Award Winning TEFL Courses & Job Guidance for Teaching Abroad

Understatement: TEFL changed my life. Becoming TEFL-certified not only opened the door to travel and live abroad, but also allowed me to be a stand-out candidate to countless employers. Upon arriving to Santiago, Chile, I had three interviews lined up. A week later I had three job offers on the table and I accredit much of that to the International TEFL Academy, where I took my 4-week in-class certification.

The International TEFL Academy prepared me by teaching the fundamentals of the English language and then showing me how to apply them in a classroom setting. Easily the most valuable experience came from the practicum in which we had the opportunity to teach ESL students at varied levels. You can read about something a million times over, but the true solidification of the knowledge comes from experience itself. TEFL provided the ground-work information as well as the perfect environment to put it to use; not to mention they gave constructive feedback after each class.

Our instructors were incredibly qualified and truly had our best interest and success at heart. The advisors were constantly eager to help us narrow down our destination and start our networking with possible schools and employers.

For anyone even remotely considering becoming certified and taking the plunge to move abroad, I cannot urge you enough. Teaching is rewarding, living in another country is culturally eye-opening, and traveling to new destinations in your spare time is just an incredible bonus. International TEFL Academy is a great and accredited institute to begin this new adventure.

Last year at this time my life seemed turned upside down.
Instead of my usual smile I was was full of tears and a frown.
I knew I needed to do something and make a big change.
That's when I did my research and contacted ITA.

I had been teaching for seven years in a second grade classroom,
but I wanted to do something different. I needed something new.
I was instantly hooked up with a fantastic adviser by the name of Jeff.
He wanted to know where I was interested in going and said he'd help with the rest.

He stuck to his work and helped me right up until the class began.
My smile was coming back and I was becoming a huge ITA fan.
When class began I felt like a kid in a candy shop.
I was looking forward to it and which of the 150 countries I'd make my first stop!

The possibilities were endless and the teacher of the class was great.
She had been all over the world teaching, had experience, and wanted us to relate!
She made us all become attentive in class and follow the schedule,
however understanding and wanting us to be successful.

She had weekly office hours and live webinars.
She wanted to know all her students both near and far.
Her feedback was clear and very thorough, which was nice.
The teacher was focused, driven, and gave awesome advice.

Of course there were times when I wondered if I was making the right choice.
I was leaving an established career said a tiny voice!
The voice was my doubt when I had a rough week of class and teaching.
It made me question if I had taken on to much and reminded me frequently.
I pushed this voice aside, I had to...
because I was insistent on teaching someplace new!

An 11 week class is as easy as one, two, and three!!!
That is, if you really want to go abroad, see the world, and teach.
The world is open for exploration and growth.
And let's face it ITA made me want to do both!

However the voice returned right before I got on the plane.
Asking me if I was certain of this massively big change?
Had I picked the right city, the right roommates, packed the right clothes?!?!
All I could do was laugh, shrug my shoulders, say we shall see, and who knows!!!!

I have now moved abroad and teach in an international school.
I get to see a new part of the world while still teaching, which is what I love to do!
Each day I wake up in the city of Prague.
Realizing my dream became a reality and I'm no longer dazed or in a fog.

I have met new people, am experiencing new things,
all while making a life choice to set new goals and follow my dreams!
ITA has even visited here, which was a huge extra bonus!
It made me feel important, special, and noticed.

There are many of us around the world that have worked with ITA.
And as you can see I have many positive things to say!
So open your minds at this amazing opportunity.
Learn from a company that will make you feel at home, just as they did me!

I took the course in Barva, Costa Rica and it was excellent. The instructors were fantastic, and I felt it really prepared me as much as possible for teaching. We had the opportunity to do a lot of practice teaching with actual students, which was so helpful. The director of this school is incredible and the job placement assistance was invaluable. Also the staff at International TEFL were so helpful, easy to communicate with, and knowledgeable.

I just finished the part-time, 11-week course. It was tougher than I thought it would be which is why it was great. I felt it really prepared me for what is to come. I likely spent an average of 15 hours a week on my weekly reading & tasks. Some weeks were easier than others, but every week offered enough challenge. The Practicum is a very important aspect as this is where you get to put it all into practice if you're lucky enough to teach and not just watch, as I was. It will also give you taste for it -- do you like teaching or not? Kids or adults? One-on-one or groups? I would recommend this program (and have!) to anyone interested in TEFL training.

First of all, I have to say that I am so glad that I chose to get TEFL Certified through the ITA! I took the 11 week online course during my last semester of college. It was a challenge to stack that much more homework into my schedule every week, but it was definitely doable! From the very start of contacting ITA with interest in the program, I received personalized feedback and attention from my advisor through email. Whenever I had a question or concern, my advisor was always very quick to respond. Once I started the course, my professor was outstanding in helping me whenever I had a question or was confused about the coursework. The way the online classes are set up is very user friendly and easy to navigate, making it simple to get on and get the coursework done every week. I spent about 10 hours per week completing the units and homework. After I competed the online course, I did my required 20 practicum hours at three different locations near where I lived at the time. Each place I went to observe and student teach was a wonderful experience. The online ITA course really did a great job preparing me to teach in a real classroom. Another wonderful thing about ITA, even after you move abroad, they don't forget you! They have really great Facebook pages for the ITA alumni that connect you to other alumni that are teaching in the same country as you, making it where it's really easy to make new friends in your new country who are doing the same thing you are! Lastly, the ITA staff is incredible at helping with your job search and making your résumé and they are always ready to help you out!

I was able to sharpen my English skills thanks to "International TEFL Academy" I had gained the interest of many schools because I had a certification, and that led to many open doors when I went to teach in Peru.

The TEFL Academy staff is friendly and their admissions officer did a great job of roping me into the program--I don't mean that in a backhanded way. I don't think if I had such a good experience talking with Ian, my admissions counselor, about how and why teaching abroad was for me, and the right time is now!-I never would have left my job and changed my life for the better.

I also really enjoyed the coursework--the material, pace and convenience. I worked full time while taking the online course and it was the most economical and practical way for me to complete my certification. My professor was engaging and I enjoyed her audio lectures, she was always very responsive and gave thorough feedback on my work.

The main area where the program is lacking is, in my view, job assistance. TEFL Academy is up front about their policy--they do not place you in a job, but I wish I had chose a program that did--it would be worth it for the money you pay. Essentially, they are turning out certifications but 99% of the job search process is up to you. The best way to use this program is to identify a recruiter you want to align with after you have completed your certification and then complete an online course with TEFL Academy. When it came to finding a job in Europe they gave me some delayed feedback and essentially told me it's sink or swim: best bet is to fly to Europe and hope you can get a job through some dogged hunting. Read: Hope your savings account is up to the challenge.

In my own experience and in the experience of other TEFL teacher hopefuls I have talked to, this is unrealistic. It is extremely difficult and costly to get a job this way. If your goal is to teach in Europe, I strongly recommend going through a company that places you in a position. I just noticed in the TEFL newsletter that they have a new policy and alignment with language schools in Europe, so maybe things are changing for the better.

Overall I do not regret the program I chose. I am excited about the alumni network and getting to know others who have completed the program and are out in the world. TEFL Academy's strength is their staff's willingness to help, although sometimes their resources to do so are not idealistic. I have nothing but positive things to say about the online curriculum and professors as well.