of a revamped web site. Those matters were addressed with the University and for the most part when an issue appeared, the school was quick to respond.

The Impact on my life post program is still to be determined. I'm looking for a country to teach in.

Had I not hit those technical issues my overall grade for the course would be a 9 instead of an 8. The problem never should of happened.

I'm not going to write you a book. You can look at my "Exit Slip" piece and use the links at the end of the piece to get probably more information than you care to know about my experience.

MY EXIT SLIP
https://transitionu.wordpress.com/2017/12/20/my-exit-slip/

What would you improve about this program?
I think some of the information needs reviewed and updated. A couple times the instruction was in conflict with what I know, that is correct by what I know as a Life Coach.
WEE PIN
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

About the course

The course is really helpful, especially for career growth. The course helped me to understand better when teaching children that are learning English as Second Language. Also, the course provides great flexibility for a full-time teacher like me to learn as I get to study at my own pace despite my busy schedule. The staff provide relevant assistance when needed, the lessons are easy to understand and assessments are provided to ensure your understandings of the lesson.

Read my full story
Jenny
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Jenny's Review

I thought this course was excellent. It was well designed, with valuable information. I liked that it was very practical with real classroom examples. Many university and college courses are too theoretical and don't prepare students for the actual job. I feel this course prepared me for an actual job and that I could go out and teach tomorrow with relative ease. I especially thought that the Business English teaching component of the course was incredibly well designed.

What would you improve about this program?
I am working in Israel and I only have limited ability in the Hebrew language. I would have liked a lesson on how to teach when you don't know the local language. How do you control a class, implement procedures, and teach when you don't have a good grasp of the local language? I think a whole component of the course could have been devoted to this.
Response from Teach Away

Hi Jenny,

We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed the course. Congratulations once again on your successful completion!

We appreciate your feedback on the difficulty of teaching when you don't speak the local language. This is something that many TEFL teachers find difficult which is why it is discussed in the specializations aimed at teaching speakers of other languages, such as 'Teaching English to Mandarin Speakers'. Though we do not currently offer a module on teaching Hebrew speakers, it is certainly something we will keep in mind for the future.

Best of luck to you in your classroom!
Elspeth

Babak
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Interesting Course

The course is a great source to sharpen my teaching skills to serve foreign learners more effectively.
Having experience in teaching to foreign learners in Canada and abroad, I was keen to dig into the basics and utilize other teachers experiences and classical knowledge.
U of T TEFL course helped me to understand the requirements to be a teacher who wants to teach foreign learners.
Now I am going to put back those knowledge into practice.

Maryam
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great program

This program gave me more insight in the teaching career. I really understood a lot of teaching techniques and how to become successful in the teaching career. Teaching English has become a loving career to me due to the approach used to teach it. I will advice anyone willing to take up a teaching career abroad to go through this program because it prepares you for what you will encounter in future no matter which country you end up teaching in. I also appreciated the tips given to write up a curriculum vitae. It was very useful to me.

What would you improve about this program?
By helping other nationals apart from US, UK citizens etc in getting a teaching job in their desired locations.