The Best TEFL Classes For Teaching Abroad & Online in 2026!

I took my TEFL course several years ago, but right after I completed my course (which was amazing), my life shifted and I took over a friend's business, so I never went into teaching at the time. Now it is 6 years later and I’m finally ready to teach, but wasn’t sure where to start. I was nervous since I hadn’t actually taught yet and it had been so long. I wondered if perhaps I should retake the whole course again? I contacted the admissions office and shared my thoughts with “Ambrosia”, my newly assigned advisor. She was great! While she could’ve easily signed me up to retake the whole course, (allowing me to spend all that money again), she didn’t. Instead she guided me to the “Teaching English Online” specialty course. I had told her I also wanted to teach English online so she told me I could just start here and see...that this could very well be all I need. It would not only support my desire to teach online, but would also boost my confidence and likely serve as somewhat of a refresher course. I feel like this was the perfect answer! The price the specialty course is also $1400 cheaper! To me, this speaks highly of the character and integrity, of ITA. Their organization isn’t just there to “rake in the money”. They truly care about YOU, as their student. They really are there to serve YOU and guide YOU in the best direction for YOUR life path/career. I had many questions and felt a bit “lost” when I first called the admissions office, but Ambrosia was very patient with me as well as personable. Her knowledge and keen sense truly helped guide me to get started in the right direction!! I am now also proud to part of such an amazing organization!!

I have nothing but good things to say about my TEFL certification course. To begin, the class was accurately advertised and there were no hidden fees or unruly surprises. Going into the class, all of the material was new to me. Yet, my professor and the provided material prepared me with the necessary information and education needed for me to feel confident as a TEFL instructor. I highly recommend this course for anyone looking not only to get certified as a TEFL/TESL instructor, but for those looking for the necessary education to excel in this profession.

My experience with the International TEFL Academy has been excellent. I did the online course and hope to travel and teach in Italy. From the very first minute I heard the voice of the Student Ambassador that helped me enroll, I knew I had chosen the right course. The friendliness and professional nature of the organization is just stellar. The course itself was filled with information and extra resources. I bought two of the textbooks and have referenced them quite a bit already. The professor I had in the course was very helpful and knew the subject matter well-she is a university professor and has also taught abroad. I was amazed at how efficient she was at grading our work on time and offering feedback and extra resources. I am now doing my practicum. I am observing classes in person and online and am also doing some tutoring. All the information I learned online is so helpful! I feel ready to begin this new career.

ITA's TEFL certification course - as well as the other courses, such as Teaching Online and Teaching Business English (both which I have completed) - is a wonderful avenue for being able to teach non-native English speakers, no matter where you are and no matter where they are! The online course is designed in such a way that you can complete each unit in your own time during the course of a week (which works wonderfully for those working full-time jobs and pursuing this on the side). I am still in the USA but have been able to get connected with a group locally (referred through ITA's practicum resources) to begin teaching non-native English speakers here, as well as online. Eventually I plan to teach in Costa Rica, and feel that I have the resources and support available to me when that happens. The courses are intense/thorough and the assignments are very practical; the instructors (as I have experienced them) are very experienced, knowledgeable and available for questions; and the resources they provide, for practicum and for job placement, are fairly extensive. I highly recommend this program!

I have taken many classes online in the past at graduate and professional levels. This course has been one of the best organized and thorough that I have done. The entire process was great in that from the beginning the staff really reach out to students to explain the in's and outs of the program even before you sign up. I felt the actual course, materials and teacher were thorough and really worked to engage students. The teacher, in particular, was very hands on and provided good feed back and assistance. I have recommended the course to my sister and a few friends. Definitely a good value. Thank you

There was not a point where I felt as though I could not ask for help. There is always someone that is able to help you and give you advice. Whether it be your admissions advisor, instructor, or your job search advisor. I got valuable feedback on all of my assignments. While searching for jobs I have gotten VERY detailed critiques on my resume to make sure it is ready to show to recruiters.

The course is wonderful it provides all the necessary information in a great way. The book is clearly organized. You can always chat with your teacher for help. After the course there is quite a bit of resources to utilize in your job search.

I love being abroad. I love everything about being in a foreign country. Learning how to teach English to those that want the knowledge has changed my life for the better in more ways than one. Knowing I can always get a job where ever I choose, knowing that no matter who I teach, they want to be in the class. It is truly incredible.

