Teach Away

Program Reviews

Gabriel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

UofT TEFL

Learned lots and I get to keep any worksheet material after the course. Detailed instruction and activities to practice during the lesson too. Great to reflect through journals at the end of each module. Overall great experience, technical support can be improved. Please don’t blame your students for not keeping a copy of the journals, it your error when the journals dissapear when I try to access them.

What would you improve about this program?
The journals dissapear if I try to access them, the support blamed me for not keeping a copy of the journals after I submitted them. Better technical support needed.
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Danya
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

TEFL Online from the University of Toronto

In 2014, I was two years into my teaching experience overseas, when I decided to pursue a TEFL certification to help improve my qualifications. I graduated with a Bachelor of Education in 2003, and so achieving the TEFL certification helped improve on my previous knowledge with the added advantage of gaining the educational and practical working knowledge of teaching English Language Learners. The feedback and support provided by the professors who lead each of the courses was valuable, since they were able to add to what the course had to offer. The flexibility of an on-line course is that you can complete it at your own time. My TEFL certification helped in opening doors to the expanding field of teaching students where English is a second language either on-line or on-site in an overseas country. I thank the University of Toronto for offering this program and look forward to what new experiences I can achieve with my certification!

What would you improve about this program?
Just in that it should be highly promoted to gain attention.
Callista
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Online TEFL Certification Program

The University of Toronto's TEFL 150-hour online course was thorough and simple to navigate through, albeit for constant technical glitches that include frozen slides. Receiving certification from a distinguished university should provide an additional boost during the job hunting process in the future.

However, processing of the certificate upon completion of the course is delayed indefinitely. It has been 3 weeks since the course, and no scanned certificate is provided to me, except for an email from them asking me to confirm my name. Their email states that I will receive the scanned certificate within 2 weeks, but no such thing came about.

I would rate the program much higher if the turnaround time for the certificate is as promised.

Response from Teach Away

Hi Callista,

Thank you for your feedback and for taking the time to offer your insights on your TEFL Online course experience.

It's helpful to note that we are unable to begin processing certificates until a student's name is confirmed. Thereafter, it takes 1-2 weeks for students to receive a scanned copy of their certificate. All certificates are then sent via regular mail and are subject to standard mailing times.

I can see that you've now received a scanned copy of your certificate so if you haven't already, you should receive your physical copy of the certificate in the mail shortly!
If you have any further questions regarding your certificate, or on beginning your teach abroad jounery, please contact us directly.

Best,
Elspeth

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sarah
1/5
No, I don't recommend this program

University of Toronto should be ashamed

This was such a joke, I am not sure where to start. First of all the 4-6 week waiting period to receive your certificate is unreasonable and totally unacceptable.
Second, there are numerous errors including 13 test errors about which I sent two emails and made one phone call, about were totally ignored. University of Toronto you should be ashamed to affiliate with this organization.
Any half way intelligent person will blow through 120hrs two weeks, (and have time to log the errors and organize the accompanying screenshots)
Fourth, a good chunk of this course appears to be written by one person (who begins nearly every slide with "In my experience...") This is highly opinionated, and frequently uninformed content written from subjective experience. This is not content created by a team of educators. Its so bad that 13 major errors were missed, and several technical glitches.
Fifth, the course does not work with Firefox ( which they of course deny, like fixing test errors, which might mean actually having to do actual work.)

Response from Teach Away

Hi Sarah,

Thank you very much for sharing your feedback.

We do advise all graduates of the program that it can take up to 4-6 weeks to receive their TEFL certificate after completing their course. As certificates are issued direct from the University of Toronto to teachers living all over the world - both within and without the US and Canada - certificates destined internationally can take up to this maximum time.

As you reside in Canada, a digital copy of your certificate has already been sent to you and your physical certificate mailed; set to arrive at your address within 3 weeks of your course completion. We strive to keep the processing time for certificates as short as possible.

All of your feedback has been received by our technical support team. If you are curious to know more about the U of T professors that designed the course, please visit: https://teflonline.teachaway.com/online-tefl-designers/

It was a pleasure to speak with you on the phone, and I wish you all the very best for a great international teaching adventure!

Best,
Christie

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Tucker
1/5
No, I don't recommend this program

Terrible class, basically a scam, and UoT astroturfs reviews online

This class is awful and should be avoided at all costs. I took the 120 hour class and it was so easy and repetitive that by the end I was pulling my hair out. It gives you no real tools to use when you enter a classroom, and the grammar section is superficial at best. It is also not accredited so this TEFL "certification" can not be used in Canada or the US. Also, they make you submit tons of writing within the class that seems to just be deleted after you submit it. Then at the end of each section make you turn in review journals that are obviously not read by anyone based on the turnaround time.

