TEFL Courses & Certification in Ireland

Ireland is a charming mixture of big cities that aren’t too big, nature that isn’t too wild, and towns that aren’t too small. Most TEFL courses in Ireland are located in bigger cities, but it’s possible to find TEFL programs in smaller cities too, if chilling with rainy sheep is up your cobblestoned alley.

Dublin. The capital is the largest city in the country and offers the highest numbers of TEFL certification program options. For teachers that don’t mind tightening the budget a bit in exchange for a hoppin’ city, Dublin is the right option for TEFL certification in Ireland.

Cork. Located in southern Ireland, Cork is neighbors with the Jameson Whiskey Distillery and boasts a thriving music and theater scene. While not as large as Dublin, Cork still has a city feel to it, with a tinge of a college town atmosphere, as ten percent of its metropolitan population is comprised of university students from all over the world.

Galway. Known as Ireland’s Cultural Heart, Galway is a city of about 76,000 people that features a fantastic array of history and festivals to keep that heart beating strong. Because of the number of native Gaelic (Irish) speakers, Galway gives TEFL students a unique opportunity to teach older Irish citizens English.

Most TEFL certification classes in Ireland are a combination of self-study and in-class learning. TEFL programs are usually composed of 120 to 140 hours of instruction, half of which is devoted to core training online and the other half divided into 20-hour segments on grammar, practical training, and specialist teaching. These combination style TEFL courses in Ireland are best for those with no experience, as there is a lot of self-study that teaches all of the terminology before getting into the nitty-gritty classroom.

For students that want to immerse themselves in Ireland, there are also strictly classroom instruction options available. For example, there is a TEFL course in Limerick (a town dating back to the vikings in 812AD!) that has students on a historical campus in the heart of the town and in picturesque classrooms for their teaching components. These classroom-based TEFL programs are most-suited for those that want more hands-on training.

All students have to pass an exam at the end of TEFL courses in order to receive their TEFL certification, which requires intense preparation. Since Ireland is a native English-speaking country, English teaching opportunities revolve around classes or lessons for immigrants, refugees, or the elderly that never learned to speak English well.

Employment Opportunities. Since most Irish people are native English speakers, the need for TEFL teachers isn’t very high in Ireland. For ESL teaching jobs that need to be filled, companies tend to hire locals, as they don’t need work visas. While Ireland is great for receiving TEFL certification, those coming to Ireland should look abroad for ESL teaching opportunities post-certification. A lot of TEFL programs in Ireland include great job assistance that help procure those gems abroad, and it is recommended that you start asking for teaching jobs before graduating.

Weather. A lot of Ireland is rainy and foggy for most of the year, which might make winter months seem longer than usual. For those coming from sunny places, this might be a bit difficult to adjust to. However, constant rain makes this Emerald Island just that, emerald, and there’s no rainbows without some grey clouds. When the sun does come out in the summer, there’s hardly a better place in the world to hike through, with rolling hills pockmarked with sheep herds, tiny villages, and oceanside cliffs.

Ireland is a place of natural beauty, lots of green, pub pints, and academic excellence. If you’re looking for a comfortable place to live while getting TESOL certification abroad at an amazing institution, Ireland will not disappoint. From academic excellence to hearty cuisine, Ireland will make sure the craig is mighty during your English-teaching career.