From the pre-enrollment support, online instruction, course textbook and videos, instructor prompts, engagement, feedback, and peer participation to the alumni network and (yet un-utilized by me, but I will soon) job search guidance, I found ITA's TEFL course to be an excellent value for the price. I recommend this program to anyone seeking to gain their TEFL certification in order to teach abroad.

The TEFL Course definitely taught me a lot about myself and teaching. I am grateful I took this course. Great instructor and advisor. Overall, Great program. It is life-changing to see how many people are trying to learn English around the world. I think that being a teacher that guide them along the way is a rewarding process. Something I never thought about doing until I took this course.

The class was great. Very informative. However, it was a LOT of work. I vastly underestimated how much time it took me each week to complete the tasks and reading. It could be because I'm already a full time Special Education Teacher. So, it drained me to have to get off work teaching kids all day and then have to do all the class work. I should have taken this class in the summer when I wasn't working and was off. I feel like I know what I'm doing now. I will be saving all my task and using them in the future in the classroom. Having to compose lesson plans and activities from scratch will take years off your life. You've been warned. However, if you can get through it, then it's sweet in the end. I feel a sense of accomplishment and now I have a golden ticket! I can teach abroad! Worth it.

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Overall, I honestly believe that I got what I paid for out of this course. Though I still will feel nervous going into a classroom for the first time, I believe that I have ample tools from this course to help me succeed. It covers all areas of the classroom you may encounter. Be prepared to put time into the course. I did feel like my advisor prepared me well for the course giving me clear upfront understanding of what to expect: at least 10 hours a week on reading and class work. It was still manageable with my full-time job. I also had assistance with finding a job and secured a position before the course was even complete. I felt supported in both my educational and job search endeavors. I would definitely recommend doing this course if you want to teach abroad and work a full-time job! Great experience!

The online TEFL course is designed for students with busy schedules. I am a full-time mom and surprisingly did not develop any anxiety regarding coursework or deadlines. I think that the tasks were thorough in reflecting the material learned in the respective chapter but weren't too demanding or stressful. I learned a lot more than I expected to with the combination of textbook, youtube video, and online / text-referenced resources.

International TEFL Academy has been an amazing experience. Finishing the online TEFL course I feel prepared to teach English as a foreign language. I am excited to begin my career and my journey as an instructor abroad beginning in South America!

My experience with the online TEFL course was incredible. It was super convenient with my schedule and my instructor was great. The course material is fun and interactive and the assignments help you practice all sorts of skills for teaching in a real classroom. I really learned a lot and I am even more excited about teaching English abroad than I was before I started! I am so glad I chose to get my certification with ITA!

After teaching sociology for many years, I am moving in a new direction and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the first leg of that journey with TEFL. Mine was an online class and I was hesitant at first, having never taken an online course prior to this. My instructor was great and the platform was easy to navigate. Now, the adventure begins!

This course was very demanding at times; however, with a little hard work, I was able to learn how to become an effective ESL teacher. The textbook has a lot of great information in it that really helped me to understand what I need to do to teach students from the very beginning stages of English, to the advanced stages.

My online TEFL course through ITA was great! I felt like I had support from my instructor through the entire course and there was always someone ready to answer any question I had. This seemed like the best option to teach English abroad, and I am so happy with my decision!

Taking the online TEFL certification course definitely had me wondering how well prepared I would actually be to teach English abroad, but due to my schedule I had no other options. However, the course and instructor were fantastic! My instructor was very supportive and quick to respond to questions and concerns. The course content was comprehensive and allowed for plenty of individual exploring and learning by providing a wide variety of outside resources. One of my favorite aspects of the course is the focus on lesson planning. It has really put my mind at ease concerning running an efficient classroom that meets its learning goals. It takes some dedication and discipline, but I would absolutely recommend the online course to anyone willing to set a chunk of time aside each week for 10 weeks.

Even after doing a 4 year education degree and having a couple years of teaching experience, I still found the majority of this course interesting and helpful. I think it designed to provide the basics for students who are not already teachers and to help them to get a good idea of what teaching is all about, all the while still providing useful information, tips and tricks for experienced teachers. The advisors were really helpful and my teacher was really great! I recommend this course!