Q: introduction

If you’re exploring your options for getting TEFL certification, that means you’ve probably already been thinking about going abroad to teach English. Good choice! Teaching English abroad is an incredible, meaningful way to see the world—and your TEFL certificate is the first step on your journey. Getting TEFL certified will qualify you to teach English almost anywhere in the world, and will help you learn the ins and outs of a foreign language classroom if you don’t have any prior teaching experience. With so many TEFL courses and programs available, you might not be sure where to even begin. Don’t worry! GoAbroad has you covered.

Q: TEFL vs. TESOL vs. TESL

By the way, it’s worth noting that TEFL varies slightly from TESOL, TESL, and CELTA. TESL means Teaching English as a Second Language, and typically applies to those who want to teach English in their home country to foreign language speakers. TESOL means Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, and this has become a blanket certification for those who want both TEFL and TESL skills. Learn more about the difference between TEFL and TESOL to find out which type of certification is the right one for you. TEFL vs. CELTA. You may have also heard of CELTA, Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Many Americans haven’t heard of this particular type of certification, but it’s a great choice for those who want to build a career out of teaching English abroad. CELTA is held to an incredibly high standard by Cambridge, so you can expect the curriculum to go above and beyond what’s offered by other types of certification. If this sounds like what you’re interested in, learn more about if CELTA is worth it for you.

Question 1

introduction

Accepted Answer

If you&rsquo;re exploring your options for getting TEFL certification, that means you&rsquo;ve probably already been thinking about going abroad to teach English. Good choice! Teaching English abroad is an incredible, meaningful way to see the world&mdash;and your TEFL certificate is the first step on your journey. Getting TEFL certified will qualify you to teach English almost anywhere in the world, and will help you learn the ins and outs of a foreign language classroom if you don&rsquo;t have any prior teaching experience. With so many TEFL courses and programs available, you might not be sure where to even begin. Don&rsquo;t worry! GoAbroad has you covered.

Question 2

What is TEFL?

Accepted Answer

So...what is TEFL exactly? TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language&mdash;and your certification qualifies you to do just that! When getting TEFL certified, you&rsquo;ll learn the skills and methods for communicating English lessons to students who don&rsquo;t speak any English at all, and who may only speak a language that you&rsquo;ve never learned! Many people are confused by the concept of teaching English to students you don&rsquo;t share a language with, but TEFL certification programs will show you that it&rsquo;s not necessarily as hard as it sounds.

Question 3

TEFL vs. TESOL vs. TESL

Accepted Answer

By the way, it&rsquo;s worth noting that TEFL varies slightly from TESOL, TESL, and CELTA. TESL means Teaching English as a Second Language, and typically applies to those who want to teach English in their home country to foreign language speakers. TESOL means Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, and this has become a blanket certification for those who want both TEFL and TESL skills. Learn more about the difference between TEFL and TESOL to find out which type of certification is the right one for you.
TEFL vs. CELTA. You may have also heard of CELTA, Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Many Americans haven&rsquo;t heard of this particular type of certification, but it&rsquo;s a great choice for those who want to build a career out of teaching English abroad. CELTA is held to an incredibly high standard by Cambridge, so you can expect the curriculum to go above and beyond what&rsquo;s offered by other types of certification. If this sounds like what you&rsquo;re interested in, learn more about if CELTA is worth it for you.

Question 4

How to get TEFL certification

Accepted Answer

It&rsquo;s pretty easy to get TEFL certification. After you choose the right program for you, it&rsquo;s as simple as going through the coursework and passing your final exam. In many TEFL courses, there&rsquo;s also a certain number of practical hours you need to fulfill as well, which will either be virtual (if you&rsquo;re taking an online program) or scheduled for you (if you&rsquo;re taking a program abroad).
If you want to get certified to teach English abroad, follow these steps:
Decide how long you want your certification to take. It doesn&rsquo;t take long to become TEFL certified if you don&rsquo;t want it to. TEFL certification can take as little as 60 hours and as much as 240 hours (or more!). The longer your program is, the more experience you&rsquo;ll gain prior to entering a classroom. This can help you learn a lot about classroom culture and environment way ahead of your first day on the job. If you have prior teaching experience, then a shorter program online or in-person will probably work well for you.
Online or abroad? Do you want to get TEFL certified online or abroad? Online TEFL courses offer more flexibility in terms of when you complete coursework, but TEFL programs abroad will provide better practical experience.
Choose the right TEFL certification program for you. Once you know how long you want your course to be and whether you want to stay home or go abroad, it&rsquo;ll be a lot easier to find a program that fits your goals. When shopping around, be sure to ask providers what kind of support they&rsquo;ll offer to you both during and after your course. The best TEFL programs will provide job support!
Complete your TEFL course. TEFL courses online will be at your own pace, and TEFL programs abroad will allow you to explore your host country and go on excursions. Either way, you&rsquo;ll need to complete your lessons and your practical component before taking your final exam.
Take the TEFL exam. Time to ace that test! Once you take and pass your TEFL exam, you&rsquo;ll officially be certified to teach English in dozens of countries around the world!

Question 5

How much does TEFL cost?

Accepted Answer

Price points for getting TEFL certified vary widely. You can get a bare bones TEFL course for less than $200 if you take it online and don&rsquo;t need much practical experience. On the other hand, you can spend up to $3000 to get the best of the best TEFL certification so that you&rsquo;re well prepared for the job hunt and interview process. As with anything in life, it&rsquo;s good to follow one simple rule: You get what you pay for.

Question 6

Where to get a TEFL certification

Accepted Answer

You can get TEFL certification wherever reputable programs are offered! It can sometimes be a good idea to get certified in the same country where you intend to teach, since it&rsquo;ll be easier to start the job search and you&rsquo;ll more effectively learn that country&rsquo;s classroom culture and environment. Countries like China, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam offer excellent TEFL courses that will put you near the booming market for English language teaching.

Question 7

What are the benefits of TEFL?

Accepted Answer

The biggest benefit of TEFL certification, of course, is that TEFL allows you to teach abroad! In many countries around the world, you cannot legally teach English and get paid unless you hold a TEFL certificate from an accredited organization. Other benefits of TEFL include increased confidence, better command of a classroom, intercultural communication skills, and new network connections for your future career.