Highly Recommend ITA Online Course

For many, myself included, deciding which company to receive your TEFL certification from can seem completely overwhelming. Where do you even begin?

What it came down to for me was my initial first impression of their website. How user-friendly it is, how professional it looks and the wealth of information provided before even engaging with a representative. ITA provided all of this! One I made the first step to being contacted, an admissions advisor (Felicia) contacted me within 24 hours.

Felicia, Havvah (my student affairs advisor), and all professors and staff I worked with (in my course, as well as the webinars I watched and listened to) have all lived and worked abroad teaching English. They are all very well suited to answer any questions you may have on the experience.

If you haven’t already picked a destination, they can help you solidify one based on your needs and goals. If you already know your location you’ll automatically be assigned a team familiar with your country. Your advisors will work with you throughout your course, and even after, to ensure you have all that is necessary to apply for jobs, get the job and what the heck to do when you actually land the job!

Once you've started your course, you can join the general alumni discussion group on Facebook, as well as country-specific groups. I would be lost without these groups. It's so helpful to be able to connect with other alumni before and during your adventure to ask random questions about packing, things to do and advice. Many alumni also post honest reviews about the schools they are at or have previously worked with and will post when their school is hiring!

I’ve had so many people ask me if the course is worth it, to that, I say yes!!! Do you speak English? Yes. But do you know how to teach a non-native speaker English? Hell no! This course teaches various techniques. Learning to teach young learners, adult learners as well as everything in between encompassing teaching and living abroad.

I am currently teaching at a preschool in Shanghai, China. Holding a TEFL certificate has added so much value in my contract negotiation process. Many schools are cracking down on teachers holding a TEFL certificate (not just having a Bachelors degree and holding a passport from a native English country). I received my TEFL certification from the International TEFL Academy in June 2016. I couldn’t be happier with the entire process. If you are in or near Chicago, they offer on-site classes. If you are anywhere else in the world, go for the online course. I highly recommend ITA!