However, I could have gotten passed all that. It is an online class, and a popular one at that. It would be impossible for UoT to keep a 100% online class to the same standards as an in person TEFL course. I can understand why these deficiencies exist. BUT they also don't send you your certificate with any kind of speed. When you finish they say you will get an electronic copy in about 2 weeks, and the physical copy in a totally ridiculous 4-6 weeks. Even this terrible turnaround time is a lie. I finished almost three weeks ago now and have received nothing from UoT other than them asking me to confirm my name. When I finally found the correct number on their terrible website, and called they said I would be receiving my certificate in the next couple of days. Nothing came. It feels like I have been scammed out of $1,000.

Based on my experience there is no way that this course should be receiving the universally good reviews that it has online. So I decided to read every review I could find, and found they are all repeated across sites and all written in stilted prose with overly effusive praise for the course and UoT. It seems that UoT has payed someone to astroturf for them.

STAY AWAY YOU ARE JUST LOSING $1,000 FOR A NON ACCREDITED COURSE THAT YOU WONT EVEN RECEIVE YOUR CERTIFICATE FOR. Shame on UoT for running this scam.

What would you improve about this program?
By being accredited, and by actually sending the certificates out once you finish. Basically by making it into a real TEFL course.
Response from Teach Away

Hi Tucker,

We value your feedback and appreciate you taking the time to offer your insights on your TEFL Online course experience. We are sorry to hear our program fell short of your expectations.

I think it is helpful to clarify here, for yourself and other readers, that no TEFL course is truly accredited (as other ESL teaching certificates may be in the US and in Canada). There is no global accrediting body that governs the standards of Teaching English as a Foreign Language courses. As a result, TEFL programs that advertise they are accredited are privately accredited. In the end, the only way to ensure that you are receiving the best TEFL training that will be recognized internationally, is to undertake your TEFL certification with a reputable provider like a College or University, or with an internationally recognized private organization.

Your certificate is on it's way to you now, and you can expect it to arrive to you shortly. Certificates for the TEFL Online program are issued direct from the University of Toronto to teachers living all over the world, both within and without the US and Canada, and in rare cases certificates can take up to 6 weeks to arrive to a student living abroad.

If you have any questions regarding your certificate, or how you can take your first steps towards teaching abroad, please contact us directly.

Best,
Christie

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Phyllis
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Wonderful

I loved where I was placed or housing, the school was fantastic. My co-teacher and I worked together for four years and I hated leaving her. We got along fantastic with no issues all four years. All of the Arabic teachers were friendly and loving. My English co-workers were from all over the globe. Was great to find out how other countries taught. At the time I was there everyone was new so we blended together and form lasting friendships. I still stay in contact with many of my friends from the UAE experience. Can't say enough about how good the experience was. Wish I could have stayed longer.

What would you improve about this program?
I could have used a little more support for Teach Away in letting us know more on what to expect.
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Lindsey
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

ESL Teacher

My experience in South Korea was amazing. I felt very supported by my recruiting agency, Teach Away. From the initial contact through the application process to my over the phone interview, reviewing and signing the contract as well as physically traveling to join us in orientation in South Korea - Teach Away was there for me every step of the way!

I loved my teaching experience in Korea. I was able to make life long international friends. Working in the public schools allowed me a unique experience to get to know the local people and culture (I was the only foreign teacher in my school - probably my favorite thing about the program). I found the school very supportive and attentive to my needs. They were very welcoming and wanted to make sure that I felt comfortable and safe in my living accommodations. They went above and beyond to teach me about their culture and language and in return, I helped them learn conversational English. It was a great exchange! I was also able to travel extensively while I was there as well, an opportunity I do not think I would have been granted otherwise. Overall, the best experience of my life!

What would you improve about this program?
I was very impressed with the program overall. I experienced this as a new graduate, and that's whom I'd recommend the experience too - someone who is looking to develop their skills as a teacher, travel and experience something new!
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Lauren
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing experience

Teaching in China was one of the best experiences of my life. I made so many friends with people from around the world and built lasting friendships that have withstood the test of time. Seeing the genuine smiles on my kids (yes, I call them mine) faces when they saw me each morning was something I will always cherish. I would recommend teaching in China and going through a recruiter made me feel more prepared, as opposed to going to a foreign country and finding a job after the fact.

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Donald
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Taught in Beijing

It's been a lifelong dream of mine to teach overseas and I was happy to realize it in Beijing. There's so much to see and experience inside the classroom and outside with my teaching colleagues. I feel invigorated and re-inspired in my teaching. I found my job through Teach Away and the experience was great. They were professional at every point in the process and I felt really comfortable to take my career overseas with their help. A big hand to them.

What would you improve about this program?
In country support could be improved. Though I had very little questions for Teach Away at that time, could have been nice.
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Melody
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Easy transition - large expat community!

I've had an amazing experience teaching in Hong Kong. There is a very big expat community and in no time I felt completely at home. While it was definitely one of the hardest teaching jobs I've ever had it's been one of the most rewarding. I still stay in contact with Teach Away and was so grateful to have the help and support of my placement coordinator Katie - I even sent her a few email while I was there and she was always helpful and supportive. If you ever have the chance to teach in Hong Kong do it. HK is the perfect place if you want to travel without leaving the comforts of home behind. Easy transition!

What would you improve about this program?
Hi Katie!