TEFL literally means Teaching English as a Foreign Language. In a nutshell, a TEFL course is a training program which gives you the skills and confidence you need to teach English as a foreign language to children and adults.
The course is given completely in English, and consists of various modules that aim to develop didactical skills and the educational methods of teaching the English language to non-native speakers.
The TEFL certificate is recognized worldwide so you can show future employers that you possess the necessary skills to teach English.
The demand for English teachers has been increasing for years and with a TEFL course you improve your chances to find a paid job significantly.
There are several TEFL courses to choose from: from online courses to courses with a practical weekend. You can also extend your course with short modules if you want to specialize in for example grammar or teaching specific age groups.
You can follow an online TEFL course (with a practical weekend course in the Netherlands) or an intensive TEFL course in Spain or Italy through JoHo.
JoHo members (with a subscription) receive a discount on the TEFL course and can make use of the JoHo vacancies service.
After completing the TEFL course, you can contact JoHo for more information about practical arrangements when moving abroad (for JoHo members) and advice about the suitable insurance.
TEFL tutors do not need to be native English speakers and can originate from anywhere in the world.
With a TEFL certificate you can show employers that you are qualified to teach English and that you have a good command of the language, which will improve your job chances significantly.
In some countries TEFL tutors are required to have a degree (in any subject) but there are also many countries where you can find a well paid teaching position without one.
Is the TEFL course accredited and acknowledged worldwide?
The online TEFL courses available via JoHo are developed by a prominent international TEFL language institution. This language institution has its headquarters in Great Britain and is accredited by the ODLQC (Open and Distance Learning Quality Council).
The ODLQC was originally established by the British government and focuses on quality of open and distance learning. The ODLQC has examined and approved the quality of the TEFL course and continuously checks the quality of this course.
TEFL certificates are acknowledged worldwide. This means that after succeeding the course, you can start working as English teacher at thousands of schools and language institutions worldwide.
What kind of feedback will I receive during the course?
During the online course a teacher will be appointed to you who will give feedback on your assignments of each module. After having received positive feedback you can proceed to the next module. Your teacher also is your contact person during the course.
Are there any admission requirements to be able to participate in a TEFL course?
The only requirement is the ability to speak English.
There is no test for this at the start of the course, but keep in mind that you will be standing in front of a class room one day, so a good level of English is essential.
Furthermore, the course is available for all ages and education levels.
What kind of facilities do I need to be able to do the online course?
The TEFL course consists of a combination of various modules.
Online TEFL Course
With this 'job ready' professional course you will do the basic course and develop your skills. This will help you to deepen your lessons, make them more interactive and deal with different student levels. Moreover, it helps you to market yourself as a TEFL teacher.
Add a practical weekend
The practical weekend is a quick way to gain a lot of practical experience. Under the guidance of a professional teacher, you will go over and practice practical situations with your fellow students using the “10 core teaching skills”. The TEFL teacher helps to instill in you the confidence and skills that make you a good TEFL teacher.
With a group of up to 20 students you work through practical teaching situations during two days (Saturday and Sunday) and make a reflection assignment afterwards.
When applying for a TEFL combi course, you immediately choose the dates on which you want to participate in the practical weekend.
Add specialist courses
There are some lucrative TEFL jobs out there, and they're looking for the right people with the right training to fill them. That’s why there is a range of specialist modules, designed by our expert TEFL tutors, which give you extra training to fulfil the current needs of the TEFL world and to boost your potential salary.
Whether you're just starting out on your TEFL journey, or you've finished your TEFL course already, these specialist modules will benefit you. You don't even need to be enrolled in one of the TEFL courses, you can still benefit from this additional training.
Which TEFL course suits you depends on what you want to do with your TEFL certificate and on your previous working experience.
Important to know is that the amount of hours you have spent on your TEFL course are visible on your TEFL certificate. This will be an important consideration for a potential employer deciding your competence. If you choose for a less extensive course, you should be able to compensate this with other experiences or knowledge.
Specialization modules help you to specialize for various teaching situations. Therefore, these modules are useful for both experienced and inexperienced teachers, in order to increase your chances of finding a job.
What the most suitable TEFL course is depends on what you're planning to do with the course and your previous work experience. It is important to know that the number of hours of your TEFL course or participation in a course weekend is reflected on your TEFL certificate, and will therefore be an important factor for a potential employer in assessing your competence. So, when you choose for a less extensive course you will need to be able to compensate this with other experience or knowledge.
In search of a well-paying job? Take the intensive level 5 course: The level 5 course gives you a highly regarded certificate that opens doors for the higher paid TEFL jobs in popular and diverse destinations. If you are pursuing a career in TEFL, this certificate greatly increases your chances on the TEFL job market.
Temporary or voluntary work as an English teacher: With the level 3 course you will learn the basic principles and skills to teach English. The course is particularly suitable if you plan to teach for a relatively short period (1 to 2 years) or voluntarily.
Need practical experience? Combine the online course with the practical weekend: The practical weekend gives novice teachers the opportunity to put the learned theory into practice and is therefore virtually indispensable for anyone with limited teaching experience.
Increase your chances of a job: Increase your knowledge with specialization modules: You can supplement the online and combi TEFL courses with so-called specialization modules for further deepening. Specialization modules help you to specialize in teaching specific target groups. These are therefore useful for both experienced and inexperienced teachers to follow, in order to increase the chance of a job.
Dates are subject to change due to circumstances concerning COVID related restrictions. You can temporarily choose the 'flex' option for free in your application form.
After booking an online or combi TEFL course, you will receive an email with log in codes for the online part of your TEFL course.
Level 5
The moment you receive the email with log in codes is the moment your online course offically start. Note: You don't have to activate the course first to start the course time.
If you want to start at a later time, mention this in your booking form.
Level 3
The moment you click on the link in the email with the log in codes your online course offically starts. From that day you have 70 days (10 weeks) time to finish the 120h online course. For the specialization courses you get separate course time.
You can start the course at any time after you receive the log in details. If you want to start a few days (or weeks) later, just wait to click on the link until you want to start the course.
You can only start your TEFL course once full payment has been received.
Paying for the course in terms would mean that you can only start the course after you have paid the last term, so it is not more beneficial than paying everything at once. Therefore, paying in terms is not possible.
Are practical teaching situations also part of the online course?
The creator of this course was the first to offer a complete TEFL-course online. It is still possible to do the entire course online, as long as you have internet access.
A difference with other (partly) online courses is that with TEFL you do not have to download big files, like you still see in other courses.
As TEFL has teachers worldwide, there is always a teacher available in your time zone who can give you quick, efficient and constructive feedback. This also applies if you do the course (partially) abroad.
How long will it take until my assignments are revised?
Assignments will be revised and provided with feedback from your own teacher within seven working days. However, you will usually receive your feedback earlier.
If you want to ensure that your assignments are revised within two working days you can purchase 'express marking' through your online TEFL account.
Do I need to save the assignments I completed in the online course?
After your access to the online course has expired, you will also lose access to all information and assignments.
If you want to save them, for example as a helpful tool for preparing a class later on, make sure you save the assignments on your computer or to print them before your access has expired. There is an option in the course menu on the left to directly print the assignment or save it to your computer.
To avoid losing the work you have been doing for the assignments, try to make the assignments on your own computer. When you are finished you can copy and paste the assignment to the online course and send it to your teacher. This way you can avoid losing your work halfway through and having to start over.
Can I also book separate modules or add modules to my course after I got started?
If you are following a TEFL course or already finished one you can book extra course modules. You can add these directly through your own online TEFL account.
For the separate modules you receive different log in codes. This means you also have separate course time to finish the modules.
Do you only want to follow a specialization module, that is possible. However, you don't receive discounts for JoHo members on the specialization modules.
Level 5
The level 5 modules can only be booked in combination with the 180 hour online course.
No, the certificate enjoys worldwide acknowledgement and accreditation and has no specific 'expiration date'.
On the certificate the date (month/year) on which you completed the course is mentioned. It is suggested to keep training your teaching skills, your theoretical knowledge and practical experience, because the value of your certificate depends on your CV and the kind and amount of work experience (voluntarily or paid) you have had after the TEFL course.
Will there be an examination at the end of the TEFL course?
No, there will not be a final exam to finish the TEFL course. During the online course you have to finish each module with an assignment, which will be revised by your teacher. You can proceed to the next module once your assignment is approved by your teacher. This way you work from module to module.
When you have finished all modules of your course, you will receive the TEFL certificate. In the unlikely event you only complete the basic module and not the grammar and/or specialization modules, you will still receive a certificate of the basic module.
After you successfully completed a module of your TEFL course (the basic course or a specialization module), you will receive a digital certificate (in pdf) of that specific module. You can download these certificates via your online TEFL account. Do not forget to download and save these certificates before the access to your TEFL account expires.
Within about four weeks after finishing the complete TEFL course, you will also receive a combined certificate with all the course modules you have completed (per mail). The amount of hours of your TEFL course and the date on which you finished the course will also be stated on your certificate.
Important: You will only receive this combined certificate if you have successfully completed all modules of the course and also filled in the questionnaires after finishing all course modules.
TEFL literally means Teaching English as a Foreign Language. In a nutshell, a TEFL course is a training program which gives you the skills and confidence you need to teach English as a foreign language to children and adults.
The course is given completely in English, and consists of various modules that aim to develop didactical skills and the educational methods of teaching the English language to non-native speakers.
The TEFL certificate is recognized worldwide so you can show future employers that you possess the necessary skills to teach English.
The demand for English teachers has been increasing for years and with a TEFL course you improve your chances to find a paid job significantly.
There are several TEFL courses to choose from: from online courses to courses with a practical weekend. You can also extend your course with short modules if you want to specialize in for example grammar or teaching specific age groups.
The actual difference between TEFL, TESOL, CELTA and TESL is very small. TEFL stands for 'Teaching English as a Foreign Language', TESOL stands for 'Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages', CELTA stands for 'Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults', and TESL stands for 'Teaching English as a Second Language'.
In many countries around the world, employers ask for a TEFL certificate when you want to teach English (this can be a TEFL, TESOL, CELTA or TESL certificate).
In some countries, for example in Southern Europe, a practical course (TESOL/CELTA) is requested. This is an intensive 4-week course, which will provide you with the skills and knowledge to work as an English teacher. The course is specifically for those who would like to pursue a career in TEFL.
Exactly how much you will be paid largely depends upon where you are working, how much experience you have and the type of institute you are working at.
Some TEFL tutors choose to volunteer, others seek merely to cover their travel costs and others seek to start a long-term career with high wages and future prospects.
When looking for a teaching position, it is important that you bear in mind the cost of living in your chosen country. What looks like a very low wage could turn out to be a fortune in comparison to how much you will be spending while you are away.
China is one of the largest and most important economies in the world, which makes English an important language in business. English has also become the second most important language in schools.
Currently over 300 million Chinese are learning English, so it is not surprising that most teaching jobs can be found in China.
A TEFL certificate and a bachelor's degree in any subject are required if you want to teach English in China.
Would you like to work in China as an English teacher? Contact China Plus - they can mediate for free (!) in getting a well paid job as an English teacher in China.
Cambodia
Cambodia is a country that is developing rapidly, with a growing demand for English teachers.
There are many job opportunities at private schools and language schools. Teaching English to business people is very popular in Cambodia.
In addition to a TEFL certificate, schools often ask for a certificate of good conduct when you apply for a TEFL job.
Spain
The level of English is quite low in Spain compared to other European countries. Therefore, there is a big demand for English teachers in Spain.
Many Spanish job seekers are trying to increase their prospect on the labor market by learning English.
Spain is a popular destinatiton for TEFL teachers and there is a lot of competition. For this reason, employers often prefer teachers who have completed an intensive practical TEFL course instead of teachers with only an online certificate.
Latin America
The demand for English teachers in Latin America has already been high for years due to increased economic growth.
Countries with a lot of opportunities for teaching English are, among others, Brasil, Ecuador and Chile.
In Brasil there are opportunities at big companies and thousands of language schools throughout the country; from small villages to big cities. In Ecuador and Chile you can start teaching in one of the many language schools in these countries.
A TEFL certificate is normally required to be able to teach English in Latin America, as schools would like to see proof that a teacher is actually qualified to teach.